Ascertaining the Francophone population in Ontario: validating the language variable in health data.

BACKGROUND: Language barriers can impact health care and outcomes. Valid and reliable language data is central to studying health inequalities in linguistic minorities. In Canada, language variables are available in administrative health databases; however, the validity of these variables has not been studied. This study assessed concordance between language variables from administrative health databases and language variables from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) to identify Francophones in Ontario. METHODS: An Ontario combined sample of CCHS cycles from 2000 to 2012 (from participants who consented to link their data) was individually linked to three administrative databases (home care, long-term care [LTC], and mental health admissions). In total, 27,111 respondents had at least one encounter in one of the three databases. Language spoken at home (LOSH) and first official language spoken (FOLS) from CCHS were used as reference standards to assess their concordance with the language variables in administrative health databases, using the Cohen kappa, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV). RESULTS: Language variables from home care and LTC databases had the highest agreement with LOSH (kappa = 0.76 [95%CI, 0.735-0.793] and 0.75 [95%CI, 0.70-0.80], respectively) and FOLS (kappa = 0.66 for both). Sensitivity was higher with LOSH as the reference standard (75.5% [95%CI, 71.6-79.0] and 74.2% [95%CI, 67.3-80.1] for home care and LTC, respectively). With FOLS as the reference standard, the language variables in both data sources had modest sensitivity (53.1% [95%CI, 49.8-56.4] and 54.1% [95%CI, 48.3-59.7] in home care and LTC, respectively) but very high specificity (99.8% [95%CI, 99.7-99.9] and 99.6% [95%CI, 99.4-99.8]) and predictive values. The language variable from mental health admissions had poor agreement with all language variables in the CCHS. CONCLUSIONS: Language variables in home care and LTC health databases were most consistent with the language often spoken at home. Studies using language variables from administrative data can use the sensitivity and specificity reported from this study to gauge the level of mis-ascertainment error and the resulting bias.

Prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity among linguistic groups of patients receiving home care in Ontario: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have demonstrated the negative impact of language barriers on access, quality, and safety of healthcare, which can lead to health disparities in linguistic minorities. As the population ages, those with multiple chronic diseases will require increasing levels of home care and long-term services. This study described the levels of multimorbidity among recipients of home care in Ontario, Canada by linguistic group. METHODS: Population-based retrospective cohort of 510,685 adults receiving home care between April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2018, in Ontario, Canada. We estimated and compared prevalence and characteristics of multimorbidity (2 or more chronic diseases) across linguistic groups (Francophones, Anglophones, Allophones). The most common combinations and clustering of chronic diseases were examined. Logistic regression models were used to explore the main predictors of 'severe' multimorbidity (defined as the presence of five or more chronic diseases). RESULTS: The proportion of home care recipients with multimorbidity and severe multimorbidity was 92% and 44%, respectively. The prevalence of multimorbidity was slightly higher among Allophones (93.6%) than among Anglophones (91.8%) and Francophones (92.4%). However, Francophones had higher rates of cardiovascular and respiratory disease (64.9%) when compared to Anglophones (60.2%) and Allophones (61.5%), while Anglophones had higher rates of cancer (34.2%) when compared to Francophones (25.2%) and Allophones (24.3%). Relative to Anglophones, Allophones were more likely to have severe multimorbidity (adjusted OR = 1.04, [95% CI: 1.02-1.06]). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of multimorbidity among Ontarians receiving home care services is high; especially for whose primary language is a language other than English or French (i.e., Allophones). Understanding differences in the prevalence and characteristics of multimorbidity across linguistic groups will help tailor healthcare services to the unique needs of patients living in minority linguistic situations.

Side-by-Side: A One-on-One Peer Support Program for Medical Students.

