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Hawley LL, Niederkrotenthaler T, Zaheer R, Schaffer A, Redelmeier DA, Levitt AJ, Sareen J, Pirkis J, Sinyor M. Is the narrative the message? The relationship between suicide-related narratives in media reports and subsequent suicides. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2023; 57:758-766. [PMID: 35999688 PMCID: PMC10126449 DOI: 10.1177/00048674221117072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES When journalists report on the details of a suicide, the way that they contextualize the meaning of the event (i.e. the 'narrative') can have significant consequences for readers. The 'Werther' and 'Papageno' narrative effects refer to increases and decreases in suicides across populations following media reports on suicidal acts or mastery of crises, respectively. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of these different narrative constructs on subsequent suicides. METHODS This study examined the change in suicide counts over time in Toronto, Canada. It used latent difference score analysis, examining suicide-related print media reports in the Toronto media market (2011-2014). Articles (N = 6367) were coded as having a potentially harmful narrative if they described suicide in a celebrity or described a suicide death in a non-celebrity and included the suicide method. Articles were coded as having potentially protective narratives if they included at least one element of protective content (e.g. alternatives to suicide) without including any information about suicidal behaviour (i.e. suicide attempts or death). RESULTS Latent difference score longitudinal multigroup analyses identified a dose-response relationship in which the trajectory of suicides following harmful 'Werther' narrative reports increased over time, while protective 'Papageno' narrative reports declined. The latent difference score model demonstrated significant goodness of fit and parameter estimates, with each group demonstrating different trajectories of change in reported suicides over time: (χ2[6], N = 6367) = 13.16; χ2/df = 2.19; Akaike information criterion = 97.16, comparative fit index = 0.96, root mean square error of approximation = 0.03. CONCLUSION Our findings support the notion that the 'narrative' matters when reporting on suicide. Specifically, 'Werther' narratives of suicides in celebrities and suicides in non-celebrities where the methods were described were associated with more subsequent suicides while 'Papageno' narratives of survival and crisis mastery without depictions of suicidal behaviours were associated with fewer subsequent suicides. These results may inform efforts to prevent imitation suicides.
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Redelmeier DA, Wang J, Thiruchelvam D. The Reply. Am J Med 2023; 136:e101. [PMID: 37137573 PMCID: PMC10150232 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
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Manzoor F, Sundrelingam V, Roberts SB, Fralick M, Kwan JL, Tang T, Weinerman AS, Rawal S, Liu JJ, Redelmeier DA, Verma AA, Razak F, Lapointe-Shaw L. Analysis of Resident and Attending Physician End-of-Rotation Changeover Days and Association With Patient Length of Stay. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e234516. [PMID: 36951860 PMCID: PMC10037142 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.4516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance End-of-rotation resident physician changeover is a key part of postgraduate training but could lead to discontinuity in patient care. Objective To test whether patients exposed to end-of-rotation resident changeover have longer hospital stays and whether this association is mitigated by separating resident and attending changeover days. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort analysis included adult patients admitted to general internal medicine. The changeover day was the same day (first Monday of month) for both resident and attending physicians until June 30, 2013 (preseparation period), and then intentionally staggered by 1 or more days after July 1, 2013 (postseparation period). This was a multicenter analysis at 4 teaching hospitals in Ontario, Canada, from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2019. Data analysis was conducted from July 2022 to January 2023. Exposures Patients were classified as changeover patients if the first Monday was a resident changeover day and as control patients if the first Monday was not a resident changeover day. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was length of hospital stay. Secondary outcomes were transfer to critical care, in-hospital death, and rate of discharge per 100 patients on the index day. Results Of 95 282 patients. 22 773 (24%; mean [SD] age, 67.8 [18.8] years; 11 156 [49%] female patients) were exposed to resident changeover, and 72 509 (76%; mean [SD] age, 67.8 [18.7] years; 35 293 [49%] female patients) were not exposed to resident changeover. Exposure to resident changeover day was associated with a slightly longer hospital stay compared with control days (0.20 [95% CI, 0.09-0.30] days; P < .001) and decreased relative risk of patient discharge on the index day (relative risk, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.86-1.00; P = .047). These associations were similar in the preseparation and postseparation periods. Resident changeover was not associated with an increased risk of transfer to critical care or in-hospital death. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, a small positive association between exposure to resident physician changeover and length of hospital stay as well as reduced rate of discharge was found. These findings suggest that separating changeover days for resident and attending physicians may not significantly change these associations.
