High-'n'-dry? A comparison of cannabis and alcohol use in drivers presenting to hospital after a vehicular collision.

DESIGN: This was a prospective observational study. BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The characteristics of cannabis-involved motor vehicle collisions are poorly understood. This study of injured drivers identifies demographic and collision characteristics associated with high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations. SETTING: The study was conducted in 15 Canadian trauma centres between January 2018 and December 2021. CASES: The cases (n = 6956) comprised injured drivers who required blood testing as part of routine trauma care. MEASUREMENTS: We quantified whole blood THC and blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and recorded driver sex, age and postal code, time of crash, crash type and injury severity. We defined three driver groups: high THC (THC ≥ 5 ng/ml and BAC = 0), high alcohol (BAC ≥ 0.08% and THC = 0) and THC/BAC-negative (THC = 0 = BAC). We used logistic regression techniques to identify factors associated with group membership. FINDINGS: Most injured drivers (70.2%) were THC/BAC-negative; 1274 (18.3%) had THC > 0, including 186 (2.7%) in the high THC group; 1161 (16.7%) had BAC > 0, including 606 (8.7%) in the high BAC group. Males and drivers aged less than 45 years had higher adjusted odds of being in the high THC group (versus the THC/BAC-negative group). Importantly, 4.6% of drivers aged less than 19 years had THC ≥ 5 ng/ml, and drivers aged less than 19 years had higher unadjusted odds of being in the high THC group than drivers aged 45-54 years. Males, drivers aged 19-44 years, rural drivers, seriously injured drivers and drivers injured in single-vehicle, night-time or weekend collisions had higher adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for being in the high alcohol group (versus THC/BAC-negative). Drivers aged less than 35 or more than 65 years and drivers involved in multi-vehicle, daytime or weekday collisions had higher adjusted odds for being in the high THC group (versus the high BAC group). CONCLUSIONS: In Canada, risk factors for cannabis-related motor vehicle collisions appear to differ from those for alcohol-related motor vehicle collisions. The collision factors associated with alcohol (single-vehicle, night-time, weekend, rural, serious injury) are not associated with cannabis-related collisions. Demographic factors (young drivers, male drivers) are associated with both alcohol and cannabis-related collisions, but are more strongly associated with cannabis-related collisions.

Simple quantitative assessment of the outdoor versus indoor airborne transmission of viruses and COVID-19.

In this paper we develop a simple model of the inhaled flow rate of aerosol particles of respiratory origin i.e. that have been exhaled by other people. A connection is made between the exposure dose and the probability of developing an airborne disease. This allows a simple assessment of the outdoor versus indoor risk of contamination to be made in a variety of meteorological situations. It is shown quantitatively that for most cases, the outdoor risk is orders of magnitude less than the indoor risk and that it can become comparable only for extremely specific meteorological and topographical situations. It sheds light on various observations of COVID-19 spreading in mountain valleys with temperature inversions while at the same time other areas are much less impacted.

The effect of collisions on the rotational angular momentum of diatomic molecules studied using polarized light.

We report results of an experimental study of the changes in the alignment of the rotational angular momentum of diatomic molecules during elastic collisions. The experiment involved collisions of diatomic lithium molecules in the A1Σu + excited electronic state with noble gas atoms (helium and argon) in a thermal gas phase sample. Polarized light for excitation was combined with the detection of polarization-specific fluorescence in order to achieve magnetic sublevel state selectivity. We also report results for rotationally inelastic collisions of Li2 in the lowest lying rotational levels of the A1Σu +v=5 vibrational state with noble gas atoms.

Healthcare Costs And Resource Utilization In Chronic Pain Patients Treated With Extended-Release Formulations Of Tapentadol, Oxycodone, Or Morphine Stratified By Type Of Pain: A Retrospective Claims Analysis, 2012-2016.

