Recent Immigrants With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Have Significant Healthcare Utilization From Preconception to Postpartum: A Population Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Immigrants with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may have increased healthcare utilization during pregnancy compared with non-immigrants, although this remains to be confirmed. We aimed to characterize this between these groups. METHODS: We accessed administrative databases to identify women (aged 18-55 years) with IBD with a singleton pregnancy between 2003 and 2018. Immigration status was defined as recent (<5 years of the date of conception), remote (≥5 years since the date of conception), and none. Differences in ambulatory, emergency department, hospitalization, endoscopic, and prenatal visits during 12 months preconception, pregnancy, and 12 months postpartum were characterized. Region of immigration origin was ascertained. Multivariable negative binomial regression was performed for adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 8,880 pregnancies were included, 8,304 in non-immigrants, 96 in recent immigrants, 480 in remote immigrants. Compared with non-immigrants, recent immigrants had the highest rates of IBD-specific ambulatory visits during preconception (aIRR 3.06, 95% CI 1.93-4.85), pregnancy (aIRR 2.15, 95% CI 1.35-3.42), and postpartum (aIRR 2.21, 1.37-3.57) and the highest rates of endoscopy visits during preconception (aIRR 2.69, 95% CI 1.64-4.41) and postpartum (aIRR 2.01, 95% CI 1.09-3.70). There were no differences in emergency department and hospitalization visits between groups, although those arriving from the Americas were the most likely to be hospitalized for any reason. All immigrants with IBD were less likely to have a first trimester prenatal visit. DISCUSSION: Recent immigrants were more likely to have IBD-specific ambulatory care but less likely to receive adequate prenatal care during pregnancy.

Young adults with a 22q11.2 microdeletion and the cost of aging with complexity in a population-based context.

PURPOSE: Information about the impact on the adult health care system is limited for complex rare pediatric diseases, despite their increasing collective prevalence that has paralleled advances in clinical care of children. Within a population-based health care context, we examined costs and multimorbidity in adults with an exemplar of contemporary genetic diagnostics. METHODS: We estimated direct health care costs over an 18-year period for adults with molecularly confirmed 22q11.2 microdeletion (cases) and matched controls (total 60,459 person-years of data) by linking the case cohort to health administrative data for the Ontario population (∼15 million people). We used linear regression to compare the relative ratio (RR) of costs and to identify baseline predictors of higher costs. RESULTS: Total adult (age ≥ 18) health care costs were significantly higher for cases compared with population-based (RR 8.5, 95% CI 6.5-11.1) controls, and involved all health care sectors. At study end, when median age was <30 years, case costs were comparable to population-based individuals aged 72 years, likelihood of being within the top 1st percentile of health care costs for the entire (any age) population was significantly greater for cases than controls (odds ratio [OR], for adults 17.90, 95% CI 7.43-43.14), and just 8 (2.19%) cases had a multimorbidity score of zero (vs 1483 (40.63%) controls). The 22q11.2 microdeletion was a significant predictor of higher overall health care costs after adjustment for baseline variables (RR 6.9, 95% CI 4.6-10.5). CONCLUSION: The findings support the possible extension of integrative models of complex care used in pediatrics to adult medicine and the potential value of genetic diagnostics in adult clinical medicine.

Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in Pancreatic Cancer: A Comparative Analysis of Ontario and the USA.

BACKGROUND: Comparative studies evaluating quality of care in different healthcare systems can guide reform initiatives. This study seeks to characterize best practices by comparing utilization and outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer (PC) in the USA and Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Patients (age ≥ 66 years) with PC were identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry and SEER-Medicare databases from 2006 to 2015. Demographics and treatment (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or multimodality (surgery and chemotherapy)) were described. In resected patients, neoadjuvant therapy, readmission, and 30- and 90-day postoperative mortality rates were calculated. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: This study includes 38,858 and 11,512 patients with PC from the USA and Ontario, respectively. More female patients were identified in the USA (54.0%) versus Ontario (46.9%). In the entire cohort, US patients received more radiation in addition to other therapies (18.8% vs. 13.5% Ontario) and chemotherapy alone (34.3% vs. 19.0% Ontario). While rates of resection were similar (13.4% USA vs.12.5% Ontario), multimodality therapy was more common in the UAS (9.0% vs. 6.4%). Among resected patients, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was uncommon in both groups, although more frequent in the USA (12.0% vs. 3.2% Ontario). The 30- and 90-day postoperative mortality rates were lower in Ontario vs. the USA (30-day: 3.26% vs. 4.91%; 90-day: 7.08% vs. 10.96%), however, overall survival was similar between the USA and Ontario. CONCLUSIONS: We observed substantive differences in treatment and outcomes between PC patients in the USA and Ontario, which may reflect known differences in healthcare systems. Close evaluation of healthcare policies can inform initiatives to improve care quality.