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Abstract
The COVID pandemic provides a natural experiment examining how a 50-60% reduction in pedestrian activity might lead to a reduction in pedestrian deaths. We assessed whether the reduction in pedestrian deaths was proportional to a one-to-one matching presumed in statistics correlating mobility with fatality. The primary analysis examined New York (largest city in US), and the validation analysis examined Toronto (largest city in Canada). We identified pedestrian activity in each location from the Apple Mobility database, normalized to the baseline in January 2020. We calculated monthly pedestrian deaths from the Vision Zero database in each city with baseline data from 3 prior years. We found a large initial reduction in pedestrian deaths during the lockdown in New York that was transient and not statistically significant during the summer and autumn despite sustained reductions in pedestrian activity. Similarly, we found a large initial reduction in pedestrian deaths during the lockdown in Toronto that was transient and not sustained. Together, these data suggest the substantial reductions in pedestrian activity during the COVID pandemic have no simple correlation with pedestrian fatality counts in the same locations. An awareness of this finding emphasizes the role of unmeasured modifiable individual factors beyond pedestrian infrastructure or other structural contributors.
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Redelmeier DA, Shafir E. The Fallacy of a Single Diagnosis. Med Decis Making 2023; 43:183-190. [PMID: 36059266 PMCID: PMC9827477 DOI: 10.1177/0272989x221121343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diagnostic reasoning requires clinicians to think through complex uncertainties. We tested the possibility of a bias toward an available single diagnosis in uncertain cases. DESIGN We developed 5 different surveys providing a succinct description of a hypothetical individual patient scenaric. Each scenario was formulated in 2 versions randomized to participants, with the versions differing only in whether an alternative diagnosis was present or absent. The 5 scenarios were designed as separate tests of robustness using diverse cases, including a cautious scenario, a risky scenario, a sophisticated scenario, a validation scenario, and a comparative scenario (each survey containing only 1 version of 1 scenario). Participants included community members (n = 1104) and health care professionals (n = 200) who judged the chances of COVID infection in an individual patient. RESULTS The first scenario described a cautious patient and found a 47% reduction in the estimated odds of COVID when a flu diagnosis was present compared with absent (odds ratio = 0.53, 95% confidence interval 0.30 to 0.94, P = 0.003). The second scenario described a less cautious patient and found a 70% reduction in the estimated odds of COVID in the presence of a flu diagnosis (odds ratio = 0.30, 95% confidence interval 0.13 to 0.70, P < 0.001). The third was a more sophisticated scenario presented to medical professionals and found a 73% reduction in the estimated odds of COVID in the presence of a mononucleosis diagnosis (odds ratio = 0.27, 95% confidence interval 0.10 to 0.75, P < 0.001). Two further scenarios-avoiding mention of population norms-replicated the results. LIMITATIONS Brief hypothetical scenarios may overestimate the extent of bias in more complicated medical situations. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that an available simple diagnosis can lead individuals toward premature closure and a failure to fully consider additional severe diseases. HIGHLIGHTS Occum's razor has been debated for centuries yet rarely subjected to experimental testing for evidence-based medicine.This article offers direct evidence that people favor an available simple diagnosis, thereby neglecting to consider additional serious diseases.The bias can lead individuals to mistakenly lower their judged likelihood of COVID or another disease when an alternate diagnosis is present.This misconception over the laws of probability appears in judgments by community members and by health care workers.The pitfall in reasoning extends to high-risk cases and is not easily attributed to information, incentives, or random chance.
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Redelmeier DA, Wang J, Thiruchelvam D. COVID Vaccine Hesitancy and Risk of a Traffic Crash. Am J Med 2023; 136:153-162.e5. [PMID: 36470796 PMCID: PMC9716428 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease (COVID) vaccine hesitancy is a reflection of psychology that might also contribute to traffic safety. We tested whether COVID vaccination was associated with the risks of a traffic crash. METHODS We conducted a population-based longitudinal cohort analysis of adults and determined COVID vaccination status through linkages to individual electronic medical records. Traffic crashes requiring emergency medical care were subsequently identified by multicenter outcome ascertainment of all hospitals in the region over a 1-month follow-up interval (178 separate centers). RESULTS A total of 11,270,763 individuals were included, of whom 16% had not received a COVID vaccine and 84% had received a COVID vaccine. The cohort accounted for 6682 traffic crashes during follow-up. Unvaccinated individuals accounted for 1682 traffic crashes (25%), equal to a 72% increased relative risk compared with those vaccinated (95% confidence interval, 63-82; P < 0.001). The increased traffic risks among unvaccinated individuals extended to diverse subgroups, was similar to the relative risk associated with sleep apnea, and was equal to a 48% increase after adjustment for age, sex, home location, socioeconomic status, and medical diagnoses (95% confidence interval, 40-57; P < 0.001). The increased risks extended across the spectrum of crash severity, appeared similar for Pfizer, Moderna, or other vaccines, and were validated in supplementary analyses of crossover cases, propensity scores, and additional controls. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that COVID vaccine hesitancy is associated with significant increased risks of a traffic crash. An awareness of these risks might help to encourage more COVID vaccination.
