Correcting Finger Counting to Snellen Acuity.

In this paper, the authors describe an online tool with which to convert and thus quantify count finger measurements of visual acuity into Snellen equivalents. It is hoped that this tool allows for the re-interpretation of retrospectively collected data that provide visual acuity in terms of qualitative count finger measurements.

Design and rationale for the Acute Congestive Heart Failure Urgent Care Evaluation: The ACUTE Study.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is one of the leading reasons for emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization. However, externally validated risk algorithms for acute prognostication of heart failure patients are not available. Thus, many low-risk patients are hospitalized and some high-risk patients are discharged home, which, in some cases, may lead to death.

Triage, treatment and transfer of patients with stroke in emergency department trial (the T Trial): a cluster randomised trial protocol.

Background: Internationally recognised evidence-based guidelines recommend appropriate triage of patients with stroke in emergency departments (EDs), administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and proactive management of fever, hyperglycaemia and swallowing before prompt transfer to a stroke unit to maximise outcomes. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness in EDs of a theory-informed, nurse-initiated, intervention to improve multidisciplinary triage, treatment and transfer (T) of patients with acute stroke to improve 90-day death and dependency. Organisational and contextual factors associated with intervention uptake also will be evaluated.

Alpha-2 agonists for sedation in mechanically ventilated neurocritical care patients: a systematic review protocol.

Background: Sedation is an important consideration in the care of the neurocritically ill patient. It provides anxiety and relief, facilitates procedures and nursing tasks, and minimizes intolerance of mechanical ventilation. Alpha-2 agonists such as dexmedetomidine and clonidine have been shown to be an effective alternative in the general critical care population by reducing duration of mechanical ventilation and length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), as compared to traditional sedative agents such as propofol or benzodiazepines.

Acute care hospitalization, by immigrant category: Linking hospital data and the Immigrant Landing File in Canada.

Background: Although immigrants tend to be healthier than the Canadian-born population when they arrive, subgroups, notably different immigration categories, may differ in health and health care use. Data limitations have meant the research has seldom focused on category of immigrant-economic, family or refugee. A newly linked database has made it possible to study acute care hospitalization by immigration category and source region.

Vaccine-preventable disease-related hospitalization among immigrants and refugees to Canada: Study of linked population-based databases.

While immigrants tend to be healthier especially when they first arrived, this healthy immigrant effect may not apply to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD) especially among immigrants from countries without vaccination programs. There is therefore an important information gap regarding differential health outcome and hospitalization usage by immigrant status, landing cohort, world region and immigrant category. This study focused on acute-care hospitalization, and used two recently linked population-based databases in Canada, namely, the 2006 Census linked to the Hospital Discharge Abstract (DAD), and the Immigrant Landing File linked to the DAD (ILF-DAD) to estimate crude and age-standardized VPD-related hospitalization rates (ASHR) by the above-mentioned immigrant characteristics to be compared with that for overall Canadian-born reference population.

Prospective assessment of neurodevelopment in children following a pregnancy complicated by severe pre-eclampsia.

Objective: To prospectively examine whether children of women with a pregnancy affected by severe pre-eclampsia (PE), compared to children of women without a PE-affected pregnancy, have differences in neurodevelopmental performance up to 5 years of age.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary care centre.

Molecular Changes Associated with the Protective Effects of Angiopoietin-1 During Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown Post-Injury.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown to plasma proteins leads to vasogenic edema which when diffuse is a life threatening complication in many types of acute brain injury. In our previous studies, early BBB breakdown was associated with increased expression of endothelial caveolin-1α (Cav-1) protein and decreased expression of occludin. In order to attenuate these changes, the effects of intra-cortical angiopoietin-1 (Ang1), a potent anti-permeability factor, on BBB breakdown was assessed in the cold injury model at day 1 post-injury.

How Accurate Are Home Blood Pressure Devices in Use? A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Out of office blood pressure measurements, using either home monitors or 24 hour ambulatory monitoring, is widely recommended for management of hypertension. Though validation protocols, meant to be used by manufacturers, exist for blood pressure monitors, there is scant data in the literature about the accuracy of home blood pressure monitors in actual clinical practice. We performed a chart review in the blood pressure assessment clinic at a tertiary care centre.