PROBLEM: Medical students experience high levels of burnout and face barriers to accessing support services. However, few studies have considered the feasibility and/or effectiveness of one-on-one peer support programs for medical students. This report aims to describe the development and implementation of such a program, the Side-by-Side Peer Support Program, at the University of Ottawa (August 2018-June 2020). APPROACH: Thirty-five medical students enrolled at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine were selected to participate in a training course aimed at developing the skills necessary to provide one-on-one support to their peers. The main responsibilities of peer supporters were to reach out to classmates, particularly those displaying changes in their usual behavior that might be indicative of mental illness, to provide basic counseling, and to refer at-risk students to professional services. Peer supporters offered weekly hours during which classmates could contact them for support. Information on interactions between students and peer supporters was recorded in an electronic database. An end-of-year survey collected information on barriers to seeking help perceived by medical students. OUTCOMES: A total of 303 interactions were recorded. Interactions took place in various formats, including in-person, via telephone or video call, or via texting or online messaging. Interactions were initiated by both students and peer supporters. Survey respondents identified more barriers to seeking help from Faculty of Medicine services than Side-by-Side, including fear of impact on career (22.2% vs 2.5%; P < .01) and belief that the services would not be helpful (42.0% vs 23.5%; P = .02). NEXT STEPS: The authors plan to quantify well-being through academic engagement metrics as well as mental health outcome metrics in future studies. Future studies should also consider whether peer support increases help-seeking behaviors and/or the use of professional services.

Patient-physician language concordance and quality and safety outcomes among frail home care recipients admitted to hospital in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: When patients and physicians speak the same language, it may improve the quality and safety of care delivered. We sought to determine whether patient-physician language concordance is associated with in-hospital and postdischarge outcomes among home care recipients who were admitted to hospital. METHODS: We conducted a population-based study of a retrospective cohort of 189 690 home care recipients who were admitted to hospital in Ontario, Canada, between 2010 and 2018. We defined patient language (obtained from home care assessments) as English (Anglophone), French (Francophone) or other (allophone). We obtained physician language from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. We defined hospital admissions as language concordant when patients received more than 50% of their care from physicians who spoke the patients' primary language. We identified in-hospital (adverse events, length of stay, death) and post-discharge outcomes (emergency department visits, readmissions, death within 30 days of discharge). We used regression analyses to estimate the adjusted rate of mean and the adjusted odds ratio (OR) of each outcome, stratified by patient language, to assess the impact of language-concordant care within each linguistic group. RESULTS: Allophone patients who received language-concordant care had lower risk of adverse events (adjusted OR 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.15-0.43) and in-hospital death (adjusted OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.29-0.66), as well as shorter stays in hospital (adjusted rate of mean 0.74, 95% CI 0.66-0.83) than allophone patients who received language-discordant care. Results were similar for Francophone patients, although the magnitude of the effect was smaller than for allophone patients. Language concordance or discordance of the hospital admission was not associated with significant differences in postdischarge outcomes. INTERPRETATION: Patients who received most of their care from physicians who spoke the patients' primary language had better in-hospital outcomes, suggesting that disparities across linguistic groups could be mitigated by providing patients with language-concordant care.

High or increasing serum NfL is predictive of impending multiple sclerosis relapses.