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Wang J, Redelmeier DA. Vaccine Hesitancy and Traffic Deaths: Ecological Analyses. J Gen Intern Med 2023; 38:1783-1785. [PMID: 36690912 PMCID: PMC9870189 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-08008-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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Staples JA, Erdelyi S, Merchant K, Yip C, Khan M, Redelmeier DA, Chan H, Brubacher JR. Syncope and subsequent traffic crash: A responsibility analysis. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279710. [PMID: 36656813 PMCID: PMC9851499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physicians are often asked to counsel patients about driving safety after syncope, yet little empirical data guides such advice. METHODS We identified a population-based retrospective cohort of 9,507 individuals with a driver license who were discharged from any of six urban emergency departments (EDs) with a diagnosis of 'syncope and collapse'. We examined all police-reported crashes that involved a cohort member as a driver and occurred between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2016. We categorized crash-involved drivers as 'responsible' or 'non-responsible' for their crash using detailed police-reported crash data and a validated responsibility scoring tool. We then used logistic regression to test the hypothesis that recent syncope was associated with driver responsibility for crash. RESULTS Over the 7-year study interval, cohort members were involved in 475 police-reported crashes: 210 drivers were deemed responsible and 133 drivers were deemed non-responsible for their crash; the 132 drivers deemed to have indeterminate responsibility were excluded from further analysis. An ED visit for syncope occurred in the three months leading up to crash in 11 crash-responsible drivers and in 5 crash-non-responsible drivers, suggesting that recent syncope was not associated with driver responsibility for crash (adjusted odds ratio, 1.31; 95%CI, 0.40-4.74; p = 0.67). However, all drivers with cardiac syncope were deemed responsible, precluding calculation of an odds ratio for this important subgroup. CONCLUSIONS Recent syncope was not significantly associated with driver responsibility for traffic crash. Clinicians and policymakers should consider these results when making fitness-to-drive recommendations after syncope.
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Yu AYX, Penn J, Austin PC, Lee DS, Porter J, Fang J, Redelmeier DA, Kapral MK. Telemedicine use and outcomes after transient ischemic attack and minor stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic: a population-based cohort study. CMAJ Open 2022; 10:E865-E871. [PMID: 36195342 PMCID: PMC9544239 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20220027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in telemedicine use. We compared care and outcomes in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke before and after the widespread adoption of telemedicine in Ontario, Canada, in 2020. METHODS In a population-based cohort study using linked administrative data, we identified patients with TIA or ischemic stroke discharged from any emergency department in Ontario before the widespread use of telemedicine (Apr. 1, 2015, to Mar. 31, 2020) and after (Apr. 1, 2020, to Mar. 31, 2021). We measured care, including visits with a physician, investigations and medication renewal. We compared 90-day death before and after 2020 using Cox proportional hazards models, and we compared 90-day admission using cause-specific hazard models. RESULTS We identified 47 601 patients (49.3% female; median age 73, interquartile range 62-82, yr) with TIA (n = 35 695, 75.0%) or ischemic stroke (n = 11 906, 25.0%). After 2020, 83.1% of patients had 1 or more telemedicine visit within 90 days of emergency department discharge, compared with 3.8% before. The overall access to outpatient visits within 90 days remained unchanged (92.9% before v. 94.0% after; risk difference 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.3 to 3.5). Investigations and medication renewals were unchanged. Clinical outcomes were also similar before and after 2020; the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.97 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.04) for 90-day all-cause admission, 1.06 (95% CI 0.94 to 1.20) for stroke admission and 1.07 (95% CI 0.93 to 1.24) for death. INTERPRETATION Care and short-term outcomes after TIA or minor stroke remained stable after the widespread implementation of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings suggest that telemedicine is an effective method of health care delivery that can be complementary to in-person care for minor ischemic cerebrovascular events.