PURPOSE: Chronic pain treatment imposes a substantial economic burden on US society. Treatment costs may vary across subgroups of patients with different types of pain. The aim of our study was to compare healthcare costs (HC) and resource utilization in musculoskeletal (MP), neuropathic (NP), and cancer pain (CaP) patients treated with long-acting opioids (LAO), using real-world evidence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared total HC and resource utilization in subgroups of chronic pain patients (MP, NP or CaP) treated with three LAO alternatives: morphine-sulfate extended-release (MsER), oxycodone ER (OxnER) and tapentadol ER (TapER). Retrospective claims data were analyzed in the IBM Truven Health MarketScan® Commercial Claims Database (October 2012 through March 2016). All patients were continuously health plan enrolled for at least 12 months before the index date (first LAO prescription date) and during the LAO-treatment period. The cohorts were propensity-score matched. RESULTS: A total of 2824 TapER-treated patients were matched to 16,716 OxnER-treated patients, while 2827 TapER patients were matched to 16,817 MsER patients. The average monthly total HC were lower in the TapER than in the OxnER cohort ($2510 vs. $3720, p<0.001), reflecting significantly lower outpatient, inpatient and emergency department visit rates in the TapER cohort. Similarly, the TapER cohort exhibited a lower average monthly total HC ($2520 vs. $2900, p<0.05) than MsER cohort, with significantly fewer inpatient and outpatient visits in the TapER cohort. TapER demonstrated significantly lower total HC than OxnER in patients with NP and MP, and similar to OxnER in CaP patients. TapER costs were similar to MsER costs in all pain-type subpopulations. CONCLUSION: Based on real-world evidence, the TapER treatment for chronic pain was associated with significantly lower HC compared with MsER or OxnER. When categorized by type of pain, TapER remained a less costly strategy in comparison with OxnER for MP and NP.

Workers' recovery from concussions presenting to the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: The emergency department (ED) is the first point of care for many patients with concussion, and post-concussion syndrome can impact vocational outcomes like successful return to work. Evaluation of concussion in general adult populations is needed. AIMS: To document the occurrence and outcomes of work-related concussion presenting to the ED for treatment. METHODS: This study enrolled adults presenting with concussion to three urban Canadian EDs. Baseline ED interviews, physician questionnaires and patient phone interviews at 30 and 90 days documented work-related events, ED management, discharge advice, patient adherence and symptom severity. Work-related injury and return to work were modelled using logistic or linear regression, as appropriate. RESULTS: Overall, 172 enrolled workers completed at least one follow-up. Work-related concussions were uncommon (n = 28). Most employees (80%) missed at least 1 day of work (median = 7; interquartile range: 3-14). Most (91%) employees returned to work within 90 days, while 41% reported persistent symptoms. Manual labour and self-reported history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were associated with work-related concussion, while days of missed work increased with marital status (divorced), history of sleep disorder and physician's advice to avoid work. CONCLUSION: Work-related concussions are infrequent; however, most workers who sustain a concussion will miss work, and many return while still experiencing symptoms. Work-related concussion and days of missed work are mainly affected by non-modifiable factors. Workers, employers and the workers' compensation system should take necessary precautions to ensure that workers return to work safely and successfully following a concussion.

Adherence to osteoporosis therapy after an upper extremity fracture: a pre-specified substudy of the C-STOP randomized controlled trial.

