Building a community of practice to address alcohol harms in Canada: Experience from the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation project.

Setting: Alcohol is a major cause of health and social costs and harms in Canada. While research and awareness of harms caused by alcohol are on the rise, few transdisciplinary platforms exist that are committed to facilitating bold alcohol policy change to reduce health inequities and improve lives.

Intervention: In response to feedback heard during engagement for the Canadian Alcohol Policy Evaluation project, an alcohol policy-focused community of practice (CoP) was launched in January 2022.

Results of a healthcare transition learning collaborative for emerging adults with sickle cell disease: the ST3P-UP study transition quality improvement collaborative.

Background: Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience poor clinical outcomes while transitioning from paediatric to adult care. Standards for SCD transition are needed. We established a Quality Improvement (QI) Collaborative that aimed to improve the quality of care for all young adults with SCD by establishing a standardised SCD transition process.

Complete removal of a ruptured pulmonary hydatid cyst during conscious sedation bronchoscopy: A case report and literature review.

The complete removal of a pulmonary hydatid cyst by bronchoscopy occurs rarely in clinical practice. We describe a 22-year-old male originally from Lebanon, with suspected hydatid cyst rupture on computed tomography chest after experiencing sudden onset fevers and cough whilst taking empiric anthelmintic therapy. Bronchoscopy revealed white gelatinous material in the posterior segment of the left lower lobe.

Mobilizing community-driven health promotion through community granting programs: a rapid systematic review.

Background: Effective health promotion responds to the unique needs of communities. Community granting programs that fund community-driven health promotion initiatives are a potential mechanism to meet those unique needs. While numerous community health-focused programs are available, the various strategies used by granting programs to foster engagement, administer grants and support awardees have not been systematically evaluated.

Successful quality improvement project to increase hydroxyurea prescriptions for children with sickle cell anaemia.

Hydroxyurea (HU) is an effective but underused disease-modifying therapy for patients with sickle cell anaemia (SCA). EMBRACE SCD, a sickle cell disease treatment demonstration project, aimed to improve access to HU by increasing prescription (Rx) rates by at least 10% from baseline in children with SCA.The Model for Improvement was used as the quality improvement framework.

Validating the Simplified Endoscopic Mucosal Assessment for Crohn's Disease: A Novel Method for Assessing Disease Activity.

Background: To demonstrate treatment efficacy in Crohn's disease (CD), regulatory authorities require that trials include an endoscopic remission/response end point; however, standardized endoscopic assessment of disease activity, such as the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease (SES-CD), is not typically recorded by clinicians in practice or outside of clinical trials. The novel Simplified Endoscopic Mucosal Assessment for Crohn's Disease (SEMA-CD) was developed to be easy to use in routine clinical practice and as a trial end point. We conducted a study to assess and validate the reliability and feasibility of SEMA-CD as a measure of endoscopic disease activity.

Consensus Approach to a Treat-to-target Strategy in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Care: Report From the 2020 PR-COIN Consensus Conference.

Objective: Treat to target (T2T) is a strategy of adjusting treatment until a target is reached. An international task force recommended T2T for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) treatment. Implementing T2T in a standard and reliable way in clinical practice requires agreement on critical elements of (1) target setting, (2) T2T strategy, (3) identifying barriers to implementation, and (4) patient eligibility.

A Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative for Human Papillomavirus Vaccination.

Unlabelled: Many published accounts have shown that quality improvement (QI) initiatives within medical practice settings can increase vaccination rates. Project ECHO is a telementoring platform that uses video conferencing technology to educate and support healthcare professionals through case-based learning and brief lectures. This manuscript explores the results of a learning collaborative focused on combining QI and Project ECHO to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates within pediatric practices.

Radiographic Progression Inhibition with Intravenous Golimumab in Psoriatic Arthritis: Week 24 Results of a Phase III, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.

Objective: Evaluate effects of intravenous (IV) golimumab (GOL) on radiographic progression in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: This phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (GO-VIBRANT) randomized patients with active PsA to receive IV placebo (n = 239) or IV GOL 2 mg/kg (n = 241) at weeks 0, 4, 12, and 20. Radiographic progression (controlled secondary endpoint) was evaluated as change from baseline at Week 24 in PsA-modified total Sharp/van der Heijde scores (SvdH).

Public Awareness of Low-Risk Alcohol Use Guidelines.

. To evaluate the effectiveness of a population-based, public education campaign designed to increase awareness of the Canadian Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines (LRDG). .

Using Research Findings to Design an Evidence-Based Practice Curriculum.

Evidence from a system-wide research study highlighted strengths and weaknesses in evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation, beliefs, and organizational readiness. To address this evidence, a curriculum was developed within the context of the shared governance and EBP models for nursing practice. The curriculum, Evidence-Based Practice: Clinical Applications in Professional Nursing Practice, consists of five modules that provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities relative to each step of EBP.

Pediatrics Residents' Confidence and Performance Following a Longitudinal Quality Improvement Curriculum.

Background: Quality improvement (QI) training is an integral part of residents' education. Understanding the educational value of a QI curriculum facilitates understanding of its impact.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a longitudinal QI curriculum on pediatrics residents' confidence and competence in the acquisition and application of QI knowledge and skills.