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Staples JA, Erdelyi S, Merchant K, Yip C, Khan M, Redelmeier DA, Chan H, Brubacher JR. Syncope and the Risk of Subsequent Motor Vehicle Crash: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study. JAMA Intern Med 2022; 182:934-942. [PMID: 35913711 PMCID: PMC9344386 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.2865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Medical driving restrictions are burdensome, yet syncope recurrence while driving can cause a motor vehicle crash (MVC). Few empirical data inform current driving restrictions after syncope. OBJECTIVE To examine MVC risk among patients visiting the emergency department (ED) after first-episode syncope. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A population-based, retrospective observational cohort study of MVC risk after first-episode syncope was performed in British Columbia, Canada. Patients visiting any of 6 urban EDs for syncope and collapse were age- and sex-matched to 4 control patients visiting the same ED in the same month for a condition other than syncope. Patients' ED medical records were linked to administrative health records, driving history, and detailed crash reports. Crash-free survival among individuals with syncope was then compared with that among matched control patients. Data analyses were performed from May 2020 to March 2022. EXPOSURES Initial ED visit for syncope. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Involvement as a driver in an MVC in the year following the index ED visit. Crashes were identified using insurance claim data and police crash reports. RESULTS The study cohort included 43 589 patients (9223 patients with syncope and 34 366 controls; median [IQR] age, 54 [35-72] years; 22 360 [51.3%] women; 5033 [11.5%] rural residents). At baseline, crude MVC incidence rates among both the syncope and control groups were higher than among the general population (12.2, 13.2, and 8.2 crashes per 100 driver-years, respectively). In the year following index ED visit, 846 first crashes occurred in the syncope group and 3457 first crashes occurred in the control group, indicating no significant difference in subsequent MVC risk (9.2% vs 10.1%; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.93; 95% CI, 0.87-1.01; P = .07). Subsequent crash risk among patients with syncope was not significantly increased in the first 30 days after index ED visit (aHR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.84-1.36; P = .56) or among subgroups at higher risk of adverse events after syncope (eg, age >65 years; cardiogenic syncope; Canadian Syncope Risk Score ≥1). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The findings of this population-based retrospective cohort study suggest that patients visiting the ED with first-episode syncope exhibit a subsequent crash risk no different than the average ED patient. More stringent driving restrictions after syncope may not be warranted.
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Sinyor M, Hartman M, Zaheer R, Williams M, Pirkis J, Heisel MJ, Schaffer A, Redelmeier DA, Cheung AH, Kiss A, Niederkrotenthaler T. Differences in Suicide-Related Twitter Content According to User Influence. CRISIS 2022. [PMID: 35656646 DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background: The content of suicide-specific social media posts may impact suicide rates, and putatively harmful and/or protective content may vary by the author's influence. Aims: This study sought to characterize how suicide-related Twitter content differs according to user influence. Method: Suicide-related tweets from July 1, 2015, to June 1, 2016, geolocated to Toronto, Canada, were collected and randomly selected for coding (n = 2,250) across low, medium, or high user influence levels (based on the number of followers, tweets, retweets, and posting frequency). Logistic regression was used to identify differences by user influence for various content variables. Results: Low- and medium-influence users typically tweeted about personal experiences with suicide and associations with mental health and shared morbid humor/flippant tweets. High-influence users tended to tweet about suicide clusters, suicide in youth, older adults, indigenous people, suicide attempts, and specific methods. Tweets across influence levels predominantly focused on suicide deaths, and few described suicidal ideation or included helpful content. Limitations: Social media data were from a single location and epoch. Conclusion: This study demonstrated more problematic content vis-à-vis safe suicide messaging in tweets by high-influence users and a paucity of protective content across all users. These results highlight the need for further research and potential intervention.