Prevalence and repair patterns of vesicovaginal fistula: a large retrospective population-based cohort analysis.

PURPOSE: Vesicovaginal fistulae (VVF) have a significant negative impact on quality of life, with failed surgical repair resulting in ongoing morbidity. Our aim was to characterize the rate of VVF repair and repair failures over time, and to identify predictors of repair failure. METHODS: We completed a population-based, retrospective cohort study of all women who underwent VVF repair in Ontario, Canada, aged 18 and older between 2005 and 2018. Risk factors for repair failure were identified using multivariable cox proportional hazard analysis; interrupted time series analysis was used to determine change in VVF repair rate over time. RESULTS: 814 patients underwent VVF repair. Of these, 117 required a second repair (14%). Mean age at surgery was 52 years (SD 15). Most patients had undergone prior gynecological surgery (68%), and 76% were due to iatrogenic injury. Most repairs were performed by urologists (60%). Predictors of VVF re-repair included iatrogenic injury etiology (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.45, p = 0.009), and endoscopic repair (HR 6.1, 95% CI 3.1-11.1, p < 0.05,); protective factors included combined intra-abdominal/trans-vaginal repair (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.3-0.8, p = 0.009), and surgeon years in practice (21 + years-HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.9, p = 0.005). Age adjusted annual rate of VVF repair (ranging from 0.8 to 1.58 per 100,000 women) and re-repair did not change over time. CONCLUSIONS: VVF repair and re-repair rates remained constant between 2005 and 2018. Iatrogenic injury and endoscopic repair predicted repair failure; combined intra-abdominal/trans-vaginal repair, and surgeon years in practice were protective. This suggests surgeon experience may protect against VVF repair failure.

Short- and long-term outcomes of acute diverticulitis in patients with transplanted kidneys.

AIM: The safety of nonoperative treatment for patients with transplanted kidneys who develop acute diverticulitis is unclear. Our primary aim was to examine the long-term sequelae of nonoperative management in this group. METHOD: We performed a population-based retrospective cohort study using linked administrative databases housed at ICES in Ontario, Canada. We included adult (≥18 years) patients admitted with acute diverticulitis between April 2002 and December 2019. Patients with a functioning kidney transplant were compared with those without a transplant. The primary outcome was failure of conservative management (operation, drainage procedure or death due to acute diverticulitis) beyond 30 days. The cumulative incidence function and a Fine-Grey subdistribution hazard model were used to evaluate this outcome accounting for competing risks. RESULTS: We examined 165 patients with transplanted kidneys and 74 095 without. Patients with transplanted kidneys were managed conservatively 81% of the time at the index event versus 86% in nontransplant patients. Short-term outcomes were comparable, but cumulative failure of conservative management at 5 years occurred in 5.6% (95% CI 2.3%-11.1%) of patients with transplanted kidneys versus 2.1% (95% CI 2.0%-2.3%) in those without. Readmission for acute diverticulitis was also higher in transplanted patients at 5 years at 16.7% (95% CI 10.1%-24.7%) versus 11.6% (95% CI 11.3%-11.9%). Adjusted analyses showed increased failure of conservative management [subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) 3.24, 95% CI 1.69-6.22] and readmissions (sHR 1.55, 95% CI 1.02-2.36) for patients with transplanted kidneys. CONCLUSION: Most patients with transplanted kidneys are managed conservatively for acute diverticulitis. Although long-term readmission and failure of conservative management is higher for this group than the nontransplant population, serious outcomes are infrequent, substantiating the safety of this approach.

