CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal articles from January 2005

CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal archives from January 2005

Dealing with prostitution in Canada.(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 4, 2005... I take exception to CMAJ's comments about "john school" in a recent editorial. (1) To begin with, the "johns" are in fact exposed to direct feedback about the "public nuisance" aspects of prostitution, from community members whose...

Risks and benefits of [beta]-blockade.(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 4, 2005... P.J. Devereaux and associates (1) state that the current situation with respect to evidence for [beta]-blocker therapy before surgery is similar to the situation that existed 12 years ago when estrogen replacement was widely recommended. I...

Patient-physician-regulator triad.(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 4, 2005... We feel that the commentary by Gideon Koren and associates (1) regarding safety concerns related to isotretinoin has the potential to serve as a catalyst for safer use of this drug. We concur that proper measures to prevent pregnancy in...

Outcomes of postmastectomy radiotherapy.(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 4, 2005... In 1995 the American Society of Clinical Oncology adopted a statement on the choice of outcomes in assessing cancer treatments. (1) That statement made a clear distinction between patient outcomes (survival and quality of life) and cancer...

Corrections.(Letters/Correspondance)(Correction Notice)
January 4, 2005... We apologize for misquoting Dr. Michael Helewa, president-elect of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada in our report. (1) Helewa actually said that the rising rates of various medical interventions in child birth are...

Editor's note.(Editorial)
January 4, 2005... CMAJ's current evidence-based medicine series includes a set of online articles directed to teachers (1-3) to accompany the articles intended for learners of evidence-based medicine, which are being published in print. (4-6) References ...

Deaths/Necrologie.(Obituary)
January 4, 2005... Notice--CMAJ welcomes obituaries submitted within 60 days of a death. These should be no longer than 200 words, and colourful writing is encouraged. Send to Barbara Sibbald, barbara.sibbald@cma.ca; fax 613 565-2382. Barton, W. Bruce,...

Query.(Canada's fee structure)
January 4, 2005... Although I've never participated in a strike, I've seen enough of them to grasp their eternal dichotomy: one believes either that unions manoeuvre themselves into a strike position by virtue of employer weakness, or that they are forced there...

Countries ill-prepared for influenza pandemic.(Infection Control)(H5N1 virus )
January 4, 2005... H5N1 is the best candidate flu strain for an expected influenza pandemic, but countries around the globe are ill prepared to manufacture it, the World Health Organization is warning. "There is currently too little momentum in the...

Vaccinating the world: how likely?(Global Health)
January 4, 2005... The World Health Organization wants 6 billion people around the globe vaccinated in the event of an influenza pandemic--but it will be 6-7 years at best before we have the capacity to do that, says the physician who headed the successful...

Hepatitis C compensation may be extended.(Hepatitis C)
January 4, 2005... A longer version of this article was posted Nov. 22, 2004, at www.cmaj.ca/news/22_11_04.shtml Six years after the original agreement to compensate some Canadians who contracted hepatitis C from tainted blood, the federal government has...

Early warning system.(News @ a glance)(public health intelligence tool )(Brief Article)
January 4, 2005... Early warning system: Canada has launched the latest version of a public health intelligence tool that provides early warnings about infectious disease outbreaks, bioterrorism, drug alerts, food and water contamination and problems with medical...

Research dollars.(News @ a glance)(federal funds for health research projects )
January 4, 2005... Research dollars: The federal government has announced funding of more than $187 million for 442 health research projects over the next 5 years, and another $90.5 million in 7 Networks of Centres of Excellence. The network funding includes the...

Ethics in war.(News @ a glance)(World Medical Association's new policy)(Brief Article)
January 4, 2005... Ethics in war: The World Medical Association has amended its policy on ethical behaviour to emphasize that "medical ethics in times of armed conflict are identical to medical ethics in times of peace." The policy, which was approved by all 40...

PACT.(News @ a glance)(Medical project, Police and Crisis Team)(Brief Article)
January 4, 2005... PACT: Mental health professionals in Edmonton's Capital Health region have teamed up with the city's police department to keep mental health patients out of emergency departments. The 3-year Police and Crisis Team (PACT) project aims to...

Home dialysis.(News @ a glance)(Brief Article)
January 4, 2005... Home dialysis: BC's new, independent peritoneal and hemodialysis program will allow 60 patients to dialyze at home, enhancing their quality of life and saving about $1 million a year. Home dialysis costs between $35 000 and $50 000 annually,...

Conflict of interest.(News @ a glance)
January 4, 2005... Conflict of interest: The World Medical Association has published its first guidelines governing the relationship between physicians and commercial enterprises. The guidelines, which cover medical conferences, gifts, research and affiliations,...

Managing weighty issues on lean evidence: the challenges of bariatric medicine.(Obesity)
January 4, 2005... Obesity currently affects more than 300 million people worldwide, and by the end of this decade as many as 20% of the adult population in North America may have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 40 kg/[m.sup.2]. Thus, physicians and other...

Screening for depression in primary care: recommendation statement from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.(Depression)
January 4, 2005... An abridged version of this article appeared in the Jan. 4, 2005, issue of CMAJ and is available online at www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/172/1/33/DC1 In 1994 the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care addressed screening for...

Mass sociogenic illness.(Public Health)
January 4, 2005... Background and epidemiology: Mass sociogenic illness refers to the "rapid spread of illness signs and symptoms affecting members of a cohesive group, originating from a nervous system disturbance involving excitation, loss or alteration of...

