Autoimmune encephalitis is increasingly recognized as a neurologic cause of acute mental status changes with similar prevalence to infectious encephalitis. Despite rising awareness, approaches to diagnosis remain inconsistent and evidence for optimal treatment is limited. The following Canadian guidelines represent a consensus and evidence (where available) based approach to both the diagnosis and treatment of adult patients with autoimmune encephalitis. The guidelines were developed using a modified RAND process and included input from specialists in autoimmune neurology, neuropsychiatry and infectious diseases. These guidelines are targeted at front line clinicians and were created to provide a pragmatic and practical approach to managing such patients in the acute setting.

Our objective was to evaluate the association of antioxidant intake and the inflammatory potential of the diet with functional decline in older men. A diet history questionnaire was used to collect dietary intake data from men aged ≥ 75 years (n 794) participating in the Concord Health and Aging in Men Project cohort study. Intake of vitamins A, C, E and Zn were compared with the Australian Nutrient Reference Values to determine adequacy. The Energy-adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index (E-DIITM) was used to assess the inflammatory potential of the diet. Physical performance data were collected via handgrip strength and walking speed tests, and activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) questionnaires, at baseline and 3-year follow-up (n 616). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between diet and incident poor physical function and disability. Both poor antioxidant intake and high E-DII scores at baseline were significantly associated with poor grip strength and ADL disability at 3-year follow-up. No significant associations with walking speed or IADL disability were observed. Individual micronutrient analysis revealed a significant association between the lowest two quartiles of vitamin C intake and poor grip strength. The lowest quartiles of intake for vitamins A, C, E and Zn were significantly associated with incident ADL disability. The study observed that poor antioxidant and anti-inflammatory food intake were associated with odds of developing disability and declining muscle strength in older men. Further interventional research is necessary to clarify the causality of these associations.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a common manifestation of anti-LGI1 encephalitis and is typically defined as prominent memory deficits. We frequently encounter frontal cognitive-behavioural deficits when evaluating these patients, but this has yet to be well described in the literature. Methods: Patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis were retrospectively identified from three tertiary centres in Toronto, Ontario between 2013 and 2022. Their medical records were evaluated and frontal features were categorized based on diagnostic criteria for behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). Results: Nineteen patients were identified (median age 60 years [range 18–84]; 10 [52.6%] male). Eighteen (94.7%) had frontal cognitive-behavioural symptoms. Two developed these symptoms during treatment with steroids and were excluded from further analysis. The remaining 16 presented with behavioural disinhibition (n=13), apathy or inertia (n=6), perseverative, stereotyped or compulsive/ritualistic behaviours (n=6), hyperorality and dietary changes (n=4), a neuropsychological profile with predominant deficits in executive tasks (n=4), and loss of sympathy or empathy (n=4). Nine (47.3%) met diagnostic criteria for possible bvFTD. Anterograde memory impairment was common (n=14). Of the 16 patients with frontal features, 6 had faciobrachial dystonic seizures. Conclusions: Patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis exhibit frontal cognitive-behavioural symptoms in addition to memory impairment. Clinicians should consider anti-LGI1 encephalitis in the differential diagnosis of bvFTD.

Background: A subset of patients experience poor outcomes following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Our study aimed to identify postoperative trajectories of disability, neck/arm pain and determine baseline measures that predict subgroup membership. Methods: Patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy undergoing ACDF are presented. Prognostic factors comprised demographic, health and surgery-related variables. Study outcomes were trajectories of neck disability index scores, numeric rating scales for neck/arm pain modeled with latent-class growth analysis. Associations were explored using robust Poisson models and reported with risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Patients (N = 352; mean (SD) age = 50.9(9.5) years, 43.8% female) identified trajectories for disability (excellent=45.3%,fair=39.2%,poor=15.5%),arm pain (excellent=24.5%,good=52.0%,poor=23.5%),and neck pain (excellent=13.7%,good=63.1%,poor=23.2%). Greater physical and mental health-related quality of life were associated with a reduced risk of poor outcome(per SD,0.40[0.30,0.53]-0.80[0.65,0.99]), while higher risk for depression (per SD, 1.36[1.12,1.65]-2.26[1.84,2.78]), longer wait time(per 90 days, 1.31[1.05,1.63]-1.64[1.20,2.24]), and longer procedure time (per 30 min,1.07[1.03,1.10]-1.08[1.05,1.12]) were associated with an increased risk of poor outcome for all outcomes. Poor disability was increased with self-reported depression(3.03[1.76,5.21]), greater neck-to-arm pain ratio (2.63 [1.28 to 5.40]), ASA score > 2(2.26[1.33,3.83]), and preoperative opiates (2.05[1.18,3.56]), while preoperative physiotherapy (0.51[0.30, 0.88]), spinal injections (0.48[0.23 to 0.98]), and regular exercise (0.44 [0.24, 0.79]) decreased risk. Receiving compensation and smoking were associated with poor outcome for neck pain. Remaining candidate prognostic factors were not associated with clinical outcome. Conclusions: Perioperative factors were shown to decrease risk of poor outcomes for pain and disability two years following ACDF.

