Saskatchewan Health

About: Saskatchewan Health is a government organization based out in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 442 authors who have published 489 publications receiving 7728 citations.

“I shall conquer and prevail” – art and stories of resilience and resistance of the women, ART and criminalization of HIV (WATCH) study

Abstract: In Canada, sexual assault laws have been used to criminalize people who do not disclose their HIV status to partners prior to sex that presents a “realistic possibility of transmission.” Women, ART...

Pain-related health care costs for long-term care residents.

Abstract: Background We tested for differences in direct health care costs among long-term care (LTC) residents age 65 and older with clinically significant pain (CSP) and with no pain or non-daily mild pain (NP/NDMP). We are not aware of any other large scale investigation that examined the cost of pain in LTC environments. Methods Population-based administrative health data from Saskatchewan, Canada for 2004 to 2015 were used to compare direct health care costs for CSP and NP/NDMP groups up to one year after admission to LTC. Total accumulated costs for hospitalization, physician services, LTC, and prescription drugs were calculated in 2015 Canadian dollars. Group differences were tested using generalized linear models with generalized estimating equations. Results Amongst 24,870 LTC residents, 8289 (33.3%) were censored due to death or discharge in the 365-day study observation period. Of the 16,581 (66.7%) observed residents, 5683 (34.3%) had CSP at admission. Residents (66.3% female) had a mean age of 85 years (SD = 7.4). The mean annual total direct health care cost per resident was higher among the CSP group (CAD $8063) than the NP/NDMP group (CAD $6455). This difference was found even after including LTC costs, and for each cost component (i.e., CSP residents had higher hospitalization, physician, and prescription drug costs). Similar results were obtained after controlling for demographics, comorbidities, physical and cognitive impairment, prior health care costs, and facility characteristics. Conclusion The higher costs incurred by CSP residents compared to NP/NDMP residents are likely underestimated because pain problems are often missed in residents with dementia, who comprise a large portion of the LTC population. Improved pain care can reduce such costs and improve quality of life.

Hip surgery and radiology reporting for children with cerebral palsy prior to initiation of a hip surveillance program.

Abstract: PURPOSE Hip displacement impacts quality of life for many children with cerebral palsy (CP). While early detection can help avoid dislocation and late-stage surgery, formalized surveillance programs are not ubiquitous. This study aimed to examine: 1) surgical practices around pediatric hip displacement for children with CP in a region without formalized hip surveillance; and 2) utility of MP compared to traditional radiology reporting for quantifying displacement. METHODS A retrospective chart review examined hip displacement surgeries performed on children with CP between 2007-2016. Surgeries were classified as preventative, reconstructive, or salvage. Pre- and post-operative migration percentage (MP) was calculated for available radiographs using a mobile application and compared using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test. MPs were also compared with descriptions in the corresponding radiology reports using directed and conventional content analyses. RESULTS Data from 67 children (115 surgical hips) were included. Primary surgery types included preventative (63.5% hips), reconstructive (36.5%), or salvage (0%). For the 92 hips with both radiology reports and radiographs available, reports contained a range of descriptors that inconsistently reflected the retrospectively-calculated MPs. CONCLUSION Current radiology reporting practices do not appear to effectively describe hip displacement for children with CP. Therefore, standardized reporting of MP is recommended.

Successful Treatment of Legionnaires' Disease with Tigecycline in an Immunocompromised Man with a Legion of Antibiotic Allergies.

Abstract: Legionella species are Gram-negative bacilli that are relatively rare causes of community-acquired pneumonia but can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality if unrecognized or improperly treated. Limited data exist regarding the use of tigecycline, a third generation glycylcycline, in the treatment of Legionnaires' disease. We present an immunocompromised patient with Legionnaires' disease and allergies to both fluoroquinolones and macrolides, which are first-line treatment options for Legionnaires' disease. He was successfully treated using tigecycline, a third generation glycylcycline, indicating that tigecycline may serve as a safe and effective alternative therapeuticl option for treatment of Legionnaires' disease.