The American Thoracic Society��s spirometric criteria alone is inadequate in asthma diagnosis

BACKGROUND:

The diagnosis of asthma is based on clinical symptoms, physical examination and pulmonary function tests, and can be very challenging. Most patients with asthma have a significant postbronchodilator response on spirometry indicating airway hyperresponsiveness. However, having a significant bronchodilator response by itself is not diagnostic of asthma. The definition of a ‘significant’ response has also been controversial. Many respirologists use the American Thoracic Society (ATS) postbronchodilator response criteria of 12% (provided it is 200 mL or greater) improvement in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (or forced vital capacity) from the baseline spirometry.

METHODS:

In the present study, 644 patients who met the ATS criteria for a significant postbronchodilator spirometric response were retrospectively reviewed. The staff respirologist’s diagnosis of asthma, based on all clinical and pulmonary function data, was used as the standard for the diagnosis of asthma.

RESULTS:

Relying on spirometric criteria alone was inadequate in asthma diagnosis because only 54.7% of 310 patients who met the ATS bronchodilator response criteria were thought to have clinical asthma. Increasing the postbronchodilator percentage improvement from the ATS criteria only marginally improved diagnostic specificity and resulted in a decline in sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results of the present study further emphasize the need to use spirometric criteria as a guide but not as an unimpeachable gold standard with which to make a diagnosis of asthma. The diagnosis of asthma depends on expert physician correlation of patient history, physical examination and pulmonary function test results.     

Wait times for sleep apnea care in Ontario: A multidisciplinary assessment

BACKGROUND:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder that is associated with significant patient morbidity and societal burden. In general, wait times for health care in Ontario are believed to be lengthy; however, many diseases lack specific corroborative wait time data.

OBJECTIVE:

To characterize wait times for OSA care in Ontario.

METHODS:

Cross-sectional survey. A survey tool was designed and validated to question physicians involved in OSA care about the length of the wait times their patients experience while traversing a simplified model of OSA care. The survey was sent to all otolaryngologists and respirologists in the province, as well as to a random sample of provincial family physicians.

RESULTS:

Patients waited a mean of 11.6 months to initiate medical therapy (continuous positive airway pressure), and 16.2 months to initiate surgical therapy. Sleep laboratory availability appeared to be the major restriction in the patient management continuum, with each additional sleep laboratory in a community associated with a 20% decrease in overall wait times. Smaller community sizes were paradoxically associated with shorter wait times for sleep studies (P<0.01) but longer wait times for OSA surgery (P<0.05). Regression analysis yielded an r² of 0.046; less than 5% of the wait time variance could be explained by the simplified model.

CONCLUSION:

Patients experienced considerable wait times when undergoing management for OSA. This has implications for both individual patient care and public health in general.     

Spirometry in primary care: An analysis of spirometry test quality in a regional primary care asthma program

BACKGROUND:

Primary care office spirometry can improve access to testing and concordance between clinical practice and asthma guidelines. Compliance with test quality standards is essential to implementation.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the quality of spirometry performed onsite in a regional primary care asthma program (RAP) by health care professionals with limited training.

METHODS:

Asthma educators were trained to perform spirometry during two 2 h workshops and supervised during up to six patient encounters. Quality was analyzed using American Thoracic Society (ATS) 1994 and ATS/European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2003 (ATS/ERS) standards. These results were compared with two regional reference sites: a primary care group practice (Family Medical Centre [FMC], Windsor, Ontario) and a teaching hospital pulmonary function laboratory (London Health Sciences Centre [LHSC], London, Ontario).