Assessing the Rationale and Effectiveness of Frozen Plasma Transfusions: An Evidence-based Review.

Frozen plasma is a commonly used blood product. The primary indications for frozen plasma are the treatment and prevention of bleeding in patients with prolonged coagulation tests. However, there is a lack of well-conducted clinical trials to determine the appropriate indications for frozen plasma.

Long-term risk of venous thrombosis after stopping anticoagulants for a first unprovoked event: A multi-national cohort.

Background: Choosing short-term (3-6 months) or indefinite anticoagulation after a first unprovoked venous thromboembolic event (VTE) is a common and difficult clinical decision. The long-term absolute risk of recurrent VTE after a first unprovoked VTE, in all patients and sub-groups, is not well established, hindering decision making.

Methods: We conducted a multi-center multi-national prospective cohort study in first unprovoked VTE patients to establish the long-term risk of recurrent VTE after short-term anticoagulation in first unprovoked VTE patients (and sub-groups).

A Phase I study of olaparib and irinotecan in patients with colorectal cancer: Canadian Cancer Trials Group IND 187.

Background Olaparib is an orally available inhibitor of PARP-1. In pre-clinical studies, olaparib was shown to potentiate anti-tumor effects of irinotecan in colon cancer cell lines. This phase I study was conducted to evaluate the safety and tolerability of olaparib in combination with irinotecan.

Emerging drugs for graft-versus-host disease.

Introduction: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) leads to significant morbidity and mortality after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. While corticosteroids alone are adequate in some cases, they are often insufficient, leading to poor quality of life associated with the symptoms of disease, or mortality from infection and GVHD. Moreover, corticosteroids have significant side effects and often do not lead to durable responses.

The Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Is Not Increasing Over Time Despite Aging and Higher Comorbidity Burden of Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Background: Cardiovascular death remains the leading cause of mortality in kidney transplant recipients. Cardiovascular events are associated with significant morbidity. However, current trends in cardiovascular events after kidney transplantation are poorly understood.

A behavior change program to increase outings delivered during therapy to stroke survivors by community rehabilitation teams: The Out-and-About trial.

Background: Australian guidelines recommend that outdoor mobility be addressed to increase participation after stroke.

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of the Out-and-About program at increasing outings delivered during therapy by community teams, and outings taken by stroke survivors in real life.

Method: Cluster-randomized trial involving 22 community teams providing stroke rehabilitation.

Diastolic Hypotension in a Tertiary Care Hypertension Clinic: Have We Gone Too Far?

Background: Treatment-induced diastolic hypotension has been associated with an increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events in post hoc analyses of major blood pressure (BP)-lowering trials. We undertook this retrospective study to assess the prevalence and risk factors for diastolic hypotension among patients referred to a tertiary care hypertension clinic.

Methods: Charts of all active patients were reviewed, and BP at the initial visit was compared with BP at the first visit at which the systolic BP target was achieved or the last visit if the target was not achieved.

All-cause and circulatory disease-related hospitalization, by generation status: Evidence from linked data.

Background: Immigrants tend to have better health than the Canadian-born. However, the "healthy immigrant" effect diminishes over time and varies by source country. This study examines whether lower hospitalization rates persist from the first (G1) to the second generation (G2) of immigrants, compared with other Canadians (G3+).

The apoB-to-PCSK9 ratio: A new index for metabolic risk in humans.

Background: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) shuttles low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors for degradation, thus upregulates LDL plasma clearance. Although PCSK9 loss of function is cardioprotective, its role in metabolic risks remains unknown. Increased apoB-lipoproteins uptake into nonhepatic tissues such as white adipose tissue (WAT) induces their dysfunction, which may be favored by lower plasma PCSK9.

Erratum: Oral salt and water versus intravenous saline for the prevention of acute kidney injury following contrast-enhanced computed tomography: study protocol for a pilot randomized trial Salmonella blood stream infections in a tertiary care setting in Ghana.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40697-015-0048-7.].

Characteristics associated with sexual assaults at mass gatherings.

Introduction: Sexual assault is disturbingly common, yet little is known about those occurring at mass gatherings, defined as a group of people congregated for a common purpose. Our objectives were to examine patterns of variation in sexual assault associated with mass gatherings and to determine factors associated with assaults occurring at mass gatherings.

Methods: We performed a case series analysis from January to December, 2013.