Clinical outcomes of stenting for colorectal obstruction at a tertiary centre.

Purpose: Self-expandable metal stents (SEMS) have been used to manage large bowel obstruction as a palliative treatment or to initially decompress the colon as a bridge to definitive surgery. Our goal was to review clinical outcomes in patients undergoing placement of a SEMS for colorectal obstruction at a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A retrospective review was done of patients undergoing placement of a colorectal SEMS at a single centre between August 2005 and March 2011 for obstructing lesions.

Recombinant activated factor VII for postoperative hemorrhage following repair of acute type A aortic dissection.

Background: Perioperative hemorrhage in the repair of acute type A aortic dissection increases morbidity, mortality, and costs of treatment. Recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) mitigates intractable blood loss in surgery. By enhancing thrombin generation on activated platelet surfaces and activating thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor and factor XIII, rFVIIa promotes platelet aggregation and fibrin plug formation at the site of endothelial injury.

Association of NPAS3 exonic variation with schizophrenia.

Background: We previously identified the neuronal PAS3 (NPAS3) gene as a candidate gene for schizophrenia. A mother and daughter, both with schizophrenia, were carriers of a translocation, t(9;14)(q34;q13), that disrupts the NPAS3 gene. The gene is located at 14q13, a region implicated in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in various linkage studies.