RESULTS:

A total of 12,815 flow-volume loops (FVL) were evaluated: RAP – 1606 FVL in 472 patient sessions; reference sites – FMC 4013 FVL in 573 sessions; and LHSC – 7196 in 1151 sessions. RAP: There were three acceptable FVL in 392 of 472 (83%) sessions, two reproducible FVL according to ATS criteria in 428 of 469 (91%) sessions, and 395 of 469 (84%) according to ATS/ERS criteria. All quality criteria – minimum of three acceptable and two reproducible FVL according to ATS criteria in 361 of 472 (77%) sessions and according to ATS/ERS criteria in 337 of 472 (71%) sessions. RAP met ATS criteria more often than the FMC (388 of 573 [68%]); however, less often than LHSC (1050 of 1151 [91%]; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Health care providers with limited training and experience operating within a simple quality program achieved ATS/ERS quality spirometry in the majority of sessions in a primary care setting. The quality performance approached pulmonary function laboratory standards.     

Do First Opinions Affect Second Opinions?

Background

Second medical opinions have become commonplace and even mandatory in some health-care systems, as variations in diagnosis, treatment or prognosis may emerge among physicians.

Objective

To evaluate whether physicians’ judgment is affected by another medical opinion given to a patient.

Design

Orthopedic surgeons and neurologists filled out questionnaires presenting eight hypothetical clinical scenarios with suggested treatments. One group of physicians (in each specialty) was told what the other physician’s opinion was (study group), and the other group was not told what it was (control group).

Participants

A convenience sample of 332 physicians in Israel: 172 orthopedic surgeons (45.9% of their population) and 160 neurologists (64.0% of their population).

Measurements

Scoring was by choice of less or more interventional treatment in the scenarios. We used χ² tests and repeated measures ANOVA to compare these scores between the two groups. We also fitted a cumulative ordinal regression to account for the dependence within each physician’s responses.

Results

Orthopedic surgeons in the study group chose a more interventionist treatment when the other physician suggested an intervention than those in the control group [F (1, 170) = 4.6, p = 0.03; OR = 1.437, 95% CI 1.115-1.852]. Evaluating this effect separately in each scenario showed that in four out of the eight scenarios, they chose a more interventional treatment when the other physician suggested an intervention (scenario 1, p = 0.039; scenario 2, p < 0.001; scenario 3, p = 0.033; scenario 6, p < 0.001). These effects were insignificant among the neurologists [F (1,158) = 0.44, p = 0.51; OR = 1.087, 95% CI 0.811-1.458]. In both specialties there were no differences in responses by level of clinical experience [orthopedic surgeons: F (2, 166) = 0.752, p = 0.473; neurologists: F (2,154) = 1.951, p = 0.146].

Conclusions

The exploratory survey showed that in some cases physicians’ judgments may be affected by other physicians’ opinions, but unaffected in other cases. Weighing previous opinions may yield a more informed clinical decision, yet physicians may be unintentionally influenced by previous opinions. Second opinion has the potential to improve the clinical decision-making processes, and mechanisms are needed to reconcile discrepant opinions.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-012-2056-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.KEY WORDS: second-opinion, differential diagnosis, diagnostic reasoning, medical decision-making, health policy, surgery, orthopedics, neurology, surveys, consultation     

Awareness of postpolypectomy surveillance guidelines: a nationwide survey of colonoscopists in Canada

INTRODUCTION:

Due to the increasing demand for colonoscopy, adherence to postpolypectomy surveillance guidelines is important. Suboptimal compliance can lead to unnecessary risks and ineffective use of resources.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the awareness of and adherence to postpolypectomy surveillance guidelines among members of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG).

METHODS:

A survey describing 14 clinical cases was mailed to all physician members (n=411) of the CAG. Respondents were required to recommend a surveillance interval and a reason for his or her choice.

RESULTS:

A total of 150 colonoscopists (37%) completed the survey. Adherence to the guidelines varied from 23% to 96% per clinical scenario (median 63%). Recommended surveillance intervals were too short in 0% to 60% of the different cases (median 8%). The recommended interval was most often (60%) too short for a patient with one tubular adenoma with high-grade dysplasia. Surveillance intervals were too long in 4% to 75% of the cases (median 9%). The recommended interval was most often too long in a patient with a villous adenoma 15 mm in size and removed piecemeal (75%). Most often, recommendations were reported to be based on guidelines (median 74%; range 31% to 94%). However, in nine of 14 cases, more than 10% (median 18%; range 12% to 38%) of the respondents stated that their recommendation was based on guidelines, but did not provide the appropriate surveillance interval.