BACKGROUND: One-off serum levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) is an established predictor of emerging disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the importance of longitudinal increases in sNfL is yet to be enumerated, an important consideration as this test is translated for serial monitoring. Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (sGFAP) is another biomarker of predictive interest. Our objective was to assess the association between longitudinal changes sNfL and prediction of future relapses, as well as a possible role for sGFAP. METHODS: Participants with active MS were prospectively monitored for one year as part of a clinical trial testing mesenchymal stem cells. Visits every three months or less included clinical assessments, MRI scans and serum draws. sNfL and sGFAP concentrations were quantified with Single Molecule Array immunoassay. We used Kaplan-Meier estimates and Anderson-Gill Cox regression models with and without adjustment for age, sex, disease subtype, disease duration and expanded disability status score (EDSS) to estimate the rate of relapse predicted by baseline and longitudinal changes in biomarker. RESULTS: 58 Canadian and Italian participants with MS were enrolled in this study. Higher baseline sNfL was future relapse (Log-rank p = 0.0068), MRI lesions (p=0.0096), composite-relapse associated worsening (p=0.01) and progression independent of relapse activity (p=0.0096). Conversely, baseline sGFAP was only weakly associated with MRI lesions (0.044). Cross-sectional analyses of baseline sNfL revealed that a two-fold difference in baseline sNfL, e.g. from 10 to 20 pg/mL, was associated with a 2.3-fold increased risk of relapse during follow-up (95% confidence interval 1.65-3.17). Longitudinally, a two-fold increase in sNfL level from the first measurement was associated with an additional 1.46 times increased risk of relapse (1.07-2.00). The impact of longitudinal increases in sNfL on the risk of relapse were most pronounced for patients with lower baseline values of sNfL (<10 pg/mL: HR = 1.54, 1.06-2.24). These associations remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders. CONCLUSION: We enumerate the risk of relapse associated with dynamic changes in sNfL. Both baseline and longitudinal change in sNfL may help identify patients who would benefit from early treatment optimisation. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: Canada:NCT02239393, Italy:NCT01854957&EudraCT, 2011-001295-19 CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides class 1 evidence that high baseline and longitudinal increases in sNfL are predictive of impending relapses in patients with active MS.

Incidence, prevalence, and predictors of inflammatory arthritis in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

An increasing amount of evidence has emerged suggesting that hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with inflammatory arthritis. This study reviewed the incidence, prevalence, and predictors of inflammatory arthritis in patients with HS. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in CINAHL, Embase, and Medline from inception to February 14, 2020. Articles were included in the review if they provided data on disease epidemiology or predictors of adult or pediatric HS patients with comorbid inflammatory arthritis. There are no validated diagnostic criteria for HS, thus we considered patients as having HS if they had at least one diagnostic code in a hospital or claims database or a diagnosis of HS/inflammatory arthritis in a medical record. The same criteria were used to confirm presence of inflammatory arthritis. We identified an increased incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in HS patients when compared with estimates in the general population. We identified a relatively high prevalence of RA, spondyloarthritis (SpA), and PsA in HS patients when compared with estimates in the general population. There was evidence to suggest that patients who are younger than 30, male, have severe HS, or are taking infliximab or adalimumab (which may also be confounded by HS disease severity) may be at greater risk for specific subtypes of inflammatory arthritis. However, further data are needed to confirm these associations. The increased incidence and prevalence of inflammatory arthritis within HS patients underscore the need for increased awareness and interdisciplinary partnership within rheumatology and dermatology.

In-Hospital Patient Harm Across Linguistic Groups: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Home Care Recipients.

OBJECTIVE: Research examining the impact of language barriers on patient safety is limited. We conducted a population-based study to determine whether patients whose primary language is not English are more likely to experience harm when admitted to hospitals in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: We used linked administrative health records to establish a retrospective cohort of home care recipients (from 2010 to 2015) who were subsequently admitted to hospital. Patient language (obtained from home care assessments) was coded as English, French, or other. Harmful events were identified using the Hospital Harm Indicator developed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. RESULTS: We included 190,724 patients (156,186 Anglophones, 5,110 Francophones, and 29,428 Allophones). There was no significant difference in the unadjusted risk of harm for Francophones compared with Anglophones (relative risk [RR], 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87-1.02). However, Allophones were more likely to experience harm when compared with Anglophones (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.10-1.18). The risk of harm was even greater for Allophones with low English proficiency (RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.13-1.24). After adjusting for potential confounders, Anglophones and Allophones were equally likely to experience harm of any type, but Allophones more likely to experience harm from infections and procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Patients whose primary language was not English or French were more likely to experience harm after admission to hospital, especially if they had low English proficiency. For these patients, the risk of harm from infections and procedures persisted in the adjusted analysis, but the overall risk of harm did not.