Despite their proven efficacy for secondary fracture prevention, long-term adherence with oral bisphosphonates is poor. INTRODUCTION: To compare the effectiveness of two interventions on long-term oral bisphosphonate adherence after an upper extremity fragility fracture. METHODS: Community-dwelling participants 50 years or older with upper extremity fragility fractures not previously treated with bisphosphonates were randomized to either a multi-faceted patient and physician educational intervention (the active control arm) vs. a nurse-led case manager (the study arm). Primary outcome was adherence (taking > 80% of prescribed doses) with prescribed oral bisphosphonates at 12 months postfracture between groups; secondary outcomes included rates of primary non-adherence and 24-month adherence. We also compared quality of life between adherent and non-adherent patients. RESULTS: By 12 months, adherence with the initially prescribed bisphosphonate was similar (p = 0.96) in both groups: 38/48 (79.2%) in the educational intervention group vs. 66/83 (79.5%) in the case manager arm. By 24 months, adherence rates were 67% (32/48) in the educational intervention group vs. 53% (43/81) in case managed patients (p = 0.13). Primary non-adherence was 6% (11 patients) in the educational intervention group and 12% (21 patients) in the case managed group (p = 0.07). Prior family history of osteoporosis (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 4.4) and being satisfied with current medical care (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.8) were associated with better adherence while lower income (aOR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.6, for patients with income < $30,000 per annum) was associated with poorer rates of adherence. There were no differences in health-related quality of life scores at baseline or during follow-up between patients who were adherent and those who were not. CONCLUSION: While both interventions achieved higher oral bisphosphonate adherence compared to previously reported adherence rates in the general population, primary non-adherence and long-term adherence to bisphosphonates were similar in both arms. Adherence was influenced by family history of osteoporosis, satisfaction with current medical care, and income. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT01401556.

Understanding fragility fracture patients' decision-making process regarding bisphosphonate treatment.

We aimed to understand how patients 50 years and older decided to persist with or stop osteoporosis (OP) treatment. Processes related to persisting with or stopping OP treatments are complex and dynamic. The severity and risks and harms related to untreated clinical OP and the favorable benefit-to-risk profile for OP treatments should be reinforced. INTRODUCTION: Older adults with fragility fracture and clinical OP are at high risk of recurrent fracture, and treatment reduces this risk by 50 %. However, only 20 % of fracture patients are treated for OP and half stop treatment within 1 year. We aimed to understand how older patients with new fractures decided to persist with or stop OP treatment over 1 year. METHODS: We conducted a grounded theory study of patients 50 years and older with upper extremity fracture who started bisphosphonates and then reported persisting with or stopping treatment at 1 year. We used theoretical sampling to identify patients who could inform emerging concepts until data saturation was achieved and analyzed these data using constant comparison. RESULTS: We conducted 21 interviews with 12 patients. Three major themes emerged. First, patients perceived OP was not a serious health condition and considered its impact negligible. Second, persisters and stoppers differed in weighting the risks vs benefits of treatments, where persisters perceived less risk and more benefit. Persisters considered treatment "required" while stoppers often deemed treatment "optional." Third, patients could change treatment status even 1-year post-fracture because they re-evaluated severity and impact of OP vs risks and benefits of treatments over time. CONCLUSIONS: The processes and reasoning related to persisting with or stopping OP treatments post-fracture are complex and dynamic. Our findings suggest two areas of leverage for healthcare providers to reinforce to improve persistence: (1) the severity and risks and harms related to untreated clinical OP and (2) the favorable benefit-to-risk profile for OP treatments.

Inhaled short-acting bronchodilators for managing emergency childhood asthma: an overview of reviews.

International guidelines provide conflicting recommendations on how to use bronchodilators to manage childhood acute wheezing conditions in the emergency department (ED), and there is variation within and among countries in how these conditions are managed. This may be reflective of uncertainty about the evidence. This overview of systematic reviews (SRs) aimed to synthesize, appraise, and present all SR evidence on the efficacy and safety of inhaled short-acting bronchodilators to treat asthma and wheeze exacerbations in children 0-18 years presenting to the ED. Searching, review selection, data extraction and analysis, and quality assessments were conducted using methods recommended by The Cochrane Collaboration. Thirteen SRs containing 56 relevant trials and 5526 patients were included. Results demonstrate the efficacy of short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) delivered by metered-dose inhaler as first-line therapy for younger and older children (hospital admission decreased by 44% in younger children, and ED length of stay decreased by 33 min in older children). Short-acting anticholinergic (SAAC) should be added to SABA for older children in severe cases (hospital admission decreased by 27% and 74% when compared to SABA and SAAC alone, respectively). Continuous nebulization, addition of magnesium sulfate to SABA, and levosalbutamol compared to salbutamol cannot be recommended in routine practice.