CONCLUSIONS:

Compliance to colonoscopy surveillance guidelines is suboptimal and reflects both overuse and underuse. The results show that awareness about the content of guidelines needs to be raised and strategies implemented to increase adherence.     

The value of thoracic computed tomography scans in clinical diagnosis: A prospective study

BACKGROUND:

Computed tomography (CT) scans are used extensively to investigate chest disease because of their cross-sectional perspective and superior contrast resolution compared with chest radiographs. These advantages lead to a more accurate imaging assessment of thoracic disease. The actual use and evaluation of the clinical impact of thoracic CT has not been assessed since scanners became widely available.

OBJECTIVE:

To identify patterns of utilization, waiting times and the impact of CT scan results on clinical diagnoses.

DESIGN:

A before and after survey of physicians who had ordered thoracic CT scans.

SETTING:

Vancouver General Hospital – a tertiary care teaching centre in Vancouver, British Columbia.

SUBJECTS:

Physicians who had ordered CT scans.

INTERVENTION:

Physicians completed a standard questionnaire before and after the CT scan result was available.

MEASUREMENTS:

Changes in the clinical diagnosis, estimates of the probabilities for the diagnosis both before and after the CT scan, and waiting times.

RESULTS:

Four hundred fifty-four thoracic CT cases had completed questionnaires, of whom 80% were outpatients. A change in diagnosis was made in 48% of cases (25% with a normal CT scan and 23% with CT scan findings that indicated a different diagnosis). The largest change in probability scores for the clinical diagnosis before and after the CT scan was 43.9% for normal scans, while it was 36.3% for a different diagnosis and 26.3% for the same diagnosis. High-priority scans were associated with decreased waiting time (−7.89 days for each unit increase in priority).

CONCLUSIONS:

The CT scan results were associated with a change in diagnosis in 48% of cases. Normal scans constituted 25% of the total and had the greatest impact scores. Waiting times were highly correlated with increased urgency of the presenting problem.     

A survey of perceptions and practices of complementary alternative medicine among Canadian gastroenterologists

BACKGROUND:

Despite a high prevalence of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) use among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, there is a dearth of information about the attitudes and perceptions of CAM among the gastroenterologists who treat these patients.

OBJECTIVE:

To characterize the beliefs, perceptions and practices of gastroenterologists toward CAM use in patients with IBD.

METHODS:

A web-based survey was sent to member gastroenterologists of the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. The survey included multiple-choice and Likert scale questions that queried physician knowledge and perceptions of CAM and their willingness to discuss CAM with patients.

RESULTS:

Fifty-three per cent of respondents considered themselves to be IBD subspecialists. The majority (86%) of gastroenterologists reported that less than one-half of their patient population had mentioned the use of CAM. Only 8% of physicians reported initiating a conversation about CAM in the majority of their patient encounters. Approximately one-half (51%) of respondents were comfortable with discussing CAM with their patients, with lack of knowledge being cited as the most common reason for discomfort with the topic. Most gastroenterologists (79%) reported no formal education in CAM. While there was uncertainty as to whether CAM interfered with conventional medications, most gastroenterologists believed it could be effective as an adjunct treatment.

CONCLUSION:

Our findings demonstrate that gastroenterologists were hesitant to initiate discussions about CAM with patients. Nearly one-half were uncomfortable or only somewhat comfortable with the topic, and most may benefit from CAM educational programs. Interestingly, most respondents appeared to be receptive to CAM as adjunct therapy alongside conventional IBD treatment.     

