The diversity of prevention and health promotion services offered by Québec Community Health Centres: a study of infant and toddler programmes

Research has shown that preventive and health promotion (PHP) services offered by community health centres are often vulnerable in times of health reform or budgetary cutbacks. The present study was conducted in Québec, Canada, approximately 10 years after the start of a major transformation of health care services. The objectives were: (1) to examine the diversity of infant/toddler prevention and health promotion services offered by centres locaux de services communautaires (CLSCs, local community health and social services centres); and (2) to investigate the organisational and environmental correlates of such diversity. All Québec CLSCs were invited to complete a survey questionnaire regarding their PHP services (response rate = 69%). Data on environmental and organisational factors were extracted from existing Québec government data sets. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the correlates of the CLSCs' level of diversity of PHP services. The results revealed that CLSCs varied greatly in terms of their diversity of PHP services. The number of full-time equivalents in the Child and Family Services Programme (one of two programmes aimed at reaching the targeted clientele) and the degree of CLSC collaboration with other community-based organisations in the planning and delivery of PHP activities were positively associated with the level of diversity, whereas the unemployment rate in the population served was a negative predictor. This study makes an important contribution in being one of the very few which contribute to building our knowledge about the performance of community health centres. Identifying the correlates of diversity among PHP services offered by CLSCs helps us to begin to understand the processes at work in the production of PHP activities, as well as the potential leveraging forces.     

Similar outcome of allogeneic stem cell transplantation after myeloablative and sequential conditioning regimen in patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia: A study from the Société Francophone de Greffe de Moelle et de Thérapie Cellulaire

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in relapse or refractory to induction therapy have a dismal prognosis. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only curative option. In these patients, we aimed to compare the results of a myeloablative transplant versus a sequential approach consisting in a cytoreductive chemotherapy followed by a reduced intensity conditioning regimen and prophylactic donor lymphocytes infusions. We retrospectively analyzed 99 patients aged 18‐50 years, transplanted for a refractory (52%) or a relapsed AML not in remission (48%). Fifty‐eight patients received a sequential approach and 41 patients a myeloablative conditioning regimen. Only 6 patients received prophylactic donor lymphocytes infusions. With a median follow‐up of 48 months, 2‐year overall survival was 39%, 95% confidence interval (CI) (24‐53) in the myeloablative group versus 33%, 95% CI (21‐45) in the sequential groups (P = .39), and 2‐year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was 57% versus 50% respectively (P = .99). Nonrelapse mortality was not higher in the myeloablative group (17% versus 15%, P = .44). In multivariate analysis, overall survival, CIR and nonrelapse mortality remained similar between the two groups. However, in multivariate analysis, sequential conditioning led to fewer acute grade II‐IV graft versus host disease (GVHD) (HR for sequential approach = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.21‐0.65; P < .001) without a significant impact on chronic GVHD (all grades and extensive). In young patients with refractory or relapsed AML, myeloablative transplant and sequential approach offer similar outcomes except for a lower incidence of acute GvHD after a sequential transplant.     

Propensity scores in the presence of effect modification: A case study using the comparison of mortality on hemodialysis versus peritoneal dialysis

Purpose  

To control for confounding bias from non-random treatment assignment in observational data, both traditional multivariable models and more recently propensity score approaches have been applied. Our aim was to compare a propensity score-stratified model with a traditional multivariable-adjusted model, specifically in estimating survival of hemodialysis (HD) versus peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.     

LEAKAGE OF COLONIC ANASTOMOSIS AFTER COLON RESECTION

~~LEAKAGE OF COLONIC ANASTOMOSIS AFTER COLON RESECTION@Kanellos I$希腊阿里斯多得大学 @Pramateftakis MG$4~(th) Surgical Department,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece,Anth eon 1,Panorama 55236 Thessaloniki,Greece[1] Smith SRG, Gilmore C. The effect of faecal loading on colonicanastomotichealingC[J]. Br J Surg, 1983, 84: 49. [2] Fingerhut A, Hay J M, Elhadad A, et al. Supraperitoneal colorectal anastomosis: hand-sewn versus circular staples-a control…