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Popovic MM, Schlenker MB, Redelmeier DA. Reevaluating the Risk of Serious Adverse Events of Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors-Reply. JAMA Ophthalmol 2022; 140:746-747. [PMID: 35616951 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.1568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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Redelmeier DA, Etchells EE, Najeeb U. Honest communication and social asymmetries inside a hospital: Pitfalls for clinicians. J Hosp Med 2022; 17:405-409. [PMID: 35535568 DOI: 10.1002/jhm.12827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Redelmeier DA, Singh SM. Long-term mortality of academy award winning actors and actresses. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266563. [PMID: 35417469 PMCID: PMC9007384 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social status gradients are powerful health determinants for individuals living in poverty. We tested whether winning an Academy award (Oscar) for acting was associated with long-term survival. METHODS We conducted a longitudinal cohort analysis of all actors and actresses nominated for an Academy award in a leading or a supporting role. For each, a control was identified based on age, sex, and co-staring in the same film. RESULTS Overall, 2,111 individuals were analyzed with 1,122 total deaths occurring during a median follow-up of 68.8 years. Comparisons of winners to controls yielded a 4.8% relative difference average life-span (95% confidence interval: 1.6 to 7.9, p = 0.004), a 5.1 year absolute increase in life expectancy (95% confidence interval: 3.0 to 7.2, p < 0.001), and a 41% improvement in mortality hazard (95% confidence interval: 19 to 68, p < 0.001). The increased survival tended to be greater in recent years, for individuals winning at a younger age, and among those with multiple wins. The increased survival replicated in secondary analyses comparing winners to nominees and was not observed in analyses comparing nominees to controls. CONCLUSIONS Academy award winning actors and actresses show a positive association between success and survival, suggesting the importance of behavioral, psychological, or other modifiable health factors unrelated to poverty.
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Zipursky JS, Thiruchelvam D, Redelmeier DA. Prenatal electrocardiogram testing and postpartum depression: A population-based cohort study. Obstet Med 2022; 15:31-39. [PMID: 35444726 PMCID: PMC9014547 DOI: 10.1177/1753495x211012502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cardiovascular symptoms in pregnancy may be a clue to psychological distress. We examined whether electrocardiogram testing in pregnant women is associated with an increased risk of subsequent postpartum depression. Methods We conducted a population-based cohort study of pregnant women who delivered in Ontario, Canada comparing women who received a prenatal ECG to women who did not. Results In total, 3,238,218 women gave birth during the 25-year study period of whom 157,352 (5%) received an electrocardiogram during prenatal care. Receiving an electrocardiogram test was associated with a one-third relative increase in the odds of postpartum depression (odds ratio 1.34; 95% confidence interval 1.29-1.39, p < 0.001). Conclusion The association between prenatal electrocardiogram testing and postpartum depression suggests a possible link of organic disease with mental illness, and emphasizes that cardiovascular symptoms may be a clinical clue to the presence of an underlying mood disorder.
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Popovic MM, Schlenker MB, Thiruchelvam D, Redelmeier DA. Serious Adverse Events of Oral and Topical Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors. JAMA Ophthalmol 2022; 140:235-242. [PMID: 35084437 PMCID: PMC8796060 DOI: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2021.5977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Some ophthalmologists may be reluctant to prescribe oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, given the potential for life-threatening systemic adverse reactions. OBJECTIVE To conduct a population-based analysis of the safety of oral or topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors in clinical care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This matched longitudinal cohort study took place in Ontario, Canada. Consecutive patients older than 65 years who were prescribed an oral or topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor in Ontario, Canada, between January 1, 1995, and January 1, 2020, were identified. Patients were matched 1-to-1 based on age, sex, and diabetes status. Time zero was defined as the date of the first identified prescription for the medication, and the primary analysis focused on the first 120 days of follow-up. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary end point was a severe complicated adverse event of either Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, or aplastic anemia. RESULTS Overall, 128 942 matched patients initiated an oral or topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor during the 25-year study period. The mean (SD) age was 75 (6.6) years, 71 958 (55.8%) were women, and 25 058 (19.4%) had a diagnosis of diabetes. The oral and topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor groups had similar baseline demographics. Patients prescribed an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor had an absolute risk of a severe complicated adverse event of 2.90 per 1000 patients, whereas patients prescribed a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor had an absolute risk of 2.08 per 1000 patients. This difference was equivalent to a risk ratio of 1.40, with a number needed to harm of 1 in 1220 patients (95% CI, 1.12-1.74; P = .003). This generally low risk was replicated in multivariable regression controlling for confounding factors. Additional risk factors for a severe complicated adverse event included patients with more comorbidities and those with more frequent clinic contacts. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The risk of a serious adverse reaction following prescription of an oral or topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor was low and similar between agents. Given the low risk of severe adverse reactions, this population-level analysis supports reconsidering the reluctance toward prescribing an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor.