The Impact of Language on Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Length of Stay Among Home Care Recipients.

BACKGROUND: Research considering the impact of language on health care utilization is limited. We conducted a population-based study to: (1) investigate the association between residents' preferred language and hospital-based health care utilization; and (2) determine whether this association is modified by dementia, a condition which can exacerbate communication barriers. METHODS: We used administrative databases to establish a retrospective cohort study of home care recipients (2015-2017) in Ontario, Canada, where the predominant language is English. Residents' preferred language (obtained from in-person home care assessments) was coded as English (Anglophones), French (Francophones), or other (Allophones). Diagnoses of dementia were ascertained with a previously validated algorithm. We identified all emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations within 1 year. RESULTS: Compared with Anglophones, Allophones had lower annual rates of ED visits (1.3 vs. 1.8; P<0.01) and hospitalizations (0.6 vs. 0.7; P<0.01), while Francophones had longer hospital stays (9.1 vs. 7.6 d per admission; P<0.01). After adjusting for potential confounders, Francophones and Allophones were less likely to visit the ED or be hospitalized than Anglophones. We found evidence of synergism between language and dementia; the average length of stay for Francophones with dementia was 25% (95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.39) longer when compared with Anglophones without dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Residents whose preferred language was not English were less frequent users of hospital-based health care services, a finding that is likely attributable to cultural factors. Francophones with dementia experienced the longest stays in hospital. This may be related to the geographic distribution of Francophones (predominantly in rural areas) or to suboptimal patient-provider communication.

Quality and Safety in Long-Term Care in Ontario: The Impact of Language Discordance.

OBJECTIVES: This study compared quality indicators across linguistic groups and sought to determine whether disparities are influenced by resident-facility language discordance in long-term care. DESIGN: Population-based retrospective cohort study using linked databases. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Retrospective cohort of newly admitted residents of long-term care facilities in Ontario, Canada, between 2010 and 2016 (N=47,727). Individual residents' information was obtained from the Resident Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set (RAI-MDS) to determine resident's primary language, clinical characteristics, and health care indicators. MEASURES: Main covariates of interest were primary language of the resident and predominant language of the long-term care facility, which was determined using the French designation status as defined in the French Language Services Act. Primary outcomes were a set of quality and safety indicators related to long-term care: worsening of depression, falls, moderate-severe pain, use of antipsychotic medication, and physical restraints. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of resident's primary language, facility language, and resident-facility language discordance on each quality indicator. RESULTS: Overall, there were few differences between francophones and anglophones for quality and safety indicators. Francophones were more likely to report pain (10.9% vs 9.9%; P = .001) and be physically restrained (7.3% vs 5.2%; P < .001), whereas a greater proportion of anglophones experienced worsening of depressive symptoms (24.0% vs 22.9%; P = .001). However, quality indicators were generally worse for francophones in Non-Designated facilities, except for pain, which was more commonly reported by francophones in French-Designated facilities. Anglophones were more likely to be physically restrained in French-Designated facilities (6.7% vs 5.1%; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: For francophones, quality indicators tended to be worse in the presence of resident-facility language discordance. However, these findings did not persist after adjusting for individual- and facility-level characteristics, suggesting that the disparities observed at the population level cannot be attributed to linguistic factors alone.

