Establishing a community infusion service in Canterbury, New Zealand: strategies and lessons.

Background and context An increasing number of drugs and blood products need to be delivered by intravenous infusion. In the Canterbury region of New Zealand, these have historically been delivered at a hospital site; however, some infusions could be delivered in a community setting without compromising patient safety. Assessment of problem The Canterbury health system has a key strategic objective of delivering care close to patients' homes.

A community-based initiative to improve transgender mental health in Canterbury, New Zealand.

Background and context The transgender community experiences high levels of mental distress. In the Canterbury region of New Zealand, transgender care was fragmented and there were gaps in service provision. Assessment of problem In 2019, a working group co-designed a model to coordinate and improve health care for the Canterbury transgender community.

Mechanistic understanding of the combined immunodeficiency in complete human CARD11 deficiency.

Background: Germline pathogenic variants impairing the caspase recruitment domain family member 11 (CARD11)-B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma 10 (BCL10)-MALT1 paracaspase (MALT1) (CBM) complex are associated with diverse human diseases including combined immunodeficiency (CID), atopy, and lymphoproliferation. However, the impact of CARD11 deficiency on human B-cell development, signaling, and function is incompletely understood.

Objectives: This study sought to determine the cellular, immunological, and biochemical basis of disease for 2 unrelated patients who presented with profound CID associated with viral and fungal respiratory infections, interstitial lung disease, and severe colitis.

An initiative to improve equity, timeliness and access to District Health Board-funded physiotherapy in Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Background and context General practice teams frequently request orthopaedic and musculoskeletal physiotherapy. In the Canterbury District Health Board (DHB) region, before November 2018, the criteria for DHB-funded physiotherapy were unclear. Wait times were many months.

Coxiella burnetii serology assays in goat abortion storm.

Many commercial antibody detection enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits for Q fever utilize the Nine Mile (Montana tick) strain of Coxiella burnetii as antigen. An ELISA kit manufactured in France employs ovine placenta-sourced antigen and has been used in Europe. Sera from goats experiencing a Q fever abortion storm in the United States were used to compare the sensitivity and specificity of these 2 ELISA formats and the Q fever complement fixation test (CFT).

The silencing of cysteine proteases in Fasciola hepatica newly excysted juveniles using RNA interference reduces gut penetration.

Probing protein function in parasitic flatworms is hampered by the difficulties associated with the development of transgenic approaches. Although RNA interference (RNAi) in schistosomes shows much promise, it has not been reported in other trematodes. Here, we show the successful silencing of the cysteine proteases cathepsin B and L in the infective stage of Fasciola hepatica newly excysted juveniles (NEJs).

Plasmapheresis as an effective treatment for opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome.

A 6-year-old female diagnosed with idiopathic opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome at 22 months of age who failed to respond to treatment with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), IV gammaglobulin (IVIG), and azathioprine is presented. Because of marked and progressive deterioration in motor function and speech, this patient received a course of plasmapheresis with concomitant steroids and azathioprine. Within 1 week, marked improvements in motor function were noted.

The new American Heart Association guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiac care: presented by the Emergency Cardiac Care Subcommittee of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

CPR courses (both basic and advanced) continue to evolve. The recent CPR and ECC guidelines by the AHA consolidate the research and vast experience in one document. These guidelines are helpful to lay people and health care professionals who intervene in cases of cardiac arrest.

Recovery from neonatal myocardial dysfunction after treatment of acute hypertension.

Echocardiography showed gross cardiac dysfunction in a neonate with hypertension secondary to renal artery thrombosis. Cardiac recovery was dramatic after control of hypertension with captopril.