Malignancy-associated pruritus.

Malignancy-associated pruritus can be the result of a neoplasm's local effect on tissue or due to the systemic reaction to malignancy. A systemic reaction to malignancy has been termed 'paraneoplastic itch' and can be the first sign of an underlying malignancy. Paraneoplastic itch is most commonly caused by lymphoproliferative malignancies, and severity of itch correlates with stage of disease in Hodgkin's lymphoma and polycythemia vera. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type of malignancy-associated pruritus, and recent data indicate that pruritus is associated with more than one-third of non-melanoma skin cancers. Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL), particularly more advanced stages, cause intractable pruritus and recent investigations into the pathophysiology of CTCL-associated itch have implicated cyotokine interleukin-31 as a putative mediator. Treatments that reduce itch in CTCL patients, such as histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), Mogamulizumab, a novel monoclonal antibody against chemokine receptor type-4, and oral corticosteroids, have demonstrated a correlation between their anti-pruritic effect and reduced serum levels of interleukin-31.

Development of a pulsed uniform supersonic gas expansion system based on an aerodynamic chopper for gas phase reaction kinetic studies at ultra-low temperatures.

A detailed description of a new pulsed supersonic uniform gas expansion system is presented together with the experimental validation of the setup by applying the CRESU (French acronym for Cinétique de Réaction en Ecoulement Supersonique Uniforme or Reaction Kinetics in a Uniform Supersonic Flow) technique to the gas-phase reaction of OH radicals with 1-butene at ca. 23 K and 0.63 millibars of helium (carrier gas). The carrier gas flow, containing negligible mixing ratios of OH-precursor and 1-butene, is expanded from a high pressure reservoir (337 millibars) to a low pressure region (0.63 millibars) through a convergent-divergent nozzle (Laval type). The novelty of this experimental setup is that the uniform supersonic flow is pulsed by means of a Teflon-coated aerodynamic chopper provided with two symmetrical apertures. Under these operational conditions, the designed Laval nozzle achieves a temperature of (22.4 ± 1.4) K in the gas jet. The spatial characterization of the temperature and the total gas density within the pulsed uniform supersonic flow has also been performed by both aerodynamical and spectroscopic methods. The gas consumption with this technique is considerably reduced with respect to a continuous CRESU system. The kinetics of the OH+1-butene reaction was investigated by the pulsed laser photolysis/laser induced fluorescence technique. The rotation speed of the disk is temporally synchronized with the exit of the photolysis and the probe lasers. The rate coefficient (k(OH)) for the reaction under investigation was then obtained and compared with the only available data at this temperature.

Air pollution and emergency department visits for epistaxis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the association between outdoor ambient air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits for epistaxis. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, case-crossover design. SETTING: ED visit data were obtained for Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, for a period of 10 years starting 1 April 1992 and ending March 31st of 2002. The data on ED visits were supplied by Capital Health for the five major acute care hospitals in the Edmonton area. PARTICIPANTS: The analysis was performed for the population as a whole (N = 15 038) and split by sex: males (N = 8587) and females (N = 6451). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We explored associations between ambient concentrations of air pollutants (CO, NO2 , SO2 , O3 , PM10 , PM2.5 ) lagged by 0-4 days and ED visits for epistaxis in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. RESULTS: Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported for an increase in an interquartile range (IQR) of pollutant concentration. We obtained positive and statistically significant results for all patients with epistaxis; exposure to O3 with IQR = 14 ppb, OR = 1.05 (95% CI: 1.00-1.09, lag 0), and for males (age < 25 years), OR = 1.16 (1.03-1.30), lag 4; and to PM10 with IQR = 15 µg/m(3) , OR = 1.02 (1.00-1.05, lag 3). These results were stronger for older (age > 24 years) females. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that there may be an association between air pollutant exposure, specifically ozone and PM10 , and the number of ED visits for epistaxis.