Analysis of lawsuits related to diagnostic errors from point-of-care ultrasound in internal medicine, paediatrics, family medicine and critical care in the USA.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the extent of diagnostic error lawsuits related to point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in internal medicine, paediatrics, family medicine and critical care, of which little is known. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of the Westlaw legal database for indexed state and federal lawsuits involving the diagnostic use of POCUS in internal medicine, paediatrics, family medicine and critical care. Retrieved cases were reviewed independently by three physicians to identify cases relevant to our study objective. A lawyer secondarily reviewed any cases with discrepancies between the three reviewers. RESULTS: Our search criteria returned 131 total cases. Ultrasound was mentioned in relation to the lawsuit claim in 70 of the cases returned. In these cases, the majority were formal ultrasounds performed and reviewed by the radiology department, echocardiography studies performed by cardiologists or obstetrical ultrasounds. There were no cases of internal medicine, paediatrics, family medicine or critical care physicians being subjected to adverse legal action for their diagnostic use of POCUS. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that concerns regarding the potential for lawsuits related to POCUS in the fields of internal medicine, paediatrics, family medicine and critical care are not substantiated by indexed state and federal filed lawsuits.

The pulmonary nodule following lung transplantation.

The clinical scenario of a pulmonary nodule following lung transplantation is one with limited experience and no supporting guidelines for the approach to diagnosis and management. Given the broad differential diagnosis for pulmonary nodules in this setting, most of which are life-threatening without appropriate treatment, aggressive evaluation is required. Here we present a case of a 70-year-old female with the development of a large pulmonary nodule in the native lung four years following a single lung transplant. She underwent bronchoscopy with endobronchial ultrasound to achieve a tissue diagnosis which showed small cell lung carcinoma. The patient was started on chemotherapy and has shown clinical and radiographic improvement at most recent follow up seven months after the initial diagnosis. In this report we discuss the differential diagnosis and corresponding imaging findings for the pulmonary nodule following lung transplantation to aid in guiding clinicians navigate this challenging clinical situation.

Prevalence and the predictive performance of the dynamic CT-angiography spot sign in an observational cohort with intracerebral hemorrhage.

The CT-angiography (CTA) spot sign is a predictor of hematoma expansion (HE). We have previously reported on the use of dynamic CTA (dCTA) to detect spot sign, and to study its formation over the acquisition period. In this study, we report the frequency of dCTA spot sign in acute intracerebral hemorrhage, its sensitivity and specificity to predict HE, and explore the rate of contrast extravasation in relation to hematoma growth.We enrolled consecutive patients presenting with primary intracerebral hemorrhage within 4.5 hours. All patients underwent a dCTA protocol acquired over 60 seconds following contrast injection. We calculated frequency of the dCTA spot sign, predictive performance, and rate of contrast extravasation. We compared extravasation rates to the dichotomous definition of significant HE (defined as 6 mL or 33% growth).In 78 eligible patients, dCTA spot sign frequency was 44.9%. In 61 patients available for expansion analysis, sensitivity and specificity of dCTA spot sign was 65.4% and 62.9%, respectively. Contrast extravasation rate did not significantly predict HE (Odds Ratio 15.6 for each mL/min [95% confidence interval 0.30-820.25], P = .17). Correlation between extravasation rate and HE was low (r = 0.297, P= .11). Patients with significant HE had a higher rate of extravasation as compared to those without (0.12 mL/min vs 0.04 mL/min, P = .03).Dynamic CTA results in a higher frequency of spot sign positivity, but with modest sensitivity and specificity to predict expansion. Extravasation rate is likely related to HE, but a single measurement may be insufficient to predict the magnitude of expansion.