Predictors of medication adherence in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients at the Stollery Children’s Hospital

BACKGROUND:

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often do not take their medications as prescribed.

OBJECTIVE:

To examine self-reported adherence rates in IBD patients at the Stollery Children’s Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta) and to determine predictors of medication adherence.

METHODS:

A survey was mailed to 212 pediatric IBD patients of the Stollery Children’s Hospital. A chart review was completed for those who returned the survey.

RESULTS:

A total of 119 patients completed the survey. The nonresponders were significantly older than responders (14.5 years versus 13.2 years; P=0.032). The overall adherence rate was 80%. Nonadherence was associated with older age (14.6 years versus 13.0 years; P=0.04), longer disease duration (5.0 years versus 3.1 years; P=0.004) and reported use of herbal medications (40.0% versus 13.6%; P=0.029). The most common reasons reported for missing medications were forgetfulness, feeling better and too many medications. In addition, patients reported being more likely to take anti-inflammatory medications and less likely to take herbal medicines.

CONCLUSION:

Identified predictors of nonadherence such as age, disease duration and use of herbal treatments may enable the development of specific strategies to improve adherence in adolescents with IBD.     

Heterogeneity of rotavirus testing and admitting practices for gastroenteritis among 12 tertiary care pediatric hospitals: Implications for surveillance

BACKGROUND:

The Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program, ACTive (IMPACT) surveillance for rotavirus relies on monitoring hospital admissions. Because a diagnosis of rotavirus is not necessary for treatment purposes, and rotavirus is not a reportable disease, wide variation may exist in the admitting and testing practices for this disease. From 2005 to 2007, the number of rotavirus admissions differed significantly among IMPACT centres, and this variation could not be explained by population differences alone. Understanding this variation is important when interpreting surveillance data and estimating the cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination programs.

METHODS:

Key informant interviews were conducted with pediatric infectious disease physicians and IMPACT nurse monitors involved with rotavirus surveillance to obtain in-depth information about rotavirus testing and admitting practices at each of the 12 IMPACT centres.

RESULTS:

A total of 18 of 24 interviews were completed, with at least one interview conducted with physicians and/or nurses at each centre. Four major differences were identified among the centres: case-identification methods, admission definitions, admission criteria and testing criteria. The criteria for admitting and testing patients as well as which patients were defined as admissions had the greatest influence on case totals.

DISCUSSION:

The present study found that differences in admitting and testing practices may contribute to significant differences in rotavirus admission totals. Given these differences, caution should be used when using local case estimates for cost-effectiveness analyses and immunization program decisions. The present study illustrates that understanding the factors that influence the identification of a disease is important when interpreting and applying surveillance data.     

Adherence to pediatric asthma guidelines in the emergency department: A survey of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour among health care professionals

BACKGROUND:

Despite strong evidence for using clinical care pathways to manage acute pediatric asthma, adherence remains suboptimal.

OBJECTIVES:

To elicit information from health care professionals regarding their knowledge, attitudes and use of a care pathway for acute childhood asthma.

METHODS:

A cross-sectional, self-administered survey of physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists who worked in the emergency department at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (Montreal, Quebec) from August to December 2007 was conducted. The survey assessed knowledge, attitude toward and agreement with the care pathway, as well as its use four years after its implementation.

RESULTS:

Of the 128 health care professionals surveyed, 72 (56%) responded. Of these, 99% reported being familiar with the pathway, more than 90% agreed with its use for mild and moderate asthma, while 79% agreed with its use for severe asthma. For 99% of health care professionals, the advantages of using the pathway outweighed the disadvantages; however, 64% admitted to making variations to the pathway. Although 92% of respondents reported that they were quite comfortable with using the asthma severity Pediatric Respiratory Assessment Measure, only 53% and 36% correctly identified the severity score cut-offs for moderate and severe asthma, respectively. Seventeen per cent of respondents underestimated the delay of onset of action of oral corticosteroids, while 36% of physicians incorrectly believed that a higher than necessary dose was recommended for ipratropium bromide.