Critical impact of patient knowledge and bone density testing on starting osteoporosis treatment after fragility fracture: secondary analyses from two controlled trials.

UNLABELLED: Most patients are not treated for osteoporosis after their fragility fracture "teachable moment." Among almost 400 consecutive wrist fracture patients, we determined that better-than-average osteoporosis knowledge (adjusted odds = 2.6) and BMD testing (adjusted odds = 6.5) were significant modifiable facilitators of bisphosphonate treatment while male sex, working outside the home, and depression were major barriers. INTRODUCTION: In the year following fragility fracture, fewer than one quarter of patients are treated for osteoporosis. Although much is known regarding health system and provider barriers and facilitators to osteoporosis treatment, much less is understood about modifiable patient-related factors. METHODS: Older patients with wrist fracture not treated for osteoporosis were enrolled in trials that compared a multifaceted intervention with usual care controls. Baseline data included a test of patient osteoporosis knowledge. We then determined baseline factors that independently predicted starting bisphosphonate treatment within 1 year. RESULTS: Three hundred seventy-four patients were enrolled; mean age 64 years, 78 % women, 90 % white, and 54 % with prior fracture. Within 1 year, 86 of 374 (23 %) patients were treated with bisphosphonates. Patients who were treated had better osteoporosis knowledge at baseline (70 % correct vs 57 % for untreated, p < 0.001) than patients who remained untreated; conversely, untreated patients were more likely to be male, still working, and report depression. In fully adjusted models, osteoporosis knowledge was independently associated with starting bisphosphonates (adjusted OR 2.6, 95 %CI 1.3-5.3). Obtaining a BMD test (aOR 6.5, 95 %CI 3.4-12.2) and abnormal BMD results (aOR 34.5, 95 %CI 16.8-70.9) were strongly associated with starting treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The most important modifiable facilitators of osteoporosis treatment in patients with fracture were knowledge and BMD testing. Specifically targeting these two patient-level factors should improve post-fracture treatment rates.

Cyclist head and facial injury risk in relation to helmet fit: a case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: We examined the effect of bicycle helmet fit and position on head and facial injuries. METHODS: Cases were helmeted cyclists with a head (n=297) or facial (n=289) injury. Controls were helmeted cyclists with other injuries, excluding the neck. Participants were interviewed in seven Alberta emergency departments or by telephone; injury data were collected from charts. Missing values were imputed using chained equations and custom prediction imputation models. RESULTS: Compared with excellent helmet fit, those with poor fit had increased odds of head injury (odds ratio [OR] = 3.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-10.74). Compared with a helmet that stayed centred, those whose helmet tilted back (OR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.54-5.47), shifted (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.01-3.63) or came off (OR = 6.72, 95% CI: 2.86-15.82) had higher odds of head injury. A helmet that tilted back (OR = 4.81, 95% CI: 2.74-8.46), shifted (OR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.04-3.19) or came off (OR = 3.31, 95% CI: 1.24-8.85) also increased the odds of facial injury. CONCLUSION: Our findings have implications for consumer and retail education programs.

