Plasma transfusion practice: A five-year audit of plasma transfusion at 23 hospitals.

Background: There is limited high-quality evidence to guide plasma transfusion, and plasma transfusion practices remain variable.

Study Design And Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study that included adult medical and intensive care unit (ICU) inpatients (age ≥ 18 years) admitted to 23 hospitals in Canada between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2022, when both whole blood derived (~290 mL) and apheresis plasma (~250 mL) were available for transfusion. Nine additional hospital sites with missing plasma data or coagulation testing were excluded.

Overview of evidence synthesis types and modes.

Background And Objectives: Evidence syntheses systematically compile and analyze information from multiple sources to support health care decision making. As many different types of questions need to be answered in health care, different evidence synthesis types have emerged. In this article, we introduce the most common types of evidence synthesis.

Elevated Lipoprotein(a) Levels and Massive Ruptured Root and Ascending Aortic Aneurysm.

Background: Rupture of a root and ascending aortic aneurysm is a rare, life-threatening condition requiring prompt recognition and surgical intervention. Elevated lipoprotein(a) levels have been implicated in vascular pathology but are less studied in thoracic aneurysms.

Case Summary: A 61-year-old man who presented with severe dyspnea and chest tightness was found to have a 7.

Multiple Chronic Conditions Before Pregnancy and Risk of Adverse Maternal Health Outcomes: Population-Based Cohort Study.

Objective: To assess the risks of perinatal emergency department (ED) use, hospitalisation and severe maternal morbidity or mortality (SMM-M) associated with preconception MCC, according to the number of chronic conditions, complex MCC and co-occurring cardiometabolic conditions.

Design: Population-based cohort study.

Setting: Ontario, Canada.

Improving the reporting on health equity in observational research (STROBE-Equity): extension checklist and elaboration.

Data on health equity to inform societally relevant evidence based decisions and policy making are lacking in the research literature. Observational studies have the potential to provide data on health equity. Yet, guidance on how to report health equity data and considerations in observational research is inadequate.

Factors affecting technical success of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographic outcomes in patients with surgically altered foregut anatomy: a retrospective study.

Introduction: Patients with surgically altered gastrointestinal anatomy undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pose challenges due to anatomical distortions. Various patient and endoscopic factors, such as sex and positioning, may impact procedural success. It is unclear how these factors may impact the technical success of ERCP among patients with altered anatomy.

A national atlas to improve the study of Canadians living with long COVID (post-COVID-19 condition).

Objectives: To develop a national atlas of (1) Canadian cohorts studying or with the potential to study adults living with long COVID (LC) and (2) harmonize provincial and territorial administrative datasets to facilitate the creation of validated case-ascertainment algorithms and foster national collaboration on LC research.

Methods: We conducted a multifaceted environmental scan that included a comprehensive literature search and a survey of members of Canada's national LC research network between August 21, 2023, and November 10, 2023. We identified provincial and territorial cohorts, including those that were linkable to administrative data and common data elements among administrative datasets.

Improving the Reporting on Health Equity in Observational Research (STROBE-Equity): Extension Checklist and Elaboration.

Importance: Observational studies can provide valuable insights to inform decisions on health equity. Existing guidelines for reporting such studies, such as the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement, currently lack specific considerations for reporting on health equity. Health equity is defined as the absence of avoidable and unfair differences that may exist across individuals and populations due to structural and systematic inequities in living and working conditions, opportunities, and resources.

Win Ratio in Biomedical Science: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Background: The win ratio (WR), introduced in 2012, has emerged as a method to analyze hierarchical composite outcomes by prioritizing clinically significant events, unlike traditional composite time-to-event analyses, which treat events equally. However, use of the WR in biomedical research beyond cardiovascular trials remains unexplored. The study aims to investigate trends in the use of the WR in biomedical research and determine the characteristics of these articles.

Canadian perinatal opioid project: a protocol for a national health data system.

Introduction: Opioids are widely used during pregnancy and can lead to health complications for pregnant people, parents and their children. Yet, little is known about the long- and short-term effects of perinatal opioid exposures on health outcomes in Canada. Evidence is needed to inform optimal support for maternal and child health following perinatal opioid exposures.

Semaglutide promotes bone marrow-derived progenitor cell flux toward an anti-inflammatory and pro-regenerative profile in high-risk patients: the SEMA-VR CardioLink-15 trial.

Background And Aims: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) reduce major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events in individuals living with either diabetes or obesity. Since the turnover of vascular regenerative (VR) stem and progenitor cells has been demonstrated to modulate vessel repair and atherothrombotic risk, this study aimed to determine the effect of the GLP-1RA semaglutide on the levels of circulating VR cells.

Methods: SEMA-VR CardioLink-15 was a randomized translational trial of usual care vs.

MALNUTRITION, SARCOPENIA AND NUTRITION THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WITH DIABETES - A GENERAL FRAMEWORK AND FOCUS ON HOSPITAL CARE.

Background & Aims: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing globally and is particularly high among hospitalized patients, presenting challenges for inpatient care. While traditional inpatient management emphasizes glycemic control, medication adjustments, and comorbidity management, malnutrition and muscle loss remain underrecognized factors that significantly influence clinical outcomes. This review aims to highlight the role of malnutrition and muscle dysfunction in hospitalized patients with diabetes and to evaluate the potential of medical nutrition therapy (MNT), particularly diabetes-specific nutrition formulas (DSNFs), to improve patient outcomes.

