Retrospective Study Looking at Cinacalcet in the Management of Hyperparathyroidism after Kidney Transplantation

Objectives. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the use of cinacalcet in the management of hyperparathyroidism in kidney transplant recipients. The secondary objective is to identify baseline factors that predict cinacalcet use after transplantation. Methods. In this single-center retrospective study, we conducted a chart review of all patients having been transplanted from 2003 to 2012 and having received cinacalcet up to kidney transplantation and/or thereafter. Results. Twenty-seven patients were included with a mean follow-up of 2.9±2.4 years. Twenty-one were already taking cinacalcet at the time of transplantation. Cinacalcet was stopped within the first month in 12 of these patients of which 7 had to restart therapy. The main reason for restarting cinacalcet was hypercalcemia. Length of treatment was 23±26 months. There were only 3 cases of mild hypocalcemia. There was no statistically significant association between baseline factors and cinacalcet status a year later. Conclusions. Discontinuing cinacalcet within the first month of kidney transplantation often leads to hypercalcemia. Cinacalcet appears to be an effective treatment of hypercalcemic hyperparathyroidism in kidney transplant recipients. Further studies are needed to evaluate safety and long-term benefits

Determinants of vascular access-related bloodstream infections among patients receiving hemodialysis

Vascular access-related bloodstream infection (BSI) is frequent among patients undergoing hemodialysis increasing significantly their morbidity and mortality. Studies assessing centre- and patient-predictors of BSI have had inadequate sample size and follow-up time. The aims of this project are: to describe the incidence rates; and to determine patient- and centre-level predictors of BSI in a cohort of incident hemodialysis patients treated in teaching or community hospitals, and in First Nation dialysis units. The rates of BSI in our population were lower than those observed in other settings. Central venous catheters were the most important risk factor for BSI and their use in our study was much higher than recommended. Some variability in BSI rates was found among centres, but no centre-related variable was found to be associated with the risk of BSI. Effort to reduce catheter use in hemodialysis patients may significantly reduce the risk of BSI in this patient population

Portrait en touches successives de la Business TV en Amérique : description et usages des réseaux large bande en télévision non traditionnelle

Lafrance Jean-Paul, Marx Philippe. Portrait en touches successives de la Business TV en Amérique : description et usages des réseaux large bande en télévision non traditionnelle. In: NETCOM : Réseaux, communication et territoires / Networks and Communication Studies, vol. 4 n°2, juin 1990. pp. 510-558

The Impact of Hypoglycemia on Productivity Loss and Utility in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Treated With Insulin in Real-world Canadian Practice: Protocol for a Prospective Study

BackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) imposes a substantial burden owing to its increasing prevalence and life-threatening complications. In patients who do not achieve glycemic targets with oral antidiabetic drugs, the initiation of insulin is recommended. However, a serious concern regarding insulin is drug-induced hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is known to affect quality of life and the use of health care resources. However, health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) data for economic modelling are limited, particularly regarding utility values and productivity losses. ObjectiveThis real-world prospective study aims to assess the impact of hypoglycemia on productivity and utility in insulin-treated adults with T2DM from Ontario and Quebec, Canada. MethodsThis noninterventional, multicenter, 3-month prospective study will recruit patients from 4 medical clinics and 2 endocrinology or diabetes clinics. Patients will be identified using appointment lists and enrolled through consecutive sampling during routinely scheduled consultations. To be eligible, patients must be aged ≥18 years, diagnosed with T2DM, and treated with insulin. Utility and productivity will be measured using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire and Institute for Medical Technology Assessment Productivity Cost Questionnaire, respectively. Questionnaires will be completed 4, 8, and 12 weeks after recruitment. Generalized estimating equation models will be used to investigate productivity losses and utility decrements associated with incident hypoglycemic events while controlling for individual patient characteristics. A total of 500 patients will be enrolled to ensure the precision of HEOR estimates. ResultsThis study is designed to fill a gap in the Canadian evidence on the impact of hypoglycemia on HEOR outcomes. More specifically, it will generate productivity and utility inputs for the economic modeling of T2DM. ConclusionsInsulin therapy is expensive, and hypoglycemia is a significant component of economic evaluation. Robust HEOR data may help health technology assessment agencies in future reimbursement decision-making. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/3546

Association Between Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin and Risk of Bleeding Among Hemodialysis Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWH) replaced unfractionated heparin (UFH) in multiple indications. Although LMWH efficacy in hemodialysis was demonstrated through multiple studies, their safety remains controversial. The potential bioaccumulation in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis raised the question of bleeding risk among this population. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate bleeding risk among patients with chronic hemodialysis receiving LMWH or UFH for the extracorporeal circuit anticoagulation. Design: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on data extracted from the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) and Med-Echo databases from January 2007 to March 2013. Setting: Twenty-one hemodialysis centers in the province of Québec, Canada. Patients: Chronic hemodialysis patients. Measurements: Bleeding risk evaluated by proportional Cox model for time-dependent exposure using demographics, comorbidities, and drug use as covariates. Methods: Minor, major, and total bleeding events identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision ( ICD-9 )/ International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision ( ICD-10 ) codes in the RAMQ and Med-Echo databases. Exposure status to LMWH or UFH was collected through surveys at the facility level. Results: We identified 5322 prevalent and incident patients with chronic hemodialysis. The incidence rate for minor, major, and total bleeding was 9.45 events/1000 patient-year (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.61-11.03), 24.18 events/1000 patient-year (95% CI: 21.52-27.08), and 32.88 events/1000 patient-year (95% CI: 29.75-36.26), respectively. We found similar risks of minor adjusted hazard ratio (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 0.68-1.61), major (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.63-1.10), and total bleeding (HR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.72-1.14) when comparing LMWH with UFH. Limitations: Potential misclassification of patients’ exposure status and possible underestimation of minor bleeding risk. Conclusion: LMWH was not associated with a higher minor, major, or total bleeding risk. LMWH did not increase the risk of bleeding compared with UFH for the extracorporeal circuit anticoagulation in hemodialysis. The convenience of use and predictable effect made LMWH a suitable alternative to UFH in hemodialysis