TITRE: Risque de blessures à la tête et au visage chez les cyclistes en relation avec l'ajustement du casque : une étude cas-témoins. INTRODUCTION: Nous avons examiné l'effet de l'ajustement et de la position du casque de vélo sur les blessures à la tête et au visage. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Les cas étaient ceux de cyclistes portant un casque qui avaient subi des blessures à la tête (n = 297) ou au visage (n = 289). Les témoins étaient des cyclistes portant un casque qui avaient subi d'autres blessures, à l'exception des blessures au cou. Les participants ont été interrogés dans sept services d'urgence de l'Alberta ou par téléphone. Les données sur les blessures ont été recueillies au moyen des dossiers médicaux. Les valeurs manquantes ont été déduites à l'aide d'équations enchaînées et de modèles personnalisés d'imputation par prédiction. RÉSULTATS: Comparativement aux sujets dont l'ajustement du casque était excellent, ceux dont l'ajustement était mauvais affichaient un plus grand risque de blessures à la tête (rapport de cotes [RC] = 3,38, intervalle de confiance [IC] à 95 % : 1,06 à 10,74). Comparativement aux sujets dont le casque était demeuré bien centré, ceux dont le casque s'était incliné vers l'arrière (RC= 2,90, IC à 95% : 1,54 à 5,47) ou s'était déplacé (RC = 1,91, IC à 95 % : 1,01 à 3,63) et ceux qui avaient perdu leur casque (RC = 6,72, IC à 95 % : 2,86 à 15,82) présentaient un plus grand risque de blessures à la tête. Un casque qui s'était incliné vers l'arrière (RC = 4,81, IC à 95 % : 2,74 à 8,46), s'était déplacé (RC = 1,83, IC à 95 % : 1,04 à 3,19) ou avait été perdu (RC = 3,31, IC à 95% : 1,24 à 8,85) augmentait aussi le risque de blessures au visage. CONCLUSION: Nos observations ont des retombées sur les consommateurs et les programmes d'éducation des détaillants.

The relationship between visibility aid use and motor vehicle related injuries among bicyclists presenting to emergency departments.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effectiveness of visibility aids (VAs; e.g., reflectors, lights, fluorescent clothing) in reducing the risk of a bicyclist-motor-vehicle (MV) collision. PURPOSE: To determine if VAs reduce the risk of a bicyclist-MV collision. METHODS: Cases were bicyclists struck by a MV and assessed at Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, emergency departments (EDs) from May 2008 to October 2010. Controls were bicyclists with non-MV injuries. Participants were interviewed about their personal and injury characteristics, including use of VAs. Injury information was collected from charts. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for VAs during daylight and dark conditions, and adjusted for confounders using logistic regression. Missing values were imputed using chained equations and adjusted OR estimates from the imputed data were calculated. RESULTS: There were 2403 injured bicyclists including 278 cases. After adjusting for age, sex, type of bicycling (commuting vs. recreational) and bicyclist speed, white compared with black (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.28, 0.95), and bicyclist self-reported light compared with dark coloured (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.49, 0.92) upper body clothing reduced the odds of a MV collision during daylight. After imputing missing values, white compared with black (OR 0.57; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.99) and bicyclist self-reported light compared with dark coloured (OR 0.71; 95% CI 0.52, 0.97) upper body clothing remained protective against MV collision in daylight conditions. During dark conditions, crude estimates indicated that reflective clothing or other items, red/orange/yellow front upper body clothing compared with black, fluorescent clothing, headlights and tail lights were estimated to increase the odds of a MV collision. An imputed adjusted analysis revealed that red/orange/yellow front upper body clothing colour (OR 4.11; 95% CI 1.06, 15.99) and tail lights (OR 2.54; 95% CI: 1.06, 6.07) remained the only significant risk factors for MV collisions. One or more visibility aids reduced the odds of a bicyclist MV collision resulting in hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: Bicyclist clothing choice may be important in reducing the risk of MV collision. The protective effect of visibility aids varies based on light conditions, and non-bicyclist risk factors also need to be considered.

Emergency department coding of bicycle and pedestrian injuries during the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10.