Do beta-blockers and thiazides reduce fracture risk?(In the Literature)(Book Review)
January 4, 2005... Schlienger RG, Kraenzlin ME, Jick SS, Meier CR. Use of [beta]-blockers and risk of fractures. JAMA 2004;292(11):1326-32. Background: There is evidence that 2 classes of antihypertensive drugs may improve bone mineral content. Animal studies...

The "eye of the tiger" sign.(Clinical Vistas)
January 4, 2005... A 13-year-old boy presented to a pediatric clinic with progressive decreased movements. His vision had been decreasing for 8 years, and he had been unable to walk for 3 years. The patient was born to a healthy nonconsanguineous couple. His...

Patients who leave the pediatric emergency department without being seen: a case-control study.(Research/Recherche)
January 4, 2005... Abstract Background: Children who visit pediatric emergency departments (EDs) and leave before being seen by a physician may present with particular health problems and may be at risk for preventable health outcomes. We compared children...

Malaria "epidemic" in Quebec: diagnosis and response to imported malaria.(Research/Recherche)
January 4, 2005... Abstract Background: Imported malaria is an increasing problem. The arrival of 224 African refugees presented the opportunity to investigate the diagnosis and management of imported malaria within the Quebec health care system. ...

Vioxx: lessons for Health Canada and the FDA/Le Vioxx: lecons pour Sante Canada et la FDA.(Editorial)
January 4, 2005... Last fall the COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx), a heavily marketed and successful drug with a low risk of gastrointestinal bleeding, was withdrawn from the market because of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, mainly myocardial...

Invasive Haemophilus influenzae type b infections in vaccinated and unvaccinated children in Canada, 2001-2003.(Research/Recherche)
January 4, 2005... Abstract Background: Although vaccination of infants against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) invasive infections is effective and has been routinely available in Canada since 1992, cases of the disease continue to occur. We were...

Hormone replacement therapy and antidepressant prescription patterns: a reciprocal relationship.(Commentary/Commentaire)
January 4, 2005... Major depressive disorder is a prevalent and disabling condition. (1) The causes of mood disorders are heterogeneous, involving a complicated interplay of both psychosocial and biological variables. (2,3) In an analysis of adult women, the...

Strategies to increase the enrolment of students of rural origin in medical school: recommendations from the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada.(Essay)
January 4, 2005... The Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC) recognizes the importance of educating physicians for rural practice. Because students with a rural background are the most likely to ultimately choose rural practice as a career, achieving an...

Focal hyperhidrosis: diagnosis and management.(Review/Synthese)
January 4, 2005... Abstract HYPERHIDROSIS, A CONDITION CHARACTERIZED by excessive sweating, can be generalized or focal. Generalized hyperhidrosis involves the entire body and is usually part of an underlying condition, most often an infectious, endocrine or...

Ethical investigations.(Book Review)
January 4, 2005... Ethical investigations Double standards in medical research in developing countries Ruth Macklin Cambridge (UK): Cambridge University Press; 2004 288 pp $75 (cloth) ISBN 0-521-83388-4 $34.99 (paper) 0-521-54170-0 Ruth...

Looking out a window at St. Michael's Hospital.(The Left Atrium/Cote coeur)(Letter to the Editor)
January 4, 2005... The cars outside scurry into parking holes: an attendant administers tickets and takes money. His gate goes up. Traffic breeds thick on the street. Using paper bags for pillows, derelicts sleep in the square. Townhouse roofs are worn from too...

Josina: collateral damage in a forgotten war.(Room for a view)
January 4, 2005... In 1983 Mozambique is torn by internal conflict supported by an apartheid South Africa, itself threatened by the existence of this black socialist nation on its flank. Maputo Central Hospital is the country's most important medical centre. ...

Night shift.(The Left Atrium/Cote coeur)(Letter to the Editor)
January 4, 2005... Everything seemed backward to me when I started working night shifts: it was dark, and I was awake. I looked upon it as if I were the captain of a ship, ferrying patients from night to light, keeping them safe from the storms of pain and...

Open access in medical publishing: trends and countertrends/ L'acces ouvert en edition medicale : tendances et contre-courants.(Editorial)(Editorial)
January 18, 2005... In the increasingly transient neighbourhood of medical journals publishing, the boldest new kid on the block is PLoS Medicine (http://medicine.plosjournals.org), a free-access general medical journal whose first issue appeared in October 2003....

Sustainability of family medicine.(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 18, 2005... Canada is experiencing a shortage of family physicians. Bruce Wright and associates (1) have identified several factors that might be used to increase the number of medical students choosing to enter family medicine. For its part, the...

Right reaction, wrong response.(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 18, 2005... I was disturbed by Lucie Opatrny's description (1) of viewing a second-trimester termination when she was a 15-year-old high school student. This encounter was unethical from the patient's perspective; furthermore, it was inappropriate for a...

Neural tube defects.(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 18, 2005... The primary finding reported by Joel Ray and associates (1) in their study of ethnicity in relation to the development of neural tube defects--that babies born to First Nations women have a higher risk of neural tube defects--should be...

Does the C in CME stand for "continuing" or "commercial"?(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 18, 2005... The commentaries on commercial sponsorship of continuing medical education (CME) by David Davis (1) and Bernard Marlow (2) contain good recommendations, but both are hampered by an incomplete analysis. Davis refers positively to the Code of...

Online access to a for-profit CMAJ.(Letters/Correspondance)(Letter to the Editor)
January 18, 2005... Wayne Kondro, quoting CMA Secretary-General Bill Tholl, reports that "Physicians will continue to receive their free subscription to CMAJ as a benefit of association membership 'for the foