Atropine Versus Placebo for Neonatal Nonemergent Intubation: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: To compare the rates of severe bradycardia (<80/min for >10 seconds) between neonates who received atropine-fentanyl-succinylcholine (atropine/standard-of-care group) vs placebo-fentanyl-succinylcholine (placebo/intervention group) before orotracheal intubation.

Study Design: A multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical trial of neonates receiving nonemergent intubation. Randomization was by computer generated tables with random block size, stratified by postmenstrual age at randomization (<34 weeks and ≥34 weeks).

Competency-Based Cardiology Training: A Simple Approach to Improve Supervisor Completion of Entrustable Professional Activities.

Background: Adult cardiology residency programs formally transitioned to Competency by Design (CBD) in July 2021. CBD was designed to establish clear learning expectations and increase opportunities for coaching; however, cited challenges include inconsistent participation by staff, and variable timelines for receiving feedback. This project was designed to implement a simple intervention to improve expiry rates and completion timelines of entrustable professional activities (EPAs).

The Impact of Addictions Management Following Cardiac Surgery on People Who Inject Drugs and Have Infective Endocarditis.

Background: Managing reinfection in patients who inject drugs and have undergone cardiac surgery could reduce mortality. A significant gap exists in the management of addiction in this population and it is rarely addressed during index hospitalization for surgical intervention. This study sought to determine if management of addiction changed rates of readmission for reinfection.

Single-Centre Registry Analysis of Patients Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention on Their Coronary Bypass Grafts.

Background: The study assessed the outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to bypass grafts, focusing on all-cause mortality and target vessel failure (TVF) rates.

Methods: A single-centre registry analysis included 364 patients who underwent PCI on coronary bypass grafts between 2008 and 2019. The study analyzed all-cause mortality and TVF, which encompassed target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization, and medically treated occluded target graft post-PCI.

Wheelchair skills training for caregivers of manual wheelchair users: a randomized controlled trial comparing self-study and remote training.

Unlabelled: In this single-blind randomized controlled trial, we tested the hypotheses that, in comparison with control participants receiving only self-study materials (SS group), caregivers of manual wheelchair users who additionally receive remote training (RT group) have greater total Wheelchair Skills Test Questionnaire (WST-Q) performance and confidence scores post-training and at follow-up; and that self-study and remote training each individually lead to such gains. We studied 23 dyads of wheelchair users and their caregivers. Caregivers in the SS group received a handbook and videorecording.

Parent-reported health outcomes at preschool age in preterm survivors: a population-based cohort study.

Objective: Literature on health status (HS) and health-related quality of life of preterm survivors at preschool age is sparse. Further, little is known about the relationship between parent-reported HS outcomes and standardised neurodevelopmental outcomes measured in preterm survivors at preschool age. Our objective was to evaluate parent-reported child HS outcomes and their relationship to neurodevelopmental outcomes at 36 months of age in very preterm survivors.

Accuracy of reticulocyte hemoglobin for diagnosing iron deficiency in former very preterm infants: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Serum ferritin (SF) is commonly used to diagnose iron deficiency (ID) but has limitations. Reticulocyte hemoglobin (Ret-He) is being increasingly used for ID diagnosis. This study aimed to assess accuracy of Ret-He for ID diagnosis in former very preterm infants (VPI) at 4-6 months corrected age (CA).

Canadian medical student perceptions of the Choosing Wisely Canada campaign.

Background: Medical student investment in resource stewardship (RS) is essential as resource overuse continues among physicians, but it is unclear whether this is influenced by hidden curriculum. This study investigated medical student perceptions of Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC).

Methods: Canadian Medical students completed a bilingual questionnaire.

A Remote-Learning Course can improve the subjective wheelchair-skills performance and confidence of wheelchair service providers: an observational cohort study.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that a Remote-Learning Course improves the subjective wheelchair-skills performance and confidence of wheelchair service providers, and to determine the participants' views on the Course.

Methods: This was an observational cohort study, with pre-post comparisons. To meet the objectives of the six-week Course, the curriculum included self-study and weekly one-hour remote meetings.

Optimizing Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infections Following Rapid Molecular Diagnostic Testing and an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Intervention.

Pending antibiotic susceptibility results, vancomycin is often used for bloodstream infections (BSIs) to ensure treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). As rapid discrimination of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) from MRSA in BSIs could decrease vancomycin use and allow early optimization of beta-lactam therapy, this study evaluated the impact of the use of rapid molecular testing for MSSA and MRSA coupled with an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) intervention.

Effect of travel direction and wheelchair position on the ease of a caregiver getting an occupied wheelchair across a soft surface: a randomized crossover trial.

Purpose: To test the hypotheses that, in comparison with pushing an occupied upright manual wheelchair forward, pulling backward on the push-handles improves the objective and subjective ease with which a caregiver can get the wheelchair across a soft surface (e.g., grass, mud, sand, gravel); and the ease with which a caregiver can get the wheelchair across a soft surface improves if the wheelchair is tipped back into the wheelie position.

Incidence and Predictors of Outcome in the Treatment of In-Stent Restenosis with Drug-Eluting Balloons, a Real-Life Single-Centre Study.

Objectives: To determine the one-year and five-year occurrence and prognosticators of major adverse cardiac events (MACE: composition of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and vessel thrombosis), mortality, and target lesion revascularization (TLR) in patients with in-stent restenosis (ISR) treated with drug-eluting balloons (DEBs).

Background: DEBs have become an emerging therapeutic option for ISR. We report the results of a single-center retrospective study on the treatment of ISR with DEB.

An Examination of Melanoma Detection and Characteristics at a Nova Scotia Tertiary Care Centre, From 2015-2019.

Background: Melanoma is one of the most common cancers in Canada, with the highest incidence in Nova Scotia (NS).

Objectives: To describe the demographics, lesion characteristics, and diagnostic accuracy of suspected melanomas excised at the largest center in NS.

Methods: The dermatopathology database was interrogated for cases of possible melanoma from 2015 through 2019.

Retrospective Review of Reproductive Outcomes Comparing Vaginal Progesterone to Intramuscular Progesterone as Luteal Support in Frozen Embryo Transfer Cycles.

Objective: Recent literature suggests that progesterone in oil (PIO) is superior to vaginal progesterone (VP; Prometrium) for endometrial preparation in frozen embryo transfer cycles (FET), improving the live birth rate and reducing the rate of miscarriage. PIO has disadvantages including cost, pain, and stress of administration. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether VP is non-inferior to PIO for medicated FET cycles.

Cardiovascular Outcomes in Nova Scotia During the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: This study sought to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic response to healthcare delivery on outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease.

Methods: This is a population-based cohort study performed in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada (population 979,499), between the pre-COVID (March 1, 2017-March 16, 2020) and in-COVID (March 17, 2020-December 31, 2020) periods. Adult patients (age ≥ 18 years) with new-onset or existing cardiovascular disease were included for comparison between periods.

Practices and views of wheelchair service providers regarding wheelchair-skills training for clients and their caregivers: a global online survey.

Purpose: To determine the extent to which wheelchair service providers conduct wheelchair-skills training, the nature of training, and the providers' perceptions on training.

Materials And Methods: Anonymous global online survey consisting of 29 questions administered the REDCap electronic data-capture tool to English-speaking wheelchair service providers.

Results: We received 309 responses from wheelchair service providers in 35 countries.