BACKGROUND: The international classification of diseases version 10 (ICD-10) uses alphanumeric expanded codes and external cause of injury codes (E-codes). OBJECTIVE: To examine the reliability and validity of emergency department (ED) coders in applying E-codes in ICD-9 and -10. METHODS: Bicycle and pedestrian injuries were identified from the ED information system from one period before and two periods after transition from ICD-9 to -10 coding. Overall, 180 randomly selected bicycle and pedestrian injury charts were reviewed as the reference standard (RS). Original E-codes assigned by ED coders (ICD-9 in 2001 and ICD-10 in 2004 and 2007) were compared with charts (validity) and also to ICD-9 and -10 codes assigned from RS chart review, to each case by an independent (IND) coder (reliability). Sensitivity, specificity, simple, and chance-corrected agreements (κ statistics) were calculated. RESULTS: Sensitivity of E-coding bicycle injuries by the IND coder in comparison with the RS ranged from 95.1% (95% CI 86.3 to 99.0) to 100% (95% CI 94.0 to 100.0) for both ICD-9 and -10. Sensitivity of ED coders in E-coding bicycle injuries ranged from 90.2% (95% CI 79.8 to 96.3) to 96.7% (95% CI 88.5 to 99.6). The sensitivity estimates for the IND coder ranged from 25.0% (95% CI 14.7 to 37.9) to 45.0% (95% CI 32.1 to 58.4) for pedestrian injuries for both ICD-9 and -10. CONCLUSION: Bicycle injuries are coded in a reliable and valid manner; however, pedestrian injuries are often miscoded as falls. These results have important implications for injury surveillance research.

Bicycle helmet use four years after the introduction of helmet legislation in Alberta, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Bicycle helmets reduce fatal and non-fatal head and face injuries. This study evaluated the effect of mandatory bicycle helmet legislation targeted at those less than 18 years old on helmet use for all ages in Alberta. METHODS: Two comparable studies were conducted two years before and four years after the introduction of helmet legislation in Alberta in 2002. Bicyclists were observed in randomly selected sites in Calgary and Edmonton and eight smaller communities from June to October. Helmet wearing and rider characteristics were recorded by trained observers. Poisson regression adjusting for clustering by site was used to obtain helmet prevalence (HP) and prevalence ratio (PR) (2006 vs. 2000) estimates. RESULTS: There were 4002 bicyclists observed in 2000 and 5365 in 2006. Overall, HP changed from 75% to 92% among children, 30% to 63% among adolescents and 52% to 55% among adults. Controlling for city, location, companionship, neighborhood age proportion <18, socioeconomic status, and weather conditions, helmet use increased 29% among children (PR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.20-1.39), over 2-fold among adolescents (PR 2.12; 95% CI: 1.75-2.56), and 14% among adults: (PR = 1.14; CI: 1.02-1.27). CONCLUSIONS: Bicycle helmet legislation was associated with a greater increase in helmet use among the target age group (<18). Though HP increased over 2-fold among adolescents to an estimated 63% in 2006, this percentage was approximately 30% lower than among children <13.

Cognitive distortions in an acutely traumatized sample: an investigation of predictive power and neural correlates.

BACKGROUND: Current theories of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) place considerable emphasis on the role cognitive distortions such as self-blame, hopelessness or preoccupation with danger play in the etiology and maintenance of the disorder. Previous studies have shown that cognitive distortions in the early aftermath of traumatic events can predict future PTSD severity but, to date, no studies have investigated the neural correlates of this association. METHOD: We conducted a prospective study with 106 acutely traumatized subjects, assessing symptom severity at three time points within the first 3 months post-trauma. A subsample of 20 subjects additionally underwent a functional 4-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at 2 to 4 months post-trauma. RESULTS: Cognitive distortions proved to be a significant predictor of concurrent symptom severity in addition to diagnostic status, but did not predict future symptom severity or diagnostic status over and above the initial symptom severity. Cognitive distortions were correlated with blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal strength in brain regions previously implicated in visual processing, imagery and autobiographic memory recall. Intrusion characteristics accounted for most of these correlations. CONCLUSIONS: This investigation revealed significant predictive value of cognitive distortions concerning concurrent PTSD severity and also established a significant relationship between cognitive distortions and neural activations during trauma recall in an acutely traumatized sample. These data indicate a direct link between the extent of cognitive distortions and the intrusive nature of trauma memories.

