Appraising publicly available online resources to support patients considering decisions about medical assistance in dying in Canada: an environmental scan.

Background: Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016, with legislation updated in 2021. It is unclear whether resources are available to help patients make this difficult decision; therefore, we sought to identify and quality appraise Canadian MAiD resources for supporting patients making this decision.

Methods: We conducted an environmental scan by searching Canadian websites for online MAiD resources that were published after the 2016 MAiD legislation, patient targeted, publicly accessible and able to inform decisions about MAiD in Canada.

Medications and dosages used in medical assistance in dying: a cross-sectional study.

Background: There is little evidence describing the technical aspects of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in Canada, such as medications, dosages and complications. Our objective was to describe clinical practice in providing MAiD in Ontario and Vancouver, Canada, and explore relations between medications used, time until death and complications.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of a sample of adult (age ≥ 18 yr) patients who received MAiD in Ontario between 2016 and 2018, and patients who received MAiD in 1 of 3 Canadian academic hospitals (in Hamilton and Ottawa, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Colombia) between 2019 and 2020.

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited.

Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19.

Design, Setting, And Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin.

Evaluation of the Ottawa 3DY as a screening tool for cognitive impairment in older emergency department patients.

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the implementation of the Ottawa 3DY Tool, a simple screening instrument for cognitive impairment, by front-line ED clinicians.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in an academic ED. Patients ≥75 years underwent cognitive screening with the Ottawa 3DY by front-line nurses and physicians.

Timed Up and Go predicts functional decline in older patients presenting to the emergency department following minor trauma†.

Background: there is no standardised test for assessing mobility in the Emergency Department (ED).

Objective: we wished to evaluate the relationship between the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and frailty, functional decline and falls in community dwelling elders that present to the ED following minor trauma.

Methods: this was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study conducted at eight Canadian hospitals.

Benefits of 21% Oxygen Compared with 100% Oxygen for Delivery of Isoflurane to Mice () and Rats ().

At research institutions, isoflurane delivered by precision vaporizer to a face mask is the standard for rodent surgery and for procedures with durations that exceed a few minutes. Pure oxygen is often used as the carrier gas for isoflurane anesthesia, despite documented complications from long-term 100% oxygen use in humans and known occupational safety risks. We therefore examined the effect of anesthetic delivery gas on physiologic variables in mice and rats.

National survey of family physicians to define functional decline in elderly patients with minor trauma.

Background: Failing to assess elderly patients for functional decline at the time around a minor injury may result in adverse health outcomes. This study was conducted to define what constitutes clinically significant functional decline and the sensitivity required for a clinical decision instrument to identify such functional decline after an injury in previously independent elderly patients.

Methods: After a thorough development process, a survey questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 178 family physicians.

Correlates of cognitive functioning in independent elderly patients discharged home from the emergency department after a minor injury.

Background: The objective of this study was to explore correlates of cognitive functioning of older adults visiting the emergency department (ED) after a minor injury.

Methods: These results are derived from a large prospective study in three Canadian EDs. Participants were aged ≥ 65 years and independent in basic activities of daily living, visiting the ED for minor injuries and discharged home within 48 hours (those with known dementia, confusion, and delirium were excluded).

National Survey of Geriatricians to Define Functional Decline in Elderly People with Minor Trauma.

Background: This study was designed to determine a clinically significant point drop in function to define functional decline and the required sensitivity for a clinical decision tool to identify elderly patients at high risk of functional decline following a minor injury.

Methods: After a rigorous development process, a survey questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 178 geriatricians selected from those registered in a national medical directory. The surveys were distributed using a modified Dillman technique.

Frail older adults with minor fractures show lower health-related quality of life (SF-12) scores up to six months following emergency department discharge.

Background: Minor fractures (e.g. wrist, ankle) are risk factors for lower physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in seniors.

Repeated dose (28-day) administration of silver nanoparticles of varied size and coating does not significantly alter the indigenous murine gut microbiome.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used as antimicrobials in a number of applications, including topical wound dressings and coatings for consumer products and biomedical devices. Ingestion is a relevant route of exposure for AgNPs, whether occurring unintentionally via Ag dissolution from consumer products, or intentionally from dietary supplements. AgNP have also been proposed as substitutes for antibiotics in animal feeds.

Surgical Correction of Rectal Prolapse in Laboratory Mice (Mus musculus).