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Penn J, Austin P, Lee D, Porter J, Fang J, Redelmeier DA, Kapral MK, Yu AY. Abstract WP72: Telemedicine Access, Care, And Outcomes For TIA And Minor Stroke. Stroke 2022. [DOI: 10.1161/str.53.suppl_1.wp72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction:
Telemedicine is increasingly used, but its effectiveness for stroke prevention after minor stroke or TIA is not known. We compared the care and outcomes in patients discharged from an emergency department (ED) with TIA or stroke before and after the implementation of telemedicine stroke prevention clinics in Ontario, Canada. We hypothesized that care and outcomes will remain similar.
Methods:
We used linked administrative data to identify community-dwelling adults discharged from the ED with TIA or ischemic stroke from April 2015 to March 2020 (pre-telemedicine) and April 2020 to March 2021 (post-telemedicine). We compared access to outpatient physician visits within 90 days, neuroimaging or vascular imaging within 14 days, and echocardiogram within 90 days using standardized differences (SD <0.1 indicates negligeable difference). We used Cox proportional hazard models to compare the adjusted Hazard Ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence intervals of death within 90 days pre- and post-telemedicine and cause-specific hazard models for stroke readmission with adjustment for comorbidities.
Results:
We identified 47,869 patients (n=40,099 pre- and n=7,770 post-telemedicine), median age 73 years [62, 82], 49% female. Baseline characteristics were similar. There was a rapid uptake in telemedicine use (Figure 1). Physician visits (92.9% vs 93.1%, SD 0.01), neuroimaging (81.3% vs 80.5%, SD 0.02), and echocardiogram use (52.5% vs 53.9% SD 0.03) were similar, but use of vascular imaging increased (74.8% vs 84.3% SD 0.24). Readmission for stroke was stable (3.9% vs 4.0%, aHR 1.00 [0.89, 1.13]), but 90-day death was higher post- compared to pre-telemedicine (2.8% vs 3.6%, aHR 1.19 [1.05, 1.36]).
Conclusion:
Telemedicine is a promising tool to support routine stroke prevention care. The higher mortality must be interpreted in the context of the COVID19 pandemic. Ongoing monitoring of stroke outcomes is needed.
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Redelmeier DA, Etchells EE, Najeeb U. Principles and Practice of Gossiping About Colleagues in Medicine. J Hosp Med 2021; 16:763-766. [PMID: 34798004 DOI: 10.12788/jhm.3702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Ravi B, Pincus D, Croxford R, Leroux T, Paterson JM, Hawker G, Redelmeier DA. Patterns of pre-operative opioid use affect the risk for complications after total joint replacement. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22124. [PMID: 34764305 PMCID: PMC8586234 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01179-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Preoperative opioid use has been shown to increase the risk for complications following total joint arthroplasty (TJA); however, these studies have not always accounted for differences in co-morbidities and socio-demographics between patients that use opioids and those that do not. They have also not accounted for the variation in degree of pre-operative use. The objective of this study was to determine if preoperative opioid use is associated with risk for surgical complications after TJA, and if this association varied by degree of use. Population-based retrospective cohort study. Older adult patients undergoing primary TJA of the hip, knee and shoulder for osteoarthritis between 2002 and 2015 in Ontario, Canada were identified. Using accepted definitions, patients were stratified into three groups according to their preoperative opioid use: no use, intermittent use and chronic use. The primary outcome was the occurrence of a composite surgical complication (surgical site infection, dislocation, revision arthroplasty) or death within a year of surgery. Intermittent and chronic users were matched separately to non-users in a 1:1 ratio, matching on TJA type plus a propensity score incorporating patient and provider factors. Overall, 108,067 patients were included in the study; 10% (N = 10,441) used opioids on a chronic basis before surgery and 35% (N = 37,668) used them intermittently. After matching, chronic pre-operative opioid use was associated with an increased risk for complications after TJA (HR 1.44, p = 0.001) relative to non-users. Overall, less than half of patients undergoing TJA used opioids in the year preceding surgery; the majority used them only intermittently. While chronic pre-operative opioid use is associated with an increased risk for complications after TJA, intermitted pre-operative use is not.
