Brief Report: Outcomes of Individuals Using HIV Postexposure Prophylaxis-In-Pocket ("PIP") for Low-Frequency, High-Risk Exposures in Toronto, Canada.

BACKGROUND: HIV postexposure prophylaxis-in-pocket ("PIP") is a self-initiated, event-driven HIV prevention modality for individuals with a low frequency of HIV exposures. METHODS: A cohort of 111 patients using PIP as their primary HIV prevention modality was longitudinally evaluated for PIP self-initiation, HIV and sexual transmitted infections, and switching to other HIV prevention modalities between February 2016 and December 2022. RESULTS: A total of 111 patients had 178.7 cumulative patient-years of PIP use. PIP was self-initiated 69 times by 35 (31.5%) individuals, with 0 HIV seroconversions identified. Thirty four individuals (30.6%) transitioned from PIP to pre-exposure prophylaxis and 33 individuals (29.7%) switched from pre-exposure prophylaxis to PIP. CONCLUSIONS: PIP is a useful addition to other pharmacologic HIV prevention tools, and may help prevent infection in those with a lower frequency of unanticipated HIV exposures.

'Next steps are ': An exploration of coaching and feedback language in EPA assessment comments.

PURPOSE: Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) assessments are intended to facilitate meaningful, low-stakes coaching and feedback, partly through the provision of written comments. We sought to explore EPA assessment comments provided to internal medicine (IM) residents for evidence of feedback and coaching language as well as politeness. METHODS: We collected all written comments from EPA assessments of communication from a first-year IM resident cohort at the University of Toronto. Sensitized by politeness theory, we analyzed data using principles of constructivist grounded theory. RESULTS: Nearly all EPA assessments (94%) contained written feedback based on focused clinical encounters. The majority of comments demonstrated coaching language, including phrases like 'don't forget to,' and 'next steps are,' followed by specific suggestions for improvement. A variety of words, including 'autonomy' and 'independence' denoted entrustment decisions. Linguistic politeness strategies such as hedging were pervasive, seemingly to minimize harm to the supervisor-trainee relationship. CONCLUSION: Evidence of written coaching feedback suggests that EPA assessment comments are being used as intended as a means of formative feedback to promote learning. Yet, the frequent use of polite language suggests that EPAs may be higher-stakes than expected, highlighting a need for changes to the assessment culture and improved feedback literacy.

Dressing the Part: Gender Differences in Residents' Experiences of Feedback in Internal Medicine.

PURPOSE: Multiple studies demonstrate that assessment of residents differs by gender, yet little is known about how these differences are experienced by women and men. The authors sought to understand whether the experience of being assessed and receiving feedback differs between men and women internal medicine (IM) residents and how women respond to these experiences. METHOD: A constructivist grounded theory approach to data collection and interpretation was used. The authors invited all IM residents in postgraduate years 1-3 at the University of Toronto to participate in semistructured focus groups (August-October 2019). Twenty-two residents participated (8 men, 14 women). Focus groups were divided by gender and training level. RESULTS: The authors found a profound difference in experiences of receiving feedback between men and women residents. The themes of challenges to power and authority, tactics to reestablish power and authority, conflicting feedback from attendings, and ways of moving forward all diverged between men and women residents. Women repeatedly brought up feedback outside of official assessment moments and relied on symbols, such as a white coat, stethoscope, and demure clothing, to "dress the part" of a physician. Women also encountered conflicting feedback from supervisors regarding confidence and assertiveness (e.g., sometimes told to be more assertive, other times to be less), often resulting in self-censorship; similar feedback was rarely noted by men. CONCLUSIONS: Gendered differences in the experiences of being assessed and receiving feedback are not always reflected in standard measures. Gender and medicine can be considered performative, and these findings demonstrate women IM residents integrate multiple forms of feedback to create the persona of the woman physician. The authors believe this research contributes a unique vantage point to the experience of women residents interpreting explicit and implicit feedback in IM and highlights the socialization that occurs to become a woman physician.

Sinister seafood: bacteraemia secondary to non-O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae infection.

Introduction.Vibrio species are curved, motile Gram-negative bacilli found in estuarine and marine environments, and are known to cause to gastroenteritis, skin and soft tissue infections, and septicaemia. While not responsible for cholera epidemics, non-O1/O139 Vibrio cholerae (NOVC) is increasingly reported as a cause of gastroenteritis. Case presentation. A 66-year-old man presented to an emergency department with a 1 week history of epigastric pain, emesis and fever. Blood cultures drawn on admission initially demonstrated Gram-negative bacilli, and ultimately grew NOVC, which was later confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight MS. Subsequent history revealed that the patient had eaten fish and seafood prior to falling ill. He was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone and oral doxycycline while admitted, and oral ciprofloxacin and doxycycline upon discharge. His bacteraemia was believed to be secondary to altered gut anatomy from prior surgery and proton-pump inhibitor use. Conclusion. Risk factors for NOVC bacteraemia include cirrhosis, immunosuppression and other forms of liver disease. Cases are often linked to a history of seafood ingestion when water temperatures rise, enabling Vibrio species to proliferate. While the optimal management of NOVC bacteraemia is unclear, a combination of a third-generation cephalosporin with a tetracycline has been suggested. Physicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for this pathogen when evaluating ill patients with a history of liver disease and seafood ingestion.

Reevaluating Canada's policy for blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM).

During the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, most of the developed world instituted a permanent ban on blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM). In recent years, public health agencies across Europe and North America are reconsidering and rescinding these restrictions. We examine the Canadian climate, where MSM may donate blood only after a 5-year deferral period. We review circumstances of the initial ban on MSM blood donations and recent social, legal, and economic changes that have encouraged Canadian public health officials to consider policy reform. We also review international evidence about the impact of reforming MSM blood donations. Given improvements in HIV screening technology, results from mathematical modeling studies, and empirical data from Italy, the UK, and Australia, we conclude that changing Canada's MSM blood donation policy from a 5- to a 1-year deferral would not increase the number of transfusion-transmitted HIV infections. We provide empirical support to the recently elected Liberal Canadian government's political promise to decrease restrictions on MSM blood donations.