CONCLUSIONS:

Results of the survey confirmed that the health care professionals queried had a positive attitude toward the pediatric asthma care pathway. Knowledge gaps and the balance between standardization versus individualization of care may be key elements to explain suboptimal adherence to the pathway.     

The appropriateness of surveillance colonoscopy intervals after polypectomy

BACKGROUND:

Adherence to surveillance colonoscopy guidelines is important to prevent colorectal cancer (CRC) and unnecessary workload.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate how well Canadian gastroenterologists adhere to colonoscopy surveillance guidelines after adenoma removal or treatment for CRC.

METHODS:

Patients with a history of adenomas or CRC who had surveillance performed between October 2008 and October 2010 were retrospectively included. Time intervals between index colonoscopy and surveillance were compared with the 2008 guideline recommendations of the American Gastroenterological Association and regarded as appropriate when the surveillance interval was within six months of the recommended time interval.

RESULTS:

A total of 265 patients were included (52% men; mean age 58 years). Among patients with a normal index colonoscopy (n=110), 42% received surveillance on time, 38% too early (median difference = 1.2 years too early) and 20% too late (median difference = 1.0 year too late). Among patients with nonadvanced adenomas at index (n=96), 25% underwent surveillance on time, 61% too early (median difference = 1.85) and 14% too late (median difference = 1.1). Among patients with advanced neoplasia at index (n=59), 29% underwent surveillance on time, 34% too early (median difference = 1.86) and 37% later than recommended (median difference = 1.61). No significant difference in adenoma detection rates was observed when too early surveillance versus appropriate surveillance (34% versus 33%; P=0.92) and too late surveillance versus appropriate surveillance (21% versus 33%; P=0.11) were compared.

CONCLUSION:

Only a minority of surveillance colonoscopies were performed according to guideline recommendations. Deviation from the guidelines did not improve the adenoma detection rate. Interventions aimed at improving adherence to surveillance guidelines are needed.     

Serrated adenoma prevalence in inflammatory bowel disease surveillance colonoscopy,and characteristics revealed by chromoendoscopy and virtual chromoendoscopy

BACKGROUND:

Sessile or nonpolypoid neoplastic lesions, including sessile serrated adenomas (SSAs), are difficult to detect in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

OBJECTIVES:

To assess the prevalence and endoscopic features of SSA in IBD patients undergoing surveillance colonoscopy using novel endoscopic techniques.

METHODS:

Histology results of biopsies from a cohort of 87 patients (47 men; median age 51.4 years; median duration of disease 16.9 years; ulcerative colitis [n=40], Crohn disease [n=43], ischemic colitis [n=4]) with longstanding colonic IBD undergoing surveillance colonoscopy were reviewed. Lesions of dysplasia (adenoma-like mass, or dysplasia-associated lesion or mass), SSAs, adenoma-like polyps, hyperplastic polyps and inflammatory polyps were identified. Surveillance colonoscopy using high-definition alone, or with iScan (Pentax, USA) dye-sprayed or virtual chromoendoscopy was performed. Lesion characteristics were described before histological diagnosis.

RESULTS:

Fourteen SSAs were detected in 87 (11%) IBD patients. The endoscopic characteristics of SSA lesions were: nonpolypoid appearance (86%), predominant localization in the proximal colon (79%), >6 mm in size (79%), cloudy cover (64%), Kudo pit pattern modified type IIO (86%) and irregular spiral vascular pattern (79%). Among the 44 SSAs and hyperplastic polyps found in the present study, the above characteristics of SSA at colonoscopy had a sensitivity of 92.86% (95% CI 66.06% to 98.8%) and specificity of 93.33% (95% CI 77.89% to 98.99%) in predicting a histological diagnosis of SSA (positive predictive value 86.67%, negative predictive value 96.55%).

