Latest news with #HealthSciencesNorthResearchInstitute
Time of India
26-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
RSV can boost seniors' heart risks
London: Older adults hospitalized for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) face an elevated risk of developing heart failure and a dangerous heart rhythm problem, a Canadian study found. The risk for heart failure was seen even in individuals without a history of heart problems, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The researchers reviewed data on more than 100,000 adults aged 65 and older hospitalized in Ontario between 2011 and 2020 for either RSV, influenza, urinary tract infection, or a fracture. The proportion of patients with a subsequent cardiovascular event was 18.5% after an RSV-related hospitalization, compared to 17.7%, 12.1% and 8.4% after hospitalizations for influenza, urinary tract infection, or fracture, respectively. In comparisons of patients who were closely matched according to demographics and risk factors, heart failure (10%-11%) was the most common outcome for RSV patients, occurring in 10% to 11%. Next most common was the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation, occurring in 5% to 6% of RSV patients. The risk for those outcomes, as well as for heart attack, "was at least two to three times higher in patients with a pre-existing cardiovascular condition compared to those without," the researchers also said. "Our findings reinforce the importance of RSV vaccination in older adults and suggest that monitoring for signs of heart disease following an RSV illness may be pragmatic," study leader Chris Verschoor of Health Sciences North Research Institute in Sudbury, Ontario, said in a statement. DYE TEST CAN HELP AVOID INTESTINE SURGERY Sending dye through the small intestine to look for blockages has been sparing a significant proportion of patients from needing to undergo surgery, a new study shows. The dye, Gastrografin from Bracco Diagnostics Inc., is administered to symptomatic patients before an X-ray or CT scan so that surgeons can see the location and severity of any so-called adhesive small bowel obstructions. Researchers reviewed nationwide data on more than 20,000 patients with suspected small bowel obstruction managed in two periods - 2012 to 2016, before Gastrografin was widely used for this purpose, and 2019 to 2023, when using Gastrografin to visualize intestinal blockages was a standard of care. They found nearly a 45% decrease in surgeries for small bowel obstruction in the Gastrografin era, from 13,257 to 7,333. Small bowel obstruction accounts for 15% of hospital admissions in the U.S., with about 20% of cases needing surgery to reconstruct the intestine, the researchers said. The resulting healthcare costs total over $3 billion each year. Despite better small bowel obstruction outcomes overall, post-surgery mortality increased from 4.4% to 5.9% after use of the dye became standard, and reoperations within 30 days rose from 4.7% to 6.2% - likely because surgeries were probably more complex in the later era, the researchers said. Gastrografin testing had weeded out patients with relatively mild obstructions who ultimately didn't need surgery, they added. "Previously, patients who had a relatively mild adhesive small bowel obstruction would have been operated on, as we didn't have an alternative option," study leader Dr. Robert McLoughlin from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington said in a statement. "This meant that in the post-Gastrografin era, the surgeries were more complex and challenging, hence the increased morbidity and mortality." Still, because surgeons have gotten better at managing patients after surgery for small bowel obstructions, patients in the Gastrografin group averaged 6 days in the hospital, versus about 10 days for patients treated before the Gastrografin era, the researchers reported in the Journal of Surgical Research. The current study was not designed to prove that any of the outcomes were the result of Gastrografin use, the article pointed out. McLoughlin recalled that during a discussion with a younger colleague about managing small bowel obstructions, he mentioned that when he was in training, surgeons operated "on a lot more" of these patients. That recollection prompted the current study, he said.
Hamilton Spectator
06-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Sudbury researcher says we need to change how we talk about addiction
People who are addicted to drugs should be treated like anyone else with a chronic health condition, a Sudbury doctor and researcher says. 'The fundamental message is we need to change how we view substance use,' Dr. Kristen Morin told a group gathered at Science North for MedTalk 2025. 'It is not a moral failing that people should be punished for,' Morin said. Even just reading the words 'use' not 'abuse' is a paradigm shift, she said. Morin's presentation, Respecting Lives, Enhancing Care: Addressing the Opioid Crisis with Compassion, was one of a number made at MedTalk 2025 last week. Opioid addiction is a major health crisis in the Sudbury area, which has one of the highest addiction and overdose death rates in Ontario. Over the last five years, 696 people in the region have died from opioid overdoses due to the toxic drug supply. From January to March of this year, Public Health Sudbury and Districts reports that 35 people died from a suspected drug poisoning in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts. During the same period last year, 24 people died from a suspected drug poisoning in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts. This represents an annualized local mortality rate of 61.1 deaths per 100,000 population per year, compared to 56.0 deaths per 100,000 population per year in Northern Ontario overall. Rates in both areas are significantly higher than the projected Ontario rate of 15.9 deaths per 100,000 population per year. MedTalks are about cutting-edge research done by leading healthcare professionals looking for community-driven solutions. MedTalk 2025 was focused on fueling impact through innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. Most of the presenters had a connection to Health Sciences North or the Health Sciences North Research Institute. 'These talks remind us of the incredible work happening in hospitals, clinics and labs and advocacy organizations all across Northern Ontario,' said Science North's CEO, Ashley Larose, in the opening moments of the event. Collaboration is a key to success in all the sciences; think Watson and Crick, or Banting and Best. In this case, researchers were paired with students in Laurentian's Science Communication program. The 10-minute presentations – like mini TED talks – were not only fascinating in themselves, but perfected in their delivery by those who are immersed in the best practices in getting messages to listeners in ways that are accessible and sometimes funny, despite their seriousness. Dr. Morin, who also participated in the 2024 event, works in addictions. Science North's Sarah Chisnell, meanwhile, talked about the importance of partnerships and that showcasing research is valuable. 'We want to get people engaged,' Chisnell said. 'There are 300 seats tonight. It is an amazing turnout. The audience is diverse. 'Science communicator program students have spent a year learning best practices and now they are sharing that know-how.' Michelle Reid, master lecturer for the Science Communication Graduate Program, agreed. 'This is such a valuable experiential learning project for my students,' Reid said. 'They get to work with real professionals with lived experiences … they are going from theory to practice.' Another researcher, Sandra Dorman from the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health at Laurentian University, displayed impactful visuals of the fires in Fort McMurray. She demonstrated how a community with a strong awareness of the importance of training helped evacuees behave in the same ways they would in the workplace. Reducing anxiety about scans, X-rays, and ionizing radiation, Dr. Chris Thome's comparisons offered the audience facts. He addressed fears by understandable examples and highlighted the incredible value in seeing inside without incisions. Other presentations included rural and remote nursing in Northern Ontario; building children's brains through words and talk; and Patient Power, how we all are Olympians. Then there was proctology and current practices in colon cancer detection and anal examinations; being your health advocate and Public Health Sudbury and Districts' role and portfolio in increasing life span and life quality. Not to overwhelm the audience, five presentations preceded an intermission and five followed. Rather than a rapid exit, there was a buzz in the Science North Cavern as the audience mingled to discuss what they had learned. The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible through funding from the federal government. Bluesky: @ X: @SudburyStar