A prospective review of the use of ketamine to facilitate endotracheal intubation in the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) setting.

INTRODUCTION: Ketamine is a dissociative agent used for sedation and intubation in various clinical settings. Despite its proven haemodynamic safety, ketamine has not been widely used in prehospital medicine. This study examined the use of ketamine in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS). METHODS: This prospective cohort study enrolled all patients transported by a single HEMS program in whom ketamine was used to facilitate intubation. Data were collected using standard forms by two independent trained research staff. Demographics, medical condition, intubation conditions, vital signs (pre and post drug administration) and complications were recorded. Proportions, medians with IQR, change scores and CIs are reported; differences were compared using paired t tests. RESULTS: During the 2-year study period, 71 patients received ketamine to facilitate endotracheal intubation. Ketamine was used most often in men (52 (73%)), and the median age was 49 years (IQR: 31, 69). Most patients were adults (70 (99%)) with medical illnesses (42 (59%)); 37 (52%) intubations were performed at the sending hospital, and 30 (42%) were performed on scene. A paramedic performed the intubation in 58 cases (82%). The median ketamine dose was 80 mg (IQR: 60, 100; ~ 1mg/kg); 53 (75%) patients also received a paralytic agent. Mean arterial pressure (2.3 mmHg; 95% CI: -8.0 to 3.3) and heart rate (0.45 beats/min, 95% CI: -4.9 to 4.0) changes failed to reach statistical or clinical significance. No differences were found between patients with suspected concomitant head injury and other patients with respect to ketamine dose, changes in vital signs and complications. Complications included: one (1.4%) interstitial IV, five (7%) failed intubations, five (7%) hypotension and four (6%) hypertension episodes, one (1%) bradycardia, two (3%) tachycardia and five (7%) deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Ketamine is an effective agent in facilitating intubation in a HEMS environment. Complications are similar to use in the controlled Emergency Department setting.

Cost-effectiveness of a multifaceted intervention to improve quality of osteoporosis care after wrist fracture.

UNLABELLED: In a randomized trial, a multifaceted intervention tripled rates of osteoporosis treatment in older patients with wrist fracture. An economic analysis of the trial now demonstrates that the intervention tested "dominates" usual care: over a lifetime horizon, it reduces fracture, increases quality-adjusted life years, and saves the healthcare system money. INTRODUCTION: In a randomized trial (N = 272), we reported a multifaceted quality improvement intervention directed at older patients and their physicians could triple rates of osteoporosis treatment within 6 months of a wrist fracture when compared with usual care (22% vs 7%). Alongside the trial, we conducted an economic evaluation. METHODS: Using 1-year outcome data from our trial and micro-costing time-motion studies, we constructed a Markov decision-analytic model to determine cost-effectiveness of the intervention compared with usual care over the patients' remaining lifetime. We took the perspective of third-party healthcare payers. In the base case, costs and benefits were discounted at 3% and expressed in 2006 Canadian dollars. One-way deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Median age of patients was 60 years, 77% were women, and 72% had low bone mineral density (BMD). The intervention cost $12 per patient. Compared with usual care, the intervention strategy was dominant: for every 100 patients receiving the intervention, three fractures (one hip fracture) would be prevented, 1.1 quality-adjusted life year gained, and $26,800 saved by the healthcare system over their remaining lifetime. The intervention dominated usual care across numerous one-way sensitivity analyses: with respect to cost, the most influential parameter was drug price; in terms of effectiveness, the most influential parameter was rate of BMD testing. The intervention was cost saving in 80% of probabilistic model simulations. CONCLUSIONS: For outpatients with wrist fractures, our multifaceted osteoporosis intervention was cost-effective. Healthcare systems implementing similar interventions should expect to save money, reduce fractures, and gain quality-adjusted life expectancy.