Post Liposuction Mycobacterium Abscessus Surgical Site Infection in a Returned Medical tourist Complicated by a Paradoxical Reaction During Treatment.

Rapidly growing mycobacterial skin and soft tissue infections are known to complicate cosmetic surgical procedures. Treatment consists of more surgery and prolonged antibiotic therapy guided by drug susceptibility testing. Paradoxical reactions occurring during antibiotic therapy can further complicate treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections.

A pilot study of omalizumab in eosinophilic esophagitis.

Eosinophilic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are an emerging subset of immune pathologies within the spectrum of allergic inflammation. Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), once considered a rare disease, is increasing in incidence, with a rate of over 1 in 10,000 in the US, for unknown reasons. The clinical management of EoE is challenging, thus there is an urgent need for understanding the etiology and pathophysiology of this eosinophilic disease to develop better therapeutic approaches.

More action, less resistance: report of the 2014 summit of the Global Respiratory Infection Partnership.

'Antimicrobial resistance is a global health security threat that requires concerted cross-sectional action by governments and society as a whole,' according to a report published by the WHO in April 2014([1]) . On 24-25 June 2014, the Global Respiratory Infection Partnership (GRIP) met in London, UK, together with delegates from 18 different countries to discuss practical steps that can be taken at a local level to address this global problem in an aligned approach. This was the second annual summit of GRIP.

Ustekinumab, an anti-IL-12/23 p40 monoclonal antibody, inhibits radiographic progression in patients with active psoriatic arthritis: results of an integrated analysis of radiographic data from the phase 3, multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled PSUMMIT-1 and PSUMMIT-2 trials.

Objective: Evaluate ustekinumab, an anti-interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 antibody, effects on radiographic progression in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: We conducted preplanned integrated analyses of combined radiographic data from PSUMMIT-1 and PSUMMIT-2 phase 3, randomised, controlled trials. Patients had active PsA despite prior conventional and/or biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (≥5/66 swollen, ≥5/68 tender joints, C-reactive protein ≥3.

Successful use of locally applied polyhexamethylene biguanide as an adjunct to the treatment of fungal osteomyelitis.

Fungal osteomyelitis is rare in immunocompetent patients and is often difficult to cure, even with optimal medical and surgical management. The authors present two cases of fungal osteomyelitis in which the common swimming pool cleaner, polyhexamethylene biguanide, was used successfully as an adjunct to standard surgical and medical treatment. Also presented is a literature review on the use of polyhexamethylene biguanide for this indication.

Radiographic benefit and maintenance of clinical benefit with intravenous golimumab therapy in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate therapy: results up to 1 year of the phase 3, randomised, multicentre, double blind, placebo controlled GO-FURTHER trial.

Objective: Report on radiographic effects and maintenance of clinical benefit with intravenous golimumab 2 mg/kg+methotrexate (MTX) for up to week (wk) 52 in active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients (n=592) with active RA (≥6/66 swollen, ≥6/68 tender joints, C reactive protein (CRP) ≥1.0 mg/dL and positive for rheumatoid factor and/or anticyclic citrullinated protein antibody at screening) despite MTX ≥3 months (stable dose of 15-25 mg/week for ≥4 weeks) participated in this multicentre, international, randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, phase 3 study.

Short-course intravenous aciclovir treatment for cutaneous herpes zoster in patients with HIV infection.

There are no comparative data on the treatment duration of cutaneous herpes zoster (HZ) in patients with HIV infection. We retrospectively reviewed all 51 adult patients with HIV infection presenting with cutaneous HZ in the 15-year period 1995-2009 treated with intravenous aciclovir alone. The median CD4 count was 297 (range 10-703) cells/mm(3).

Screening for antioxidants in complex matrices using high performance liquid chromatography with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection.

The use of high performance liquid chromatography with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection to screen for antioxidants in complex plant-derived samples was evaluated in comparison with two conventional post-column radical scavenging assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation (ABTS(+))). In this approach, acidic potassium permanganate can react with readily oxidisable compounds (potential antioxidants), post-column, to produce chemiluminescence. Using flow injection analysis, experimental parameters that afforded the most suitable permanganate chemiluminescence signal for a range of known antioxidants were studied in a univariate approach.

High-performance liquid chromatography with post-column 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay: methodological considerations and application to complex samples.

An improved post-column 2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH*) radical scavenging assay for the screening of antioxidants in complex matrices was developed. Experimental parameters believed to be influential to DPPH* response were studied in a univariate approach. Optimum conditions were found to be: 5 x 10(-5) M DPPH* reagent prepared in a 75% methanol: 25% 40 mM citric acid-sodium citrate buffer (pH 6) solution, degassed with nitrogen; reaction coil of 2 m x 0.

Determination of Citrus aurantium protoalkaloids using HPLC with acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence detection.

Acidic potassium permanganate chemiluminescence was explored as a sensitive and selective mode of detection for phenolic phenethylamines (adrenergic amines) in consumer products containing Citrus aurantium extracts. Nine commercially available weight-loss products were analysed using rapid reversed-phase chromatography with a monolithic column (separation time of 4 min). The results were in good agreement with package labelling, with some notable exceptions.