Factors Associated with Poor Quality of Life in a Canadian Cohort of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Cross-sectional Study.

Background: Health-related quality of life (QoL) is often adversely affected in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to identify factors associated with poor QoL among Canadian patients with IBD in clinical remission.

Methods: We enrolled patients at a single academic tertiary care center with inactive IBD.

Ultrasound vs Endoscopy, Surgery, or Pathology for the Diagnosis of Small Bowel Crohn's Disease and its Complications.

Background: In patients with inflammatory bowel disease, we strive to achieve mucosal healing, as this has been shown to decrease the risk of disease flares, hospitalization, and surgery. For this reason, we must use objective measures of mucosal healing to inform our clinical decision-making and can no longer rely on patient symptoms alone. Assessment of small bowel Crohn's disease (SBCD) is particularly challenging given its lack of accessibility via standard endoscopic techniques.

Twenty-four hour noninvasive ventilation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a safe alternative to tracheostomy.

Background: Almost all patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) eventually develop respiratory failure. Once 24 h ventilation is required, either due to incomplete effectiveness of nocturnal noninvasive ventilation (NIV) or bulbar weakness, it is common practice to recommend invasive tracheostomy ventilation; however, noninvasive daytime mouthpiece ventilation (MPV) as an addition to nocturnal mask ventilation is also an alternative.

Methods: The authors' experience with 12 DMD patients who used 24 h NIV with mask NIV at night and MPV during daytime hours is reported.