Motivations for cancer history disclosure among young adult cancer survivors.

Purpose: To gain an in-depth understanding of the motivations for cancer history disclosure and/or non-disclosure among young adult cancer survivors.

Methods: Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with breast and testicular cancer survivors diagnosed between the ages of 18 and 39 from across Canada.

Findings: Twenty-eight young adult cancer survivors (16 female; 12 male) participated in this study.

Delayed cord clamping does not affect umbilical cord blood gas analysis.

Background: Although delayed umbilical cord clamping has been shown to have significant benefits for both term and preterm infants, currently, data on its impact on blood gas analysis have been scant and conflicting.

Methods: In a retrospective review, we compared the demographic characteristics and blood gas parameters of 114 delayed cord clamping (DCC-births between 45 and 90 s in length; 109 being for 60 s) versus 407 early cord clamping births (ECC-immediately after delivery) collected over a 1-year period. Intrapartum care and timing of cord clamping for individual cases were performed at the discretion of obstetricians.

Laboratory Performance on Reporting Monoclonal Gammopathy During Cerebrospinal Fluid Oligoclonal Banding Analysis from External Quality Assessment Surveys.

Objective: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) oligoclonal banding (OCB) analysis is a sensitive test used to mainly aid multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. Monoclonal gammopathy is usually an incidental finding during CSF OCB analysis. The aim of this study was to assess laboratory performance on reporting monoclonal gammopathy pattern during CSF OCB analysis based on external quality assessment surveys.

The upgoing thumb sign: An interobserver/intraobserver reliability study.

Background: The upgoing thumb sign as a subtle clinical finding of upper motor neuron involvement has been frequently reported in patients with TIAs and minor strokes. This study was designed to show the method of examination and interpretation and the interobserver/intraobserver reliability.

Methods: The thumb sign was elicited in TIA/minor strokes or stroke mimics.

Candidate recommendations for protein electrophoresis reporting from the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists Monoclonal Gammopathy Working Group.

Protein electrophoresis is commonly used as an aid in the diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathies and is performed in many laboratories in Canada and throughout the world. However, unlike many other diagnostic tests, there is limited guidance for standardization and neither guidance nor specific recommendations for clinical reporting of serum (SPE) or urine (UPE) protein electrophoresis and immunotyping available in the literature. Therefore, a Canadian effort was undertaken to recommend standards that cover all aspects of clinical reporting with an ultimate goal towards reporting standardization.

Comparison of pneumatic tube system with manual transport for routine chemistry, hematology, coagulation and blood gas tests.

Background: The pneumatic tube system (PTS) is commonly used in modern clinical laboratories to provide quick specimen delivery. However, its impact on sample integrity and laboratory testing results are still debatable. In addition, each PTS installation and configuration is unique to its institution.

Sinusoidal endotheliitis as a histological parameter for diagnosing acute liver allograft rejection.

Aim: To investigated the feasibility of using sinusoidal endotheliitis (SE) as a histological marker for liver allograft rejection.

Methods: We compared the histological features of 88 liver allograft biopsies with acute cellular rejection (ACR) and 59 cases with no evidence of ACR. SE was scored as: (1) focal linear lifting up of the endothelial cells by lymphocytes with no obvious damage to adjacent hepatocytes; (2) focal disruption of the endothelial lining by a cluster of subendothelial lymphocytes (a group of > 3 lymphocytes); and (3) severe confluent endotheliitis with hemorrhage and adjacent hepatocyte loss.

Assessing the Efficacy of a Group Mediated Nutritional Knowledge Intervention for Individuals with Obesity.

Purpose: This study reports on the effect of a group-based nutrition and physical activity intervention program on nutrition knowledge and eating habits in a cohort of people with obesity.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test measures. The intervention consisted of physical activity led by certified exercise physiologists and a nutritional education component led by registered dietitians over a 6-month period followed by 6 months of self-management.

The influence of gender and other patient characteristics on health care-seeking behaviour: a QUALICOPC study.

Background: Canadians' health care-seeking behaviour for physical and mental health issues was examined using the international Quality and Cost of Primary Care (QUALICOPC) survey that was conducted in 2013 in Canada.