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Zipursky JS, Redelmeier DA. Association Between Driving in the Summer and COVID-19 Mortality in the Autumn. J Gen Intern Med 2021; 36:3632-3635. [PMID: 34357576 PMCID: PMC8344394 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-021-07074-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Fralick M, Schneeweiss S, Redelmeier DA, Razak F, Gomes T, Patorno E. Comparative effectiveness and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors versus metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes: An observational study using data from routine care. Diabetes Obes Metab 2021; 23:2320-2328. [PMID: 34169619 DOI: 10.1111/dom.14474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
AIM To assess the effectiveness and safety of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in treatment-naïve patients compared with metformin. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS We conducted a cohort study of US adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who had not filled a prescription for a diabetes medication in the preceding year. We then identified patients who newly filled a prescription for an SGLT2 inhibitor or metformin between 2013 and 2018. The primary outcome was a composite of heart failure, myocardial infarction or stroke. Safety outcomes included hypoglycaemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, genital infection, lactic acidosis and acute kidney injury. After 1:1 propensity-score (PS) matching, proportional hazards models were fit to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS We identified 9964 individuals newly prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor who were PS-matched to 9964 individuals newly prescribed metformin. The mean age was 54 years, 52% were women, and the duration of follow-up was 213 days for metformin and 147 days for SGLT2 inhibitors. The primary outcome occurred in 54 patients (7.2 events per 1000 person-years) who received an SGLT2 inhibitor, compared to 84 patients (8.5 per 1000 person-years) who received metformin (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.58, 1.15). Similar results (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.69, 1.09) were observed in an analysis with longer follow-up (ie, approximately 600 days). The rates of genital infection (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.87, 2.78) and diabetic ketoacidosis (HR 1.58, 95% CI 0.92, 2.70) were higher for patients prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor compared to metformin, while the rates of acute kidney injury (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.60, 1.47) or hypoglycaemia (HR 0.83, 95% CI 0.48, 1.42) were not. CONCLUSIONS We observed a numerically lower rate of short-/mid-term cardiovascular events for patients newly prescribed an SGLT2 inhibitor compared to metformin, albeit with wide CIs that include the possibility of a null effect. SGLT2 inhibitors were associated with a higher rate of genital infection and diabetic ketoacidosis. Larger cohort studies and long-term clinical trials powered to assess cardiovascular events are necessary to understand the risk-benefit profile of SGLT2 inhibitors as first-line therapy for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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Zhu M, Shen S, Redelmeier DA, Li L, Wei L, Foss R. Bans on Cellphone Use While Driving and Traffic Fatalities in the United States. Epidemiology 2021; 32:731-739. [PMID: 34348395 PMCID: PMC8318565 DOI: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As of January 2020, 18 of 50 US states comprehensively banned almost all handheld cellphone use while driving, 3 states and the District of Columbia banned calling and texting, 27 states banned texting on a handheld cellphone, and 2 states had no general cellphone ban for all drivers. However, it remains unknown whether these bans were associated with fewer traffic deaths and whether comprehensive handheld bans are more effective than isolated calling or texting bans. We evaluated whether cellphone bans were associated with fewer driver, non-driver, and total fatalities nationally. METHODS We conducted a longitudinal panel analysis of traffic fatality rates by state, year, and quarter. Population-based rate ratios and 95% CIs were estimated comparing state-quarters with and without cellphone bans. RESULTS From 1999 through 2016, 616,289 persons including 344,003 drivers died in passenger vehicle crashes in the United States. Relative to no ban, comprehensive handheld bans were associated with lower driver fatality rates (adjusted rate ratio aRR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.90, 0.97) but not for non-driver fatalities (aRR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.95, 1.07) or total fatalities (aRR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.94, 1.01). We found no differences in driver fatalities for calling-only bans (aRR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.97, 1.03), texting-only bans (aRR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.99, 1.05), texting plus phone-manipulating bans (aRR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.93, 1.04), or calling and texting bans (aRR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.88, 1.09). CONCLUSIONS Comprehensive handheld bans were associated with fewer driver fatalities.