Comparison of the number of pedestrian and cyclist injuries captured in police data compared with health service utilisation data in Toronto, Canada 2016-2021.

INTRODUCTION: Pedestrian and cyclist injuries represent a preventable burden to Canadians. Police-reported collision data include information on where such collisions occur but under-report the number of collisions. The primary objective of this study was to compare the number of police-reported collisions with emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalisations in Toronto, Canada. METHODS: Police-reported collisions were provided by Toronto Police Services (TPS). Data included the location of the collision, approximate victim age and whether the pedestrian or cyclist was killed or seriously injured. Health services data included ED visits in the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System and hospitalisations from the Discharge Abstract Database using ICD-10 codes for pedestrian and cycling injuries. Data were compared from 2016 to 2021. RESULTS: Injuries reported in the health service data were higher than those reported in the TPS for cyclists and pedestrians. The discrepancy was the largest for cyclists treated in the ED, with TPS capturing 7.9% of all cycling injuries. Cyclist injuries not involving a motor vehicle have increased since the start of the pandemic (from 3629 in 2019 to 5459 in 2020 for ED visits and from 251 in 2019 to 430 for hospital admissions). IMPLICATIONS: While police-reported data are important, it under-reports the burden. There have been increases in cyclist collisions not involving motor vehicles and decreases in pedestrian injuries since the start of the pandemic. The results suggest that using police data alone when planning for road safety is inadequate, and that linkage with other health service data is essential.

Age- and sex-specific associations of frailty with mortality and healthcare utilization in community-dwelling adults from ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Understanding how health trajectories are related to the likelihood of adverse outcomes and healthcare utilization is key to planning effective strategies for improving health span and the delivery of care to older adults. Frailty measures are useful tools for risk stratification in community-based and primary care settings, although their effectiveness in adults younger than 60 is not well described. METHODS: We performed a 10-year retrospective analysis of secondary data from the Ontario Health Study, which included 161,149 adults aged ≥ 18. Outcomes including all-cause mortality and hospital admissions were obtained through linkage to ICES administrative databases with a median follow-up of 7.1-years. Frailty was characterized using a 30-item frailty index. RESULTS: Frailty increased linearly with age and was higher for women at all ages. A 0.1-increase in frailty was significantly associated with mortality (HR = 1.47), the total number of outpatient (IRR = 1.35) and inpatient (IRR = 1.60) admissions over time, and length of stay (IRR = 1.12). However, with exception to length of stay, these estimates differed depending on age and sex. The hazard of death associated with frailty was greater at younger ages, particularly in women. Associations with admissions also decreased with age, similarly between sexes for outpatient visits and more so in men for inpatient. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that frailty is an important health construct for both younger and older adults. Hence targeted interventions to reduce the impact of frailty before the age of 60 would likely have important economic and social implications in both the short- and long-term.

Trends in emergency department visits during cold weather seasons among patients experiencing homelessness in Ontario, Canada: a retrospective population-based cohort study.