The impact of dementia and language on hospitalizations: a retrospective cohort of long-term care residents.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalizations carry considerable risks for frail, elderly patients; this is especially true for patients with dementia, who are more likely to experience delirium, falls, functional decline, iatrogenic complications, and infections when compared to their peers without dementia. Since up to two thirds of patients in long-term care (LTC) facilities have dementia, there is interest in identifying factors associated with transitions from LTC facilities to hospitals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between dementia status and incidence of hospitalization among residents in LTC facilities in Ontario, Canada, and to determine whether this association is modified by linguistic factors. METHODS: We used linked administrative databases to establish a prevalent cohort of 81,188 residents in 628 LTC facilities from April 1st 2014 to March 31, 2017. Diagnoses of dementia were identified with a previously validated algorithm; all other patient characteristics were obtained from in-person assessments. Residents' primary language was coded as English or French; facility language (English or French) was determined using language designation status according to the French Language Services Act. We identified all hospitalizations within 3 months of the first assessment performed after April 1st 2014. We performed multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the impact of dementia and resident language on the incidence of hospitalization; we also considered interactions between dementia and both resident language and resident-facility language discordance. RESULTS: The odds of hospitalization were 39% lower for residents with dementia compared to residents without dementia (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.57-0.65). Francophones had lower odds of hospitalization than Anglophones, but this difference was not statistically significant (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.81-1.03). However, Francophones without dementia were significantly less likely to be hospitalized compared to Anglophones without dementia (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.53-0.94). Resident-facility language discordance did not significantly affect hospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS: Residents in LTC facilities were generally less likely to be hospitalized if they had dementia, or if their primary language was French and they did not have dementia. These findings could be explained by differences in end-of-life care goals; however, they could also be the result of poor patient-provider communication.

Distribution and predictive performance of the temporal phase of dynamic spot sign appearance in acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic CT angiography (dCTA) contrast extravasation, known as the "dynamic spot sign", can predict hematoma expansion (HE) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Recent reports suggest the phase of spot sign appearance is related to the magnitude of HE. We used dCTA to explore the association between the phase of spot sign appearance and HE, clinical outcome, and contrast extravasation rates. METHODS: We assessed consecutive patients who presented with primary ICH within 4.5 hours from symptom onset who underwent a standardized dCTA protocol and were spot sign positive. The independent variable was the phase of spot sign appearance. The primary outcome was significant HE (either 6 mL or 33% growth). Secondary outcomes included total absolute HE, mortality, and discharge mRS. Mann-Whitney U, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression were used, as appropriate. RESULTS: Of the 35 patients with spot signs, 27/35 (77%) appeared in the arterial phase and 8/35 (23%) appeared in the venous phase. Thirty patients had follow-up CT scans. Significant HE was seen in 14/23 (60.87%) and 3/7 (42.86%) of arterial and venous cohorts, respectively (p = 0.67). The sensitivity and specificity in predicting significant HE were 82% and 31% for the arterial phase and 18% and 69% for the venous phase, respectively. There was a non-significant trend towards greater total HE, in-hospital mortality, and discharge mRS of 4-6 in the arterial spot sign cohort. Arterial spot signs demonstrated a higher median contrast extravasation rate (0.137 mL/min) compared to venous spot signs (0.109 mL/min). CONCLUSION: Our exploratory analyses suggest that spot sign appearance in the arterial phase may be more likely associated with HE and poorer prognosis in ICH. This may be related to higher extravasation rates of arterial phase spot signs. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are warranted to confirm the findings.

The impact of hospital language on the rate of in-hospital harm. A retrospective cohort study of home care recipients in Ontario, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Patients who live in minority language situations are generally more likely to experience poor health outcomes, including harmful events. The delivery of healthcare services in a language-concordant environment has been shown to mitigate the risk of poor health outcomes related to chronic disease management in primary care. However, data assessing the impact of language-concordance on the risk of in-hospital harm are lacking. We conducted a population-based study to determine whether admission to a language-discordant hospital is a risk factor for in-hospital harm. METHODS: We used linked administrative health records to establish a retrospective cohort of home care recipients (from 2007 to 2015) who were admitted to a hospital in Eastern or North-Eastern Ontario, Canada. Patient language (obtained from home care assessments) was coded as English (Anglophone group), French (Francophone group), or other (Allophone group); hospital language (English or bilingual) was obtained using language designation status according to the French Language Services Act. We identified in-hospital harmful events using the Hospital Harm Indicator developed by the Canadian Institute for Health Information. RESULTS: The proportion of hospitalizations with at least 1 harmful event was greater for Allophones (7.63%) than for Anglophones (6.29%, p <  0.001) and Francophones (6.15%, p <  0.001). Overall, Allophones admitted to hospitals required by law to provide services in both French and English (bilingual hospitals) had the highest rate of harm (9.16%), while Francophones admitted to these same hospitals had the lowest rate of harm (5.93%). In the unadjusted analysis, Francophones were less likely to experience harm in bilingual hospitals than in hospitals that were not required by law to provide services in French (English-speaking hospitals) (RR = 0.88, p = 0.048); the opposite was true for Anglophones and Allophones, who were more likely to experience harm in bilingual hospitals (RR = 1.17, p <  0.001 and RR = 1.41, p <  0.001, respectively). The risk of harm was not significant in the adjusted analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Home care recipients residing in Eastern and North-Eastern Ontario were more likely to experience harm in language-discordant hospitals, but the risk of harm did not persist after adjusting for confounding variables.