CONCLUSION:

SSAs are a common finding at surveillance colonoscopy in IBD and have several characteristic features. Further studies are needed to evaluate the natural history of these lesions in IBD patients.     

Identifying patients with physician-diagnosed asthma in health administrative databases

BACKGROUND:

Asthma imposes a heavy and expensive burden on individuals and populations. A population-based surveillance and research program based on health administrative data could measure and study the burden of asthma; however, the validity of a health administrative data diagnosis of asthma must first be confirmed.

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate the accuracy of population-based provincial health administrative data in identifying adult patients with asthma for ongoing surveillance and research.

METHODS:

Patients from randomly selected primary care practices were assigned to four categories according to their previous diagnoses: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, related respiratory conditions and nonasthma conditions. In each practice, 10 charts from each category were randomly selected, abstracted, then reviewed by a blinded expert panel who identified them as asthma or nonasthma. These reference standard diagnoses were then linked to the patients’ provincial records and compared with health administrative algorithms designed to identify asthma. Analyses were performed using the concepts of diagnostic test evaluation.

RESULTS:

A total of 518 charts, including 160 from individuals with asthma, were reviewed. The algorithm of two or more ambulatory care visits and/or one or more hospitalization(s) for asthma in two years had a sensitivity of 83.8% (95% CI 77.1% to 89.1%) and a specificity of 76.5% (95% CI 71.8% to 80.8%).

CONCLUSION:

Definitions of adult asthma using health administrative data are sensitive and specific for identifying adults with asthma. Using these definitions, cohorts of adults with asthma for ongoing population-based surveillance and research can be developed.     

Survey of perceptions and practices among Canadian gastroenterologists regarding the prevention of venous thromboembolism for hospitalized inflammatory bowel disease patients

BACKGROUND:

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who are hospitalized with disease flares are known to be at an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). This is a preventable complication; however, there is currently no standardized approach to the prevention and management of VTE.

OBJECTIVES:

To characterize the opinions and general prophylaxis patterns of Canadian gastroenterologists and IBD experts.

METHODS:

A survey questionnaire was sent to Canadian gastroenterologists affiliated with a medical school or IBD referral centre. Participants were required to be practicing physicians who had completed all of their training and had been involved in the care of IBD patients within the previous 12 months. Various clinical scenarios were presented and demographic data were solicited.

RESULTS:

The majority of respondents were practicing in an academic setting (95%) and considered themselves to be IBD experts or subspecialists (71%). Eighty-three per cent reported providing VTE prophylaxis most, if not all of the time, and most (96%) used pharmacological prophylaxis alone, usually heparin or one of its analogues. There was less consistency among respondents with respect to whether IBD patients in remission, but admitted for another condition, should be given prophylaxis. There was also less agreement regarding the duration of anticoagulation in patients with confirmed VTE.

CONCLUSION:

There was a general consensus among academic gastroenterologists that IBD inpatients are at an increased risk for VTE and would benefit from VTE prophylaxis. However, areas of uncertainty still exist and the IBD community would benefit from evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to standardize the management of this important problem.     

Electrophysiological Studies and Radiofrequency Ablations in Children and Adolescents with Arrhythmia

Background

Radiofrequency ablation is the standard non-pharmacological treatment for arrhythmias in pediatric patients. However, arrhythmias and their associated causes have particular features in this population.

Objective

To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and findings of electrophysiological diagnostic studies and radiofrequency ablations in pediatric patients referred to the Electrophysiology Unit at Instituto de Cardiologia do Rio Grande do Sul, in order to characterize the particularities of this population.

Methods

Cross-sectional study with 330 electrophysiological procedures performed in patients aged less than 20 years between June 1997 and August 2013.