PURPOSE: Recent anecdotal reports suggest increasing numbers of people experiencing homelessness are visiting emergency departments (EDs) during cold weather seasons due to inadequate shelter availability. We examined monthly ED visits among patients experiencing homelessness to determine whether there has been a significant increase in such visits in 2022/2023 compared to prior years. METHODS: We used linked health administrative data to identify cohorts experiencing homelessness in Ontario between October and March of the 2018/2019 to 2022/2023 years. We analyzed the monthly rate of non-urgent ED visits as a proxy measure of visits plausibly attributable to avoidance of cold exposure, examining rates among patients experiencing homelessness compared to housed patients. We excluded visits for overdose or COVID-19. We assessed level and significance of change in the 2022/2023 year as compared to previous cold weather seasons using Poisson regression. RESULTS: We identified a total of 21,588 non-urgent ED visits across the observation period among patients experiencing homelessness in Ontario. Non-urgent ED visits increased 27% (RR 1.24 [95% CI 1.14-1.34]) in 2022/2023 compared to previous cold weather seasons. In Toronto, such visits increased by 70% (RR 1.68 [95% CI 1.57-1.80]). Among housed patients, non-urgent ED visits did not change significantly during this time period. CONCLUSION: Rates of ED visits plausibly attributable to avoidance of cold exposure by individuals experiencing homelessness increased significantly in Ontario in 2022/2023, most notably in Toronto. This increase in ED visits may be related to inadequate access to emergency shelter beds and warming services in the community.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Des rapports anecdotiques récents suggèrent qu'un nombre croissant de personnes en situation d'itinérance visitent les services d'urgence (SU) pendant les saisons froides en raison de la disponibilité insuffisante d'hébergement d'urgence. Nous avons examiné les visites mensuelles aux urgences chez les personnes en situation d'itinérance afin de déterminer s'il y a eu une augmentation significative de ces visites en 2022-2023 par rapport aux années précédentes. MéTHODES: Nous avons utilisé des données administratives de santé liées pour identifier les cohortes de personnes en situation d'itinérance en Ontario entre octobre et mars des années 2018/2019 à 2022/2023. Nous avons analysé le taux mensuel de visites aux urgences non urgentes comme mesure approximative des visites vraisemblablement attribuables à l'évitement de l'exposition au froid, en examinant les taux chez les personnes en situation d'itinérance par rapport aux patients logés. Nous avons exclu les visites pour surdose ou COVID-19. Nous avons évalué le niveau et l'importance du changement dans l'année 2022/2023 par rapport aux saisons froides précédentes en utilisant la régression de Poisson. RéSULTATS: Nous avons recensé un total de 21 588 visites non urgentes aux urgences au cours de la période d'observation chez des personnes en situation d'itinérance en Ontario. Les visites aux urgences non urgentes ont augmenté de 27 % (RR 1,24 [IC à 95 % 1,14-1,34]) en 2022­2023 par rapport aux saisons froides précédentes. À Toronto, ces visites ont augmenté de 70 % (RR 1,68 [IC à 95 % 1,57-1,80]). Parmi les patients logés, les visites aux urgences non urgentes n'ont pas changé de façon significative pendant cette période. CONCLUSIONS: Les taux de visites aux urgences attribuables vraisemblablement à l'évitement de l'exposition au froid par les personnes en situation d'itinérance ont augmenté considérablement en Ontario en 2022­2023, surtout à Toronto. Cette augmentation du nombre de visites aux urgences peut être liée à un accès inadéquat aux lits des refuges d'urgence et aux services de réchauffement dans la collectivité.

Pomalidomide Use and Kidney Outcomes in Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma and Chronic Kidney Disease: A Real-World, Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Pomalidomide-based regimens are the cornerstone of treatment for relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM). Despite the high incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in RRMM, individuals with advanced CKD have been excluded from phase II/III RCTs, creating a gap in our understanding of the effects of pomalidomide use in patients with RRMM complicated with advanced CKD. We undertook a cohort to study to understand the efficacy safety of pomalidomide-based regimens among patients with CKD using real-world data. METHODS: Population-based, cohort study of patients ≥ 18 years with RRMM treated with pomalidomide in Ontario, Canada. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were time-to-major adverse kidney events (MAKE), time-to-next treatment, kidney response and safety. RESULTS: Total 748 patients with RRMM utilizing pomalidomide were included; 440 had preserved kidney function, 210 had moderate CKD (eGFR 30-59 mL/min/1.73m2), and 98 had advanced CKD (eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73m2). Mean age was 70.2 years, 43.3% were women. Patients with advanced CKD had a higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to the preserved kidney function group (aHR 1.37, 95% CI 1.06, 1.78). MAKE was higher in advanced CKD (aHR 1.70, 95% CI 1.03, 2.35). Kidney response was similar between moderate and severe CKD groups (aOR 1.04, 95%, CI 0.56-1.90). Safety outcomes were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with advanced CKD and RRMM on pomalidomide-based regimens exhibited reduced survival and a higher risk for MAKE. However, the probability of experiencing some degree of kidney recovery is 50% in both moderate and severe CKD, with comparable safety outcomes.