Rectal prolapse is a common clinical problem in laboratory mice. This condition may occur spontaneously, develop after genetic manipulations, result from infections with pathogens such as Citrobacter species, or arise secondary to experimental design such as colitis models. The current standard of care at our institution is limited to monitoring mice until tissue becomes ulcerated or necrotic; this strategy often leads to premature euthanasia of valuable animals prior to the study endpoint.

Measuring Frailty Can Help Emergency Departments Identify Independent Seniors at Risk of Functional Decline After Minor Injuries.

Background: This study aims to (i) describe frailty in the subgroup of independent community-dwelling seniors consulting emergency departments (EDs) for minor injuries, (ii) examine the association between frailty and functional decline 3 months postinjury, (iii) ascertain the predictive accuracy of frailty measures and emergency physicians' for functional decline.

Method: Prospective cohort in 2011-2013 among 1,072 seniors aged 65 years or older, independent in basic daily activities, evaluated in Canadian EDs for minor injuries.Frailty was assessed at EDs using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging-Clinical Frailty scale (CSHA-CFS) and the Study of Osteoporotic Fracture frailty index (SOF).

Effects of particle size and coating on toxicologic parameters, fecal elimination kinetics and tissue distribution of acutely ingested silver nanoparticles in a mouse model.

Consumer exposure to silver nanoparticles (AgNP) via ingestion can occur due to incorporation of AgNP into products such as food containers and dietary supplements. AgNP variations in size and coating may affect toxicity, elimination kinetics or tissue distribution. Here, we directly compared acute administration of AgNP of two differing coatings and sizes to mice, using doses of 0.

National Survey of Emergency Physicians to Define Functional Decline in Elderly Patients with Minor Trauma.

Background: There are a number of screening tools to predict return to the emergency department (ED) in elderly trauma patients, but none exist to specifically screen for functional decline after a minor injury. The objective of this study was to identify outcome measures for a possible future clinical decision rule to be used in the ED to identify previously independent patients at high risk of functional decline at six months post minor injury.

Methods: After a rigorous development process, a survey instrument was administered to a random sample of 178 emergency physicians using the Dillman's Tailored Design Method.

Enucleation for treating rodent ocular disease.

Our standard of care for rodent corneal lesions previously included treatment of the primary lesion, application of topical NSAIDs, and systemic NSAIDs in severe cases. When intensive medical management was unsuccessful, animals were euthanized, leading to premature loss of valuable genetically modified animals and those on long-term studies. We investigated enucleation surgery as a treatment for 15 cases of rodent corneal disease that did not respond to medical management.

National survey of physicians to determine the effect of unconditional incentives on response rates of physician postal surveys.

Objectives: Physicians are a commonly targeted group in health research surveys, but their response rates are often relatively low. The goal of this paper was to evaluate the effect of unconditional incentives in the form of a coffee card on physician postal survey response rates.

Design: Following 13 key informant interviews and eight cognitive interviews a survey questionnaire was developed.

Is cognitive function a concern in independent elderly adults discharged home from the emergency department in Canada after a minor injury?

Objectives: To describe the cognitive functioning of independent community-dwelling elderly adults visiting the emergency department (ED) for minor injuries and at 3- and 6-month follow-up assessments and to document the occurrence of falls, return to the ED, and hospital visits over time according to cognitive level.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Three Canadian EDs.

Survey of current injury prevention practices by registered nurses in the emergency department.

Introduction: It has been shown that a vast majority of injured patients who seek treatment in emergency departments are seen and released. The events resulting in the individuals seeking treatment may have been preventable and some of the time spent in an emergency department could be used for injury prevention (IP) education. This study sought to determine current IP practices of registered nurses working in an emergency department, to discover whether or not they believed IP was important, and to identify perceived obstacles for incorporating IP education into clinical practice.

The role of pdx1 and HNF6 in proliferation and differentiation of endocrine precursors.

Ex vivo expansion of embryonic stem cells (ES cells) or pancreatic stem cells for insulin delivery to diabetic patients provides potential for the restoration of islet function in these individuals. Understanding the spatial and temporal requirements of crucial factors for endocrine progenitor specification, proliferation, and terminal differentiation remains a major challenge in the field of pancreas development. Here, we provide speculation as to the role of pdx1 and HNF6 in these different stages of pancreatic endocrine cell development.