Method: This study used the cross-sectional Patient Experiences Survey collected from 7260 patients in 759 practices across 10 Canadian provinces as part of the QUALICOPC study. A Responsive Care Scale (RCS) was constructed to reflect the degree of health care-seeking behaviour across 11 health conditions.

Linearity analysis and comparison study on the epoc(®) point-of-care blood analysis system in cardiopulmonary bypass patients.

The epoc(®) blood analysis system (Epocal Inc., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) is a newly developed in vitro diagnostic hand-held analyzer for testing whole blood samples at point-of-care, which provides blood gas, electrolytes, ionized calcium, glucose, lactate, and hematocrit/calculated hemoglobin rapidly. The analytical performance of the epoc(®) system was evaluated in a tertiary hospital, see related research article "Analytical evaluation of the epoc(®) point-of-care blood analysis system in cardiopulmonary bypass patients" [1].

Thymectomy Cures Diabetes Mellitus and Ameliorates Myasthenia Gravis in a Patient with Thymus Hyperplasia and Hyperthyroidism: Report of a Case.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a devastating autoimmune disease that involves the acetylcholine receptor (AchR) in the postsynaptic membrane of the neuromuscular junction. It is not uncommon for MG to accompany with other autoimmune diseases and complicate with multiple organ dysfunction. Here, we report on an 18-year-old female patient with a rare case of MG concomitant with thymus hyperplasia, diabetes mellitus, and hyperthyroidism.

Analytical evaluation of the epoc® point-of-care blood analysis system in cardiopulmonary bypass patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the analytical performance of the new epoc® point-of-care blood analysis system in cardiopulmonary bypass patients.

Design And Methods: The precision study was conducted on 3 epoc® blood analysis systems using 5 levels of quality control materials twice per day for 5days. The blood specimen was collected in blood gas syringes from 40 cardiac perfusion patients for the comparison study on epoc® (all 3meters), Instrumentation Laboratory GEM4000, Abbott iSTAT, Nova CCX, and Roche Accu-Chek Inform II and Performa glucose meters.

Can certified health professionals treat obesity in a community-based programme? A quasi-experimental study.

Objective: To test the effectiveness of a non-pharmaceutical programme for obese participants in a rural Eastern Canadian Province using certified health professionals.

Design: A prospective quasi-experimental design with repeated premeasure and postmeasure.

Participants: 146 participants with obesity (body mass index >30 kg/m(2)) from rural and urban communities in an Eastern Canadian Province were divided into four groups.

Suitability of Becton Dickinson Vacutainer rapid serum tube for collecting and storing blood samples for antibiotic and anticonvulsant drug monitoring.

Aims: To investigate the suitability of newly developed Becton Dickinson Vacutainer rapid serum tube (RST) for therapeutic drug monitoring of antibiotics and anticonvulsants.

Methods: Two pools of citrated whole blood were created by spiking high and low concentrations of gentamicin, vancomycin, phenytoin, lamotrigine and carbamazepine. After recalcification with 15 mmol/L calcium chloride, spiked whole blood was added into four different Becton Dickinson blood collection tubes: RST, serum separator tube, red top tube and polyethylene plain tube.

Free testosterone: clinical utility and important analytical aspects of measurement.

Testosterone, the most abundant androgen in men, is a steroid hormone that is synthesized predominantly by the testes. In women, minor amounts are synthesized in the ovaries. Androgen precursors are also produced and secreted from the adrenal glands in both sexes, where they undergo peripheral conversion to testosterone.

Comparison of Becton Dickinson Vacutainer rapid serum tube with the serum separator tube for routine chemistry and immunoassay tests.

Aims: To shorten the clotting time and resolve the delayed clotting or no clotting on specimens from patients on anticoagulant therapy, Becton Dickinson (BD) recently developed the Vacutainer rapid serum tube (RST). The aim of this study was to systematically compare the new RST tube with the widely used serum separator tube (SST) for routine chemistry and immunoassay tests on 3 common analyser platforms.

Methods: Blood from 45 people (24 women and 21 men, age 21-77 years) was collected using the SST and RST tubes in sequence.

Abuse of family physicians by patients seeking controlled substances.

Objective: To examine family physicians' career prevalence and monthly incidence of workplace abuse by controlled substance prescription seekers.

Design: A 4-page cross-sectional survey.

Setting: A family medicine continuing medical education event in Halifax, NS.