Vulnerable road user injury trends following the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto, Canada: An interrupted time series analysis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic altered traffic patterns worldwide, potentially impacting pedestrian and bicyclists safety in urban areas. In Toronto, Canada, work from home policies, bicycle network expansion, and quiet streets were implemented to support walking and cycling. We examined pedestrian and bicyclist injury trends from 2012 to 2022, utilizing police-reported killed or severely injured (KSI), emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalization data. METHODS: We used an interrupted time series design, with injury counts aggregated quarterly. We fit a negative binomial regression using a Bayesian modeling approach to data prior to the pandemic that included a secular time trend, quarterly seasonal indicator variables, and autoregressive terms. The differences between observed and expected injury counts based on pre-pandemic trends with 95% credible intervals (CIs) were computed. RESULTS: There were 38% fewer pedestrian KSI (95%CI: 19%, 52%), 35% fewer ED visits (95%CI: 28%, 42%), and 19% fewer hospitalizations (95%CI: 2%, 32%) since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A reduction of 35% (95%CI: 7%, 54%) in KSI bicyclist injuries was observed, but However, ED visits and hospitalizations from bicycle-motor vehicle collisions were compatible with pre-pandemic trends. In contrast, for bicycle injuries not involving motor vehicles, large increases were observed for both ED visits, 73% (95% CI: 49%, 103%) and for hospitalization 108% (95% CI: 38%, 208%). CONCLUSION: New road safety interventions during the pandemic may have improved road safety for vulnerable road users with respect to collisions with motor vehicles; however, further investigation into the risk factors for bicycle injuries not involving motor vehicles is required.

Complication Rates of Central Venous Catheters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Central venous catheters (CVCs) are commonly used but are associated with complications. Quantifying complication rates is essential for guiding CVC utilization decisions. Objective: To summarize current rates of CVC-associated complications. Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and CENTRAL databases were searched for observational studies and randomized clinical trials published between 2015 to 2023. Study Selection: This study included English-language observational studies and randomized clinical trials of adult patients that reported complication rates of short-term centrally inserted CVCs and data for 1 or more outcomes of interest. Studies that evaluated long-term intravascular devices, focused on dialysis catheters not typically used for medication administration, or studied catheters placed by radiologists were excluded. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis was applied to summarize event rates. Rates of placement complications (events/1000 catheters with 95% credible interval [CrI]) and use complications (events/1000 catheter-days with 95% CrI) were estimated. Main Outcomes and Measures: Ten prespecified complications associated with CVC placement (placement failure, arterial puncture, arterial cannulation, pneumothorax, bleeding events requiring action, nerve injury, arteriovenous fistula, cardiac tamponade, arrhythmia, and delay of ≥1 hour in vasopressor administration) and 5 prespecified complications associated with CVC use (malfunction, infection, deep vein thrombosis [DVT], thrombophlebitis, and venous stenosis) were assessed. The composite of 4 serious complications (arterial cannulation, pneumothorax, infection, or DVT) after CVC exposure for 3 days was also assessed. Results: Of 11 722 screened studies, 130 were included in the analyses. Seven of 15 prespecified complications were meta-analyzed. Placement failure occurred at 20.4 (95% CrI, 10.9-34.4) events per 1000 catheters placed. Other rates of CVC placement complications (per 1000 catheters) were arterial canulation (2.8; 95% CrI, 0.1-10), arterial puncture (16.2; 95% CrI, 11.5-22), and pneumothorax (4.4; 95% CrI, 2.7-6.5). Rates of CVC use complications (per 1000 catheter-days) were malfunction (5.5; 95% CrI, 0.6-38), infection (4.8; 95% CrI, 3.4-6.6), and DVT (2.7; 95% CrI, 1.0-6.2). It was estimated that 30.2 (95% CrI, 21.8-43.0) in 1000 patients with a CVC for 3 days would develop 1 or more serious complication (arterial cannulation, pneumothorax, infection, or DVT). Use of ultrasonography was associated with lower rates of arterial puncture (risk ratio [RR], 0.20; 95% CrI, 0.09-0.44; 13.5 events vs 68.8 events/1000 catheters) and pneumothorax (RR, 0.25; 95% CrI, 0.08-0.80; 2.4 events vs 9.9 events/1000 catheters). Conclusions and Relevance: Approximately 3% of CVC placements were associated with major complications. Use of ultrasonography guidance may reduce specific risks including arterial puncture and pneumothorax.