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Charalambous A, Pincus D, High S, Leung FH, Aktar S, Paterson JM, Redelmeier DA, Ravi B. Association of Surgical Experience With Risk of Complication in Total Hip Arthroplasty Among Patients With Severe Obesity. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2123478. [PMID: 34468752 PMCID: PMC8411295 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.23478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Severe obesity is a risk factor for major early complications after total hip arthroplasty (THA). OBJECTIVE To determine the association between surgeon experience with THA in patients with severe obesity and risk of complications. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective population-based cohort study was performed in Ontario, Canada, from April 1, 2007, to March 31, 2017, with data analysis performed from March 2020 to January 2021. A cohort of patients who received a primary THA for osteoarthritis and who also had severe obesity (body mass index [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared] ≥40) at the time of surgery was defined. These patients were identified using the Canadian Institute for Health Information Discharge Abstract Database and physician claims from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. Generalized estimating equations were used to determine the association between overall THA and severe obesity-specific THA surgeon volume and the occurrence of complications after controlling for potential confounders. The study hypothesized that surgeon experience specific to patients with severe obesity could further reduce the risk of complications. EXPOSURES Primary THA. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Complications were considered as a composite outcome (revision, infection requiring surgery, or dislocation requiring reduction), within 1 year of surgery. This was defined before the study, as was the study hypothesis. RESULTS A total of 4781 eligible patients was identified. The median age was 63 (interquartile range [IQR], 56-69) years, and 3050 patients (63.8%) were women. Overall, 186 patients (3.9%) experienced a surgical complication within 1 year of surgery. The median overall THA surgeon volume was 70 (IQR, 46-106) cases/y, whereas the median obesity-specific surgeon volume was 5 (IQR, 2-9) cases/y. After controlling for patient and hospital factors, greater obesity-specific THA surgeon volume (adjusted odds ratio per additional 10 cases, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.47-0.89]; P = .007), but not greater overall THA surgeon volume (adjusted odds ratio per 10 additional cases, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.93-1.02]; P = .24), was associated with a reduced risk of complication. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Increased surgeon experience performing THA in patients with severe obesity was associated with fewer major surgical complications. These findings suggest that surgeon experience is required to mitigate the unique anatomical challenges posed by surgery in patients with severe obesity. Referral pathways for patients with severe obesity to surgeons with high obesity-specific THA volume should be considered.
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Redelmeier DA, Thiruchelvam D, Tibshirani RJ. Testing for a Sweet Spot in Randomized Trials. Med Decis Making 2021; 42:208-216. [PMID: 34378458 PMCID: PMC8777310 DOI: 10.1177/0272989x211025525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Randomized trials recruit diverse patients, including some individuals who
may be unresponsive to the treatment. Here we follow up on prior conceptual
advances and introduce a specific method that does not rely on
stratification analysis and that tests whether patients in the intermediate
range of disease severity experience more relative benefit than patients at
the extremes of disease severity (sweet spot). Methods We contrast linear models to sigmoidal models when describing associations
between disease severity and accumulating treatment benefit. The Gompertz
curve is highlighted as a specific sigmoidal curve along with the Akaike
information criterion (AIC) as a measure of goodness of fit. This approach
is then applied to a matched analysis of a published landmark randomized
trial evaluating whether implantable defibrillators reduce overall mortality
in cardiac patients (n = 2,521). Results The linear model suggested a significant survival advantage across the
spectrum of increasing disease severity (β = 0.0847, P <
0.001, AIC = 2,491). Similarly, the sigmoidal model suggested a significant
survival advantage across the spectrum of disease severity (α = 93, β =
4.939, γ = 0.00316, P < 0.001 for all, AIC = 1,660). The
discrepancy between the 2 models indicated worse goodness of fit with a
linear model compared to a sigmoidal model (AIC: 2,491 v. 1,660,
P < 0.001), thereby suggesting a sweet spot in the
midrange of disease severity. Model cross-validation using computational
statistics also confirmed the superior goodness of fit of the sigmoidal
curve with a concentration of survival benefits for patients in the midrange
of disease severity. Conclusion Systematic methods are available beyond simple stratification for identifying
a sweet spot according to disease severity. The approach can assess whether
some patients experience more relative benefit than other patients in a
randomized trial. Highlights Randomized trials may recruit patients at extremes of disease
severity who experience less relative benefit than patients
at the middle range of disease severity. We introduce a method to check for possible differential
effects in a randomized trial based on the assumption that a
sweet spot is related to disease severity. The method avoids a proliferation of secondary stratified
analyses and can apply to a randomized trial with a
continuous, binary, or censored survival primary
outcome. The method can work automatically in a randomized trial and
requires no additional information, data collection, special
software, or investigator judgment. Such an analysis for identifying a potential sweet spot can
also help check whether a negative trial correctly excludes
a meaningful effect.
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Zipursky JS, Stall NM, Silverstein WK, Huang Q, Chau J, Hillmer MP, Redelmeier DA. Alcohol Sales and Alcohol-Related Emergencies During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ann Intern Med 2021; 174:1029-1032. [PMID: 33646838 PMCID: PMC7934336 DOI: 10.7326/m20-7466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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