Background: Treatment decisions for patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) frequently need to be made before results from autoantibody testing are available, as early treatment is associated with better outcomes. Cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) white blood cell (WBC) count and protein concentration measured early on in the disease process is often used, in combination with other clinical factors, to evaluate the likelihood that a patient has AE. Methods: CSF characteristics (WBC count, protein concentration, and oligoclonal banding) measured in a first AE presentation, prior to results of autoantibodies being available, were retrospectively analyzed at two tertiary care centers. Results: Ninety-five patients were included in the study. CSF WBC counts and protein levels were within normal limits for 27% (CI95%: 19–37) of patients with AE. When results of oligoclonal banding were added, 14% (CI95%: 6–16) of patients had “normal” CSF. The median CSF white blood cell count was 8 cells/mm3 (range: 0–544) and the median CSF protein concentration was 0.42 g/L (range: 0.15–3.92). Conclusions: A substantial proportion of patients with early active AE had a CSF WBC count or protein concentration within the normal. Inclusion of CSF oligoclonal banding may help identify a higher proportion of patients with an inflammatory CSF profile early in the disease process.

We present five cases of pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) that failed management using high cannabidiol (CBD) doses, but had significant reduction in seizure frequency with reintroduction or increasing doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). There is growing evidence supporting the use of whole-plant CBD-rich extracts (containing THC and other cannabinoids) in the treatment of pediatric DRE. Based on our experiences and reports in the literature, we propose that, in patients who fail management with an initial trial of high-dose CBD-focused therapy, there may be a role for add-on THC-focused formulations.

Introduction: An important challenge physicians face when treating acute heart failure (AHF) patients in the emergency department (ED) is deciding whether to admit or discharge, with or without early follow-up. The overall goal of our project was to improve care for AHF patients seen in the ED while avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions. The specific goal was to introduce hospital rapid referral clinics to ensure AHF patients were seen within 7 days of ED discharge. Methods: This prospective before-after study was conducted at two campuses of a large tertiary care hospital, including the EDs and specialty outpatient clinics. We enrolled AHF patients ≥50 years who presented to the ED with shortness of breath (<7 days). The 12-month before (control) period was separated from the 12-month after (intervention) period by a 3-month implementation period. Implementation included creation of rapid access AHF clinics staffed by cardiology and internal medicine, and development of referral procedures. There was extensive in-servicing of all ED staff. The primary outcome measure was hospital admission at the index visit or within 30 days. Secondary outcomes included mortality and actual access to rapid follow-up. We used segmented autoregression analysis of the monthly proportions to determine whether there was a change in admissions coinciding with the introduction of the intervention and estimated a sample size of 700 patients. Results: The patients in the before period (N = 355) and the after period (N = 374) were similar for age (77.8 vs. 78.1 years), arrival by ambulance (48.7% vs 51.1%), comorbidities, current medications, and need for non-invasive ventilation (10.4% vs. 6.7%). Comparing the before to the after periods, we observed a decrease in hospital admissions on index visit (from 57.7% to 42.0%; P <0.01), as well as all admissions within 30 days (from 65.1% to 53.5% (P < 0.01). The autoregression analysis, however, demonstrated a pre-existing trend to fewer admissions and could not attribute this to the intervention (P = 0.91). Attendance at a specialty clinic, amongst those discharged increased from 17.8% to 42.1% (P < 0.01) and the median days to clinic decreased from 13 to 6 days (P < 0.01). 30-day mortality did not change (4.5% vs. 4.0%; P = 0.76). Conclusion: Implementation of rapid-access dedicated AHF clinics led to considerably increased access to specialist care, much reduced follow-up times, and possible reduction in hospital admissions. Widespread use of this approach can improve AHF care in Canada.