Results

In total, 330 procedures (9.6% of the overall procedures) were performed in patients aged less than 20 years (14.33 ± 3.25 years, age range 3 months to 19 years), 201 of which were males (60.9%). A total of 108 (32.7%) electrophysiological diagnostic studies were performed and of these, 48.1% showed abnormal findings. Overall, 219 radiofrequency ablations were performed (66.3%) with a success rate of 84.8%. The presence of an accessory pathway was the most prevalent finding, occurring in 158 cases (72.1%), followed by atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (16.8%), typical atrial flutter (3.1%) and extrasystoles originating from the right ventricular outflow tract (2.7%). Three patients developed complications during ablation (1.4%). Among congenital heart diseases, which occurred in 51 (15.4%) patients, atrial sept defect was the most frequent (27.4%), followed by ventricular sept defect (25.4%) and Ebstein''s anomaly (17.6%).

Conclusion

Electrophysiological study and radiofrequency ablation are effective tools for diagnosis and treatment of arrhythmias in the pediatric population.     

Cor triatriatum sinistrum in childhood. A single institution��s experience

INTRODUCTION:

Cor triatriatum sinistrum (CTS) is a rare congenital cardiac defect that can present with a wide range of symptoms and may be associated with other structural cardiac defects. Very limited data are available for pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE:

To analyze the experience with CTS at a single pediatric centre, highlighting symptoms on presentation, mode of diagnosis and outcome.

METHODS:

Hospital databases were searched to identify patients with CTS who were diagnosed between 1954 and 2005. Medical records with demographic data, clinical evaluation, diagnostic approach, interventions and autopsy results were reviewed.

RESULTS:

Between 1954 and 2005, 82 patients (43 female children, 52%) with CTS were diagnosed at the institution. Patients were born between 1951 and 2004, and the median age at presentation was eight months (range one day to 16.1 years). The majority of patients (77%) presented with associated cardiac lesions. Of 82 patients, 57 (70%) underwent resection of the fibromuscular diaphragm, 14 (17%) did not require surgery and 11 (13%) did not survive the time to intervention. Nineteen patients (23%) died a median of two months (range one day to 5.5 years) after presentation. Nine of these patients (11%) died before surgery was attempted. Most patients were completely asymptomatic at the time of the last follow-up at a median of three years (range one day to 18 years). Echocardiography significantly facilitated the diagnosis and subsequent management of patients with CTS.

CONCLUSIONS:

Despite the diversity in presentation and complexity of associated lesions, the outcome for patients with CTS is favourable.     

Patient and parent satisfaction with a dietitian-and nurse-led celiac disease clinic for children at the Stollery Children’s Hospital,Edmonton, Alberta

OBJECTIVE:

To assess patient and parent satisfaction with a primarily nurse- and dietitian-led celiac disease clinic in a tertiary pediatric centre.

METHODS:

An online survey was sent to families and patients attending the Stollery Children’s Hospital’s Multidisciplinary Pediatric Celiac Clinic (Edmonton, Alberta) since 2007. The survey focused on clinic attendance, satisfaction with clinic structure, processes, and education and preference for alternatives to the current process. Respondents were asked to rank satisfaction or preference on a five-point Likert scale, with 1 being lowest and 5 being highest.

RESULTS:

Most satisfaction related to follow-up with serology (4.6) and with a dietitian (4.3). The most preferred changes included either meeting the entire multidisciplinary team after the biopsy (4.7), or meeting with only the dietitian and nurse after the biopsy (4.4). The preferred education resources were the Internet (4.3) and the dietitian (4.2). The mean overall satisfaction score of the Multidisciplinary Pediatric Celiac Clinic was 4.0.

CONCLUSIONS:

Results of the present survey suggested that patients and families value a multidisciplinary follow-up clinic for children with celiac disease. In particular, feedback based on repeat blood work and regular contact with a dietitian were highly valued. The present survey, outlining the most valued aspects of the clinic, may be useful for service delivery in other regions. In addition, it provides information on how to better support pediatric patients with celiac disease.