Blocked by a Ring: A Case of Gastric Linitis Plastica Presenting as Large Bowel Obstruction Secondary to Rectal Stenosis.

Metastatic gut lesions from primary gastric carcinoma occur via hematogenous, lymphatic, or peritoneal seeding. We report an unusual case of large bowel obstruction secondary to rectal stenosis due to metastatic signet ring cell gastric cancer. A 61-year-old woman with a history of 8 weeks' duration of alternation in bowel movements presented with symptoms of bowel obstruction. Computed tomography revealed rectal wall thickening, and sigmoidoscopy demonstrated edematous and fibrotic rectal mucosa. Superficial biopsies were negative for malignant disease. Because of worsening of obstructive symptoms, an emergent surgical diversion was performed. Surgical biopsies were consistent with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Gastroscopy established diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma with signet ring type cells. Rectal stenosis on examination and demonstration of rectal wall thickening on imaging should raise suspicion for Schnitzler's metastasis, and an upper endoscopy should be performed.

Varicella Zoster Virus Esophagitis in an Immunocompetent Patient.

The varicella zoster virus is highly infectious, spreading via direct contact or respiratory droplets, and can lead to life-threatening complications. Although disseminated disease tends to occur most commonly in immunocompromised patients, we present a peculiar case of varicella zoster esophagitis in a healthy, immunocompetent adult. To provide prompt treatment, clinicians should be aware that the varicella zoster virus could cause severe esophagitis, even in immunocompetent patients.

Prevalence and Scope of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Education in Internal Medicine, Pediatric, and Medicine-Pediatric Residency Programs in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and scope of point-of-care ultrasound (US) education in internal medicine, pediatric, and medicine-pediatric residency programs nationwide. METHODS: Program directors were surveyed between January and June 2016 with a 15-item online questionnaire to assess the state of point-of-care US training in their programs. The survey aimed to identify whether programs had an established point-of-care US curriculum and, if not, what reasons may have existed for a lack of point-of-care US training in their programs. RESULTS: The survey was distributed to 685 program directors, and the response rate was 19.2%. Only 31.5% of respondents reported having a formal point-of-care US curriculum in their program, and in 12.4% of programs, there was no US training at all. The presence of point-of-care US training as reported by internal medicine (n = 64) and medicine-pediatric (n = 24) respondents showed formal point-of-care US curriculum rates of 37.5% and 43.5%, respectively. Pediatric programs (n = 24) reported limited point-of-care US training, with formal curriculum in only 12.4% of programs and 27.3% having no point-of-care US training at all. The most common reasons for lack of a point-of-care US curriculum among program directors were lack of trained faculty/instructors (70.4%), lack of guidelines/standards by governing societies (44.4%), and lack of the necessary technology (33.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Less than half of residents with internal medicine training will have trained at a program with a point-of-care US curriculum, and point-of-care US training in pediatrics is even more limited. The major reason for the lack of point-of-care US education is a lack of trained faculty or instructors.