Quality improvement initiative for improved patient communication in an ED rapid assessment zone.

Introduction: Patient-clinician communication in the Emergency Department (ED) faces challenges of time and interruptions, resulting in negative effects on patient satisfaction with communication and failure to relieve anxiety. Our aim was to improve patient satisfaction with communication and to decrease related patient anxiety.

Methods: A multistage quality improvement (QI) initiative was conducted in the ED of Toronto General Hospital, a quaternary care centre in Ontario, Canada, from January to May 2018.

Tuberculosis vaccine candidate: Characterization of H4-IC31 formulation and H4 antigen conformation.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, making the development of effective TB vaccines a global priority. A TB vaccine consisting of a recombinant fusion protein, H4, combined with a novel synthetic cationic adjuvant, IC31, is currently being developed. The H4 fusion protein consists of two immunogenic mycobacterial antigens, Ag85 B and TB10.