The effect of school intervention programs on the body mass index of adolescents: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Effective obesity interventions in adolescent populations have been identified as an immediate priority action to stem the increasing prevalence of adult obesity. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to make a quantitative analysis of the impact of school-based interventions on body mass index during adolescence. Studies were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science databases. Results were pooled using a random-effects model with 95% confidence interval considered statistically significant. Of the 18 798 possible relevant articles identified, 12 articles were included in this meta-analysis. The global result showed a low magnitude effect, though it was statistically significant (N = 14 428), global e.s. = -0.055, P = 0.004 (95% CI = -0.092, -0.017). Heterogeneity was low among the studies (I2 = 9.017%). The funnel plot showed no evidence of publication bias. The rank-correlation test of Begg (P = 0.45641) and Egger's regression (P = 0.19459) confirmed the absence of bias. This meta-analysis reported a significant effect favoring the interventions; however, future research are needed since the reported the evidence was of low magnitude, with the studies following a substantial range of approaches and mostly had a modest methodological quality.

An inventory of Canadian trauma systems: opportunities for improving access to trauma care.

OBJECTIVE: Despite evidence that patients suffering major traumatic injuries have improved outcomes when cared for within an organized system, the extent of trauma system development in Canada is limited. We sought to compile a detailed inventory of trauma systems in Canada as a first step toward identifying opportunities for improving access to trauma care. METHODS: We distributed a nationwide online and mail survey to stakeholders intended to evaluate the extent of implementation of specific trauma system components. Targeted stakeholders included emergency physicians, trauma surgeons, trauma program medical directors and program managers, prehospital providers, and decision makers at the regional and provincial levels. A "snowball" approach was used to expand the sample base of the survey. Descriptive statistics were generated to quantify the nature and extent of trauma system development by region. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 38.7%, and all levels of stakeholders and all provinces/territories were represented. All provinces were found to have designated trauma centres; however, only 60% were found to have been accredited within the past 10 years. Components present in 50% or fewer provinces included an inclusive trauma system model, interfacility transfer agreements, and a mechanism to track bed availability within the system. CONCLUSION: There is significant variability in the extent of trauma system development in Canada. Although all provinces have designated trauma centres, opportunities exist in many systems to implement additional components to improve the inclusiveness of care. In future work, we intend to quantify the strength of the relationship between different trauma system components and access to definitive trauma care.

Anticholinergic visual hallucinosis from atropine eye drops.

A 37-year-old man with type I diabetes mellitus and chronic renal failure presented to the emergency department complaining of hallucinations. He was 5 days postoperative for left pars plana vitrectomy and intra-ocular lens implantation and had been taking ophthalmic atropine, tobramycin and prednisolone. He had presented 5 months earlier, on the same ophthalmic medications, with postoperative hallucinations after a right pars plana vitrectomy. Visual hallucinations are a major side effect of anticholinergic poisoning. Ophthalmic instillation of atropine has been documented to cause many central nervous sytstem symptoms, including hallucinations.

Topical anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: To consider topical anesthetic options available to primary care physicians, indications for their use, and efficacy and safety of these agents as supported by the literature. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: Five randomized controlled trials were retrieved that compared various topical anesthetics as well as topical anesthetics versus infiltrative anesthesia. MAIN FINDINGS: A combination of lidocaine, epinephrine, and tetracaine (LET) is currently the topical anesthetic of choice for repair of simple lacerations involving the faces and scalps of children. A promising new topical preparation is bupivacaine and epinephrine, but its efficacy must be studied in larger populations before widespread use can be advocated. Using EMLA (eutectic mixture of local anesthetics) for repair of extremity lacerations requires further study and cannot yet be recommended. Continued use of topical tetracaine, adrenaline, and cocaine (TAC) is not supported in the literature, because of its greater expense, its status as a restricted narcotic, its potential for toxicity, and better availability of an equally efficacious alternative, LET. CONCLUSIONS: Children's simple facial and scalp lacerations can be safely repaired using topical LET gel. Physicians must adhere to recommendations to avoid mucous membrane contact and ensure appropriate dosing with these agents. Bupivacaine-epinephrine topical preparation is a promising analgesic agent that warrants further study.

The disposition of children with croup treated with racemic epinephrine and dexamethasone in the emergency department.

This prospective cohort study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of a selective discharge policy for patients treated with racemic epinephrine (RE) and intramuscular (IM) dexamethasone (DEX) in the emergency department (ED). Children younger than 13 years of age presenting to the ED with croup who were treated with RE and IM DEX and discharged home were enrolled in the study. Patients were discharged home if they were free of intercostal retractions and stridor at rest, following a 2 h observation period. Telephone follow up determined whether further medical attention for croup was required within 48 h of discharge from the ED. Eighty-two patients were enrolled in the study over a one year period. Six of these patients (7%) required follow up for croup within 48 h of discharge and 2 (2%) required admission. We conclude that a subset of patients with croup treated with RE and IM DEX in the ED can be safely discharged home.

Acute cor pulmonale secondary to metastatic tumor to the heart: a case report and literature review.

Metastatic tumors to the heart are becoming more common due to improved survival afforded by advanced treatment of malignancies. Their presence should be sought in a cancer patient who develops new primary cardiac symptoms. We present a case of a 50-year-old woman who succumbed to acute cor pulmonale secondary to metastatic laryngeal carcinoma to the right ventricle with subsequent tumor emboli to the pulmonary vasculature.