Perioperative outcomes after minimally invasive and open surgery for treatment of spine metastases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis compared minimally invasive surgery (MIS) to open surgery for treatment of spinal metastases with respect to perioperative outcomes. Few studies have systemically assessed the body of evidence on this topic.

Methods: A systematic review of EMBASE and PubMed from database inception to December 2023 was performed to identify studies comparing MIS with open surgery for the treatment of spine metastases.

Navigating Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer: Contemporary Perspectives and Future Trajectories in the Canadian Context.

This article equips Canadian urologists with the latest advancements in focal therapy (FT) principles and outcomes while providing an overview of its current landscape in Canada, including challenges and future directions. We conducted a nonsystematic review of the literature on FT in urology and prostate cancer (PCa), focusing on Canadian-led studies. Articles were identified using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar and selected based on relevance and originality.

Antimicrobial utilisation patterns between 2013 and 2022 in Canadian neonates born at less than 33 weeks gestation: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Excessive antimicrobial exposure is associated with an increase in neonatal mortality, morbidities and adverse neurodevelopment. Canadian Neonatal Network has been promoting judicious antimicrobial use through the Evidence-based Practice for Improving Quality processes. Our objective was to evaluate the antimicrobial consumption among neonates in tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in Canada in the recent decade.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Review of the Biologic and Small Molecule Immunomodulatory Treatments.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that presents as painful, deep-seated nodules, sinus tracts, and abscesses in about 1% of the population. Although the pathogenesis of HS is not perfectly understood, it is generally recognized to be caused by a combination of genetic, endocrine, environmental, and microbiological factors. The treatment principles of HS focus on decreasing the microbial load with antibiotics and/or modulating the host immune response to reduce inflammation.

Pulmonary hypertension in preterm neonates with bronchopulmonary dysplasia: a meta-analysis.

Context: Knowledge gaps exist on the incidence and risk factors for developing pulmonary hypertension (PH) in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and its impact on outcomes.

Objective: To systematically review and meta-analyse the incidence, risk factors and short- and long-term outcomes of BPD-PH in preterm infants.

Design: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL and CINAHL were searched for studies including infants<37 weeks gestational age (GA) or birth weight<2500 g with BPD-PH versus BPD-no PH from inception until 5 April 2023.

Reimagining Neonatal Follow-Up: An Equitable Model of Care Emphasizing Family and Child Function.

This review of the history of neonatal follow-up identifies the challenges, inequity in access to care and the inequity in care delivery. It also reviews the outcomes of prematurity with a focus on common outcomes and those outcomes identified by parents as important. It assimilates the evidence around various models of care to model a program that provides care in all environments (rural and urban), leveraging local resources in collaboration with academic centers to provide greater equity in care delivery and an emphasis on function, rather than data collection.

Safety and Efficacy of Half-dose and Half-fluence Photodynamic Therapy in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: To investigate the comparative efficacy and safety of half-dose photodynamic therapy (PDT) and half-fluence PDT in the management of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, covering publications from January 2000 to March 2024.

Phantom Safety Assessment of 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Directional and Sensing Deep Brain Stimulation Devices.

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is both a crucial clinical and research tool for patients with deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices. However, safety concerns predominantly related to device heating have limited such imaging. Rigorous safety testing has demonstrated that scanning outside of vendor guidelines may be both safe and feasible, unlocking unique opportunities for advanced imaging in this patient population.

Comparative Safety and Effectiveness of Bevacizumab Biosimilars to Originator for the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Ontario has publicly funded biosimilar bevacizumab for first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) since 2019. Clinical trials demonstrate comparable efficacy and safety of bevacizumab biosimilars to originator bevacizumab. The objective of this study was to assess real-world safety and effectiveness of the implementation of bevacizumab biosimilars compared with originator bevacizumab in patients with mCRC.

Benefits of Clinical Decision Support Systems for the Management of Noncommunicable Chronic Diseases: Targeted Literature Review.

Background: Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) are designed to assist in health care delivery by supporting medical practice with clinical knowledge, patient information, and other relevant types of health information. CDSSs are integral parts of health care technologies assisting in disease management, including diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. While electronic medical records (EMRs) serve as data repositories, CDSSs are used to assist clinicians in providing personalized, context-specific recommendations derived by comparing individual patient data to evidence-based guidelines.

Comparing remote programming of cochlear implants using two methods: portable laptop and remote hosted site.

Objectives: Compare two remote programming methods as a clinical service for user satisfaction, ease of use, preparation time and accessibility.

Method: Method 1 (Portable Laptop): A 'Programming Kit' including laptop was shipped to cochlear implant users' homes ( = 20). The audiologist at the implant center used remote desktop control of this laptop to adjust subjects' speech processors.

Aquatic Therapy in Children and Adolescents with Disabilities: A Scoping Review.

Globally, around 1 in 10 children aged 0-17 years have moderate-to-severe disabilities. The aquatic environment provides hydrostatic and hydrodynamic characteristics that make exercise and therapy feasible for children and adolescents with disabilities. The objective of this scoping review is to understand the extent and type of evidence in relation to the use of aquatic therapy in children and adolescents with disabilities.

Caregiver Experiences, Healthcare Provider Perspectives and Child Outcomes with Virtual Care in a Neonatal Neurodevelopmental Follow-Up Clinic: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: Caregiver and healthcare provider perspectives of virtual care have not been explored in depth in the literature for neonatal follow-up clinics. Our objective was to evaluate caregivers' and healthcare providers' perspectives and compare neurodevelopmental outcomes of preterm neonates before and after implementing virtual care during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with families and healthcare providers, designed and analyzed using phenomenological qualitative methods.

Incidence and timing of postoperative complications after total hip and knee arthroplasty.

Background: Follow-up protocols after total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA or TKA, respectively) have little uniformity, which can lead to emergency department (ED) visits for postoperative complications. We sought to determine the incidence and timing of postoperative complications after THA or TKA.

Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of all adults in Ontario who underwent primary THA or TKA between 2010 and 2019.

Fibromuscular Dysplasia: A Focused Review for the Cardiologist.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an increasingly recognized cause of acute coronary syndromes. Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is an idiopathic, nonatherosclerotic, and noninflammatory arterial disease that affects small- to medium-sized arteries that can result in multifocal aneurysms, stenosis, tortuosity, and dissections. Extracoronary FMD has been identified in approximately 70% of SCAD patients and it is recommended that all SCAD patients undergo screening for FMD once in their lifetime using computed tomography angiography from head to pelvis.

Community versus academic hospital community-acquired pneumonia patients: a nested cohort study.

Background: Most Canadians receive their care in community hospitals, yet most clinical research is conducted in academic hospitals. This study aims to compare patients with community acquired pneumonia (CAP) treated in academic and community hospitals with respect to their demographics, clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes.

Methods: This nested observational cohort substudy of the Community Acquired Pneumonia: Toward InnoVAtive Treatment (CAPTIVATE) trial included 1,329 hospitalized adults with CAP recruited between March 1st, 2018 and September 31st, 2023 from 15 Canadian hospitals.