Introduction: Transition to the attending physician role and onboarding at a new workplace are often stressful. Effective initiation is important to individuals as well as departments, hospitals and universities wishing to retain valuable staff. Our aim was to learn about early experiences from the perspective of new staff and apply these findings to develop a new onboarding program. Methods: Following a pilot study of individual interviews, we surveyed and conducted focus group interviews with all attending physicians who had joined our dual site, urban, academic emergency department within three years. We used a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach to collect and analyze data. We applied the data to develop a new needs-based formal onboarding program. Results: 24/36 participated in the survey, 22/36 in focus groups. 95% were 30-39 years old. Newcomers described the existing orientation as too brief, non-specific, and missing essential elements. We identified six onboarding themes: (1)clinical protocols and reference documents, (2)graduated responsibilities, (3)mentorship, (4)relationship building, (5)department structure and culture, and (6)emotions. We formed a committee to develop and implement these initiatives: (1)a new online platform enables easy access to clinical care and orientation documents, (2)a formal mentorship program matches each newcomer with 2 mentors to coach towards goals, navigate department structure and culture, and provide perspective to mitigate strong emotions, (3)adjusting shift and teaching assignments allows newcomers to ease into clinical and academic responsibilities, and (4)our next priority is to improve clarity around academic opportunities, expectations, and advancement. Conclusion: New emergency physicians are highly engaged and provided many insights on their orientation experiences. Using mixed methods, we identified six themes to guide the design and implementation of a program to promote successful integration of newcomers.

Introduction: Guidelines recommend serial conventional cardiac troponin (cTn) measurements 6-9 hours apart for non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) diagnosis. We sought to develop a pathway based on absolute/relative changes between two serial conventional cardiac troponin I (cTnI) values 3-hours apart for 15-day MACE identification. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted in the two large ED's at the Ottawa Hospital. Adults with NSTEMI symptoms were enrolled over 32 months. Patients with STEMI, hospitalized for unstable angina, or with only one cTnI were excluded. We collected baseline characteristics, Siemens Vista cTnI at 0 and 3-hours after ED presentation, disposition, and ED length of stay (LOS). Adjudicated primary outcome was 15-day MACE (AMI, revascularization, or death due to cardiac ischemia/unknown cause). We analysed cTnI values by 99th percentile cut-off multiples (45, 100 and 250ng/L). Results: 1,683 patients (mean age 64.7 years; 55.3% female; median ED LOS 7 hours; 88 patients with 15-day MACE) were included. 1,346 (80.0%) patients with both cTnI ≤45ng/L; and 58 (3.4%) of the 213 patients with one value≥100ng/L but both <250ng/L or ≤20% change did not suffer MACE. Among 124 patients (7.4%) with one value >45ng/L but both <100ng/L based on 3 or 6-hour cTnI, one patient with Δ<10ng/L and 6 of 19 patients with Δ≥20ng/L were diagnosed with NSTEMI (patients with Δ10-19ng/L between first and second cTnI had third one at 6-hours). Based on the results, we developed the Ottawa Troponin Pathway (OTP) with a 98.9% sensitivity (95%CI 96.7-100%) and 94.6% specificity (95%CI 93.4-95.7%). Conclusion: The OTP, using two conventional cTnI measurements performed 3-hours apart, should lead to better identification of NSTEMI particularly those with values >99th percentile cut-off, standardize management and reduce the ED LOS.

Introduction: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) commonly present to the emergency department (ED). Presenting symptoms (swelling and pain) may be erroneously attributed to common allergic and gastrointestinal conditions resulting in major delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. No published tools currently exist for HAE screening and management in undiagnosed disease. The overall goal of the study was to develop a HAE-RT tool for ED settings. Methods: A two-phase mixed methods approach was used to develop the HAE-RT Tool including: Phase 1: A Delphi Study [HAE specialists (N=9) and National Patient Advocacy Group Members (N=3)] was conducted to reach consensus (80% agreement) on predictor variables to include. Phase 2: A retrospective chart review was conducted to assess the predictive findings of the predictor variables. A convenient sample of patients presenting with angioedema (with and without HAE) between January 2012 January 2017 were included in the study. Results: Of the 12 experts invited, 9 (75%) participated in the Delphi study. Of 8 HAE-specific predictive variables, 4 reached consensuses including: (1) recurrent angioedema; (2) absence of urticaria; (3) past recurrent abdominal pain/swelling; (4) response to allergic therapy. The retrospective study included 85 patients (N=46 with HAE; N=39 non-HAE; overall 72% female). HAE patients were significantly more likely to have a family history of HAE (72% vs 0%; P<0.0001); previous recurrent angioedema (96%; P<0.009); present with no hives (91%; P<0.036); previous recurrent abdominal pain (80%; P<0.0001); and only 2% responded positively to allergy treatments (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Our study emphasizes the importance of key stakeholder involvement and feedback to facilitate the prioritization of important information that must be included in the design of an HAE-RT tool. The next step is to observe the effect of the HAE-RT tool on patient triage in the ED.

Introduction: Emergency Department Overcrowding (EDOC) is a multifactorial issue that leads to Access Block for patients needing emergency care. Identified as a national problem, patients presenting to a Canadian Emergency Department (ED) at a time of overcrowding have higher rates of admission to hospital and increased seven-day mortality. Using the well accepted input-throughput-output model to study EDOC, current research has focused on throughput as a measure of patient flow, reported as ED length of stay (LOS). In fact, ED LOS and ED beds occupied by inpatients are two “extremely important indicators of EDOC identified by a 2005 survey of Canadian ED directors. One proposed solution to improve ED throughput is to utilize a physician at triage (PAT) to rapidly assess newly arriving patients. In 2017, a pilot PAT program was trialed at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH), a tertiary care hospital, as part of a PDSA cycle. The aim was to mitigate EDOC by improving ED throughput by the end of 2018, to meet the national targets for ED LOS suggested in the 2013 CAEP position statement. Methods: During the fiscal periods 1-6 (April 1 to September 7, 2017) a PAT shift occurred daily from 1000-2200, over four long weekends. ED LOS, time to inpatient bed, time to physician initial assessment (PIA), number of British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS) offload delays, and number of patients who left without being seen (LWBS) were extracted from an administrative database. Results were retrospectively analyzed and compared to data from 1000-2200 of non-PAT trial days during the trial periods. Results: Median ED LOS decreased from 3.8 to 3.4 hours for high-acuity patients (CTAS 1-3), from 2.1 to 1.8 hours for low-acuity patients (CTAS 4-5), and from 9.3 to 8.0 hours for all admitted patients. During PAT trial weekends, there was a decrease in the average time to PIA by 65% (from 73 to 26 minutes for CTAS 2-5), average number of daily BCAS offload delays by 39% (from 2.3 to 1.4 delays per day), and number of patients who LWBS from 2.4% to 1.7%. Conclusion: The implementation of PAT was associated with improvements in all five measures of ED throughput, providing a potential solution for EDOC at KGH. ED LOS was reduced compared to non-PAT control days, successfully meeting the suggested national targets. PAT could improve efficiency, resulting in the ability to see more patients in the ED, and increase the quality and safety of ED practice. Next, we hope to prospectively evaluate PAT, continuing to analyze these process measures, perform a cost-benefit analysis, and formally assess ED staff and patient perceptions of the program.

Introduction: Creatine kinase (CK) measurement, despite not being recommended for the diagnosis of a Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) is still routinely performed in the emergency department (ED) for the workup of NSTEMI. The diagnostic utility of CK among ED patients with suspected NSTEMI is still not well understood. The objectives of this study were to assess: the additional value of CK in NSTEMI diagnosis and the correlation between the highest CK/TNI values and ejection fraction (EF) on follow-up echocardiography among patients with suspected NSTEMI. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted at the Civic and General Campuses of The Ottawa Hospital from March 2014 to March 2016. We enrolled adults (18 years) for whom troponin (TNI) and CK were ordered for chest pain or non-chest pain symptoms within the past 24 hours concerning for NSTEMI and excluded those with suspected ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). Primary outcome was a 30-day NSTEMI adjudicated by two blinded physicians. Demographics, medical history, and ED CK/TNI values were collected. We used descriptive statistics and report test diagnostic characteristics. Results: Of the 1,663 patients enrolled, 84 patients (5.1%) suffered NSTEMI. The sensitivity and specificity of CK was 30.9% (95%CI 21.1, 40.8) and 91.4% (95%CI 90.0, 92.8) respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of troponin was 96.4% (95%CI 92.4, 100) and 88.1% (95%CI 86.5, 89.7) respectively. Among 3 (0.2%) patients with missed NSTEMI diagnosis with TNI, CK measurements did not add value. The mean CK values were not significantly different between those with normal and abnormal EF on follow-up (132.4 U/L and 146.3 U/L respectively; p=0.44), whereas the mean TNI values were significantly different (0.5 µg/L and 1.3 µg/L respectively; p=0.046). Conclusion: CK measurements neither provide any additional value in the work-up of NSTEMI in the ED nor correlate with EF on follow-up. Discontinuing routine CK measurements would reduce overall costs and improve resource utilization in the ED, and streamline the management of patients in the ED with chest pain.