Dapagliflozin in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure: Primary Results of the DAPA ACT HF-TIMI 68 Randomized Clinical Trial and Meta-Analysis of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors in Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure.

Background: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduce the risk of cardiovascular death or worsening heart failure (HF) in outpatients with HF. Data are limited regarding initiation in patients hospitalized for HF.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of in-hospital initiation of dapagliflozin (10 mg daily) in patients hospitalized for HF.

Assessing racial differences in North American hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia study recruitment and care.

Background: There is increasing evidence of health outcome disparities due to inequitable healthcare. These inequities are likely compounded in rare disease care and research. We aimed to identify disparities in access to clinical care and research for patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) in North America.

"Big Events" and HIV Transmission Dynamics: Estimating Time Since HIV Infection from Deep Sequencing Data Among Sex Workers and Their Clients in Dnipro, Ukraine.

Background: Major geopolitical events and structural shocks are thought to play a significant role in shaping HIV epidemics by influencing individual behaviours, reshaping social networks, and impacting HIV prevention and treatment programs. Here, we describe individual-level measures of estimated time since HIV infection (ETI) from viral next-generation sequencing data among female sex workers and their clients in relation to significant geopolitical events in Ukraine.

Methods: The Dynamics Study is a cross-sectional integrated biological and behavioural survey conducted among female sex workers and their clients in Dnipro, Ukraine (December 2017 to March 2018).

A Brief Review of MicroRNA Profiling in Human Prostate Cancer Tissues and Plasma.

(1) Background: The gold standard, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening lacks the sensitivity and specificity required for confident, early prostate-cancer detection. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, highly stable, non-coding RNAs whose expression changes reproducibly in malignancy and therefore offer promise as minimally invasive biomarkers. Although prostate cancer biopsies are the gold standard for prostate cancer diagnosis, limitations in the field continue to persist.

Trends in the Utilization of and Testing After the Introduction of a Publicly Funded Genetic Testing Program.

Purpose: To effectively reduce cancer burden, genetic testing programs should identify high-risk individuals prior to cancer development, when risk-reduction strategies can be implemented. We evaluated trends in / testing use after implementation of a publicly funded testing program.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, near population-based study of women who underwent / testing in Ontario, Canada, (2007-2016) ( = 15,986).

Circumstances surrounding alcohol toxicity deaths and prior pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder in Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: Despite a high prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in Canada, access to medication-based treatment remains poor. Therefore, our aim was to explore patterns of alcohol toxicity deaths in Ontario, Canada, circumstances surrounding death, prior healthcare interactions, and pharmacotherapy for AUD.

Methods: We conducted a population-based repeated cross-sectional study of alcohol toxicity deaths occurring between 1 January 2018 and 30 June 2022 in Ontario, Canada.

Mitigating child health inequalities through equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility school practices in Canada.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours and mental disorders disproportionately affect children living in deprived neighbourhoods. In Canada, schools are encouraged to adopt equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility (EDIA) practices to tackle these inequalities. We examined whether integrating EDIA school practices into curriculum and programming mitigates the impact of neighbourhood deprivation on children's lifestyle behaviours and mental health.

Multi-method evaluation of a physician-led pilot addiction consult service.

Introduction: Addiction consultation services are hospital-based specialist programs designed to support the care of patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). This study aimed to: (1) describe service volumes and patient demographics for a pilot addiction consultation program, (2) compare clinical outcomes between patients seen prior to and after program implementation, and (3) explore provider perceptions, referral patterns, and clinical practice.

Methods: Using the RE-AIM framework, we conducted a formative multi-method evaluation at a tertiary care hospital.

Trust and Distrust in Dental Professionals: Patient Perceptions and Experiences.

Purpose: To investigate factors that contribute to trust in dentists among patients with socioeconomic barriers and explore how these factors influence patient decisions to undergo dental treatment.

Methods: Patients at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry, participated in one-on-one semi-structured interviews, answering open-ended questions about circumstances that led to the development and erosion of trust. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded.

Impact of HPV vaccination on the incidence and clearance of HPV infections in sexually active young women.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination protects against new HPV infections, but seemingly no impact on the clearance of existing infections. We assessed the association between HPV vaccination and incidence and clearance of HPV infections among sexually active women in the Carrageenan-gel Against Transmission of Cervical HPV trial, conducted in Montreal, Canada (2013-2020).

Methods: Participants attended seven visits over 12 months, where they provided self-collected vaginal samples and completed questionnaires on risk factors.

Virtual family participation in adult intensive care unit rounds: A multicenter pilot feasibility cohort study.

Introduction: Family participation in intensive care unit (ICU) rounds is a recommended care practice by critical care professional societies. However, system and individual-level barriers may prevent families from attending rounds in person. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of virtual family participation in ICU rounds.

Multiphysics modelling enhanced by imaging and artificial intelligence for personalised cancer nanomedicine: Foundations for clinical digital twins.

Nano-sized drug delivery systems have emerged as a more effective, versatile means for improving cancer treatment. However, the complexity of drug delivery to cancer involves intricate interactions between physiological and physicochemical processes across various temporal and spatial scales. Relying solely on experimental methods for developing and clinically translating nano-sized drug delivery systems is economically unfeasible.