The dietary inflammatory index (DIITM) is a novel composite score based on a range of nutrients and foods known to be associated with inflammation. DII scores have been linked to the risk of a number of cancers, including oesophageal squamous cell cancer and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC). Given that OAC stems from acid reflux and that the oesophageal epithelium undergoes a metaplasia-dysplasia transition from the resulting inflammation, it is plausible that a high DII score (indicating a pro-inflammatory diet) may exacerbate risk of OAC and its precursor conditions. The aim of this analytical study was to explore the association between energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DIITM) in relation to risk of reflux oesophagitis, Barrett’s oesophagus and OAC. Between 2002 and 2005, reflux oesophagitis (n 219), Barrett’s oesophagus (n 220) and OAC (n 224) patients, and population-based controls (n 256), were recruited to the Factors influencing the Barrett’s Adenocarcinoma Relationship study in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. E-DII scores were derived from a 101-item FFQ. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was applied to determine odds of oesophageal lesions according to E-DII intakes, adjusting for potential confounders. High E-DII scores were associated with borderline increase in odds of reflux oesophagitis (OR 1·87; 95 % CI 0·93, 3·73), and significantly increased odds of Barrett’s oesophagus (OR 2·05; 95 % CI 1·22, 3·47), and OAC (OR 2·29; 95 % CI 1·32, 3·96), when comparing the highest with the lowest tertiles of E-DII scores. In conclusion, a pro-inflammatory diet may exacerbate the risk of the inflammation-metaplasia-adenocarcinoma pathway in oesophageal carcinogenesis.

Childhood overweight and obesity are worldwide public health problems and risk factors for chronic diseases. The presence of SNP in several genes has been associated with the presence of obesity. A total of 580 children (8–13 years old) from Queretaro, Mexico, participated in this cross-sectional study, which evaluated the associations of rs9939609 (fat mass obesity-associated (FTO)), rs17782313 (melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R)) and rs6548238 (transmembrane protein 18 (TMEM18)) SNP with obesity and metabolic risk factors. Overweight and obesity prevalence was 19·8 and 19·1 %, respectively. FTO, MC4R and TMEM18 risk allele frequency was 17, 9·8 and 89·5 %, respectively. A significant association between FTO homozygous and MC4R heterozygous risk alleles and obesity was found (OR 3·9; 95 % CI 1·46, 10·22, and OR 2·1; 95 % CI 1·22, 3·71; respectively). The FTO heterozygous subjects showed higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures, compared with the homozygous for the ancestral allele subjects. These results remain significant after considering adiposity as a covariate. The FTO and MC4R genotypes were not significantly associated with total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and insulin concentration. No association was found between TMEM18 risk allele and obesity and/or metabolic alterations. Our results show that, in addition to a higher BMI, there is also an association of the risk genotype with blood pressure in the presence of the FTO risk genotype. The possible presence of a risk genotype in obese children must be considered to offer a more comprehensive therapeutic approach in order to delay and/or prevent the development of chronic diseases.

Diet is a strong moderator of systemic inflammation, an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC). The dietary inflammatory index (DII) measures the inflammatory potential of individuals' diets. The association between the DII and incident CRC was examined, using the National Institutes of Health–American Associations of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study individuals (n 489 422) aged 50–74 years at recruitment, starting between 1995–6, and followed for a mean of 9·1 (sd 2·9) years. Baseline data from a FFQ were used to calculate the DII; higher scores are more pro-inflammatory, and lower scores are more anti-inflammatory. First, primary CRC diagnoses were identified through linkage to state cancer registries. Anatomic location and disease severity also were examined. Cox proportional hazards models estimated CRC hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI using quartile 1 as the referent. DII quartile 4 compared to quartile 1 was associated with CRC risk among all subjects (HR 1·40, 95 % CI 1·28, 1·53; P for trend < 0·01). Statistically significant associations also were observed for each anatomic site examined, for moderate and poorly differentiated tumours, and at each cancer stage among all subjects. Effects were similar when stratified by sex; however, results were statistically significant only in males. The only result reaching statistical significance in females was risk of moderately differentiated CRC tumours (DII quartile 4 v. quartile 1 HR 1·26, 95 % CI 1·03, 1·56). Overall, the DII was associated with CRC risk among all subjects. The DII may serve as a novel way to evaluate dietary risk for chronic disorders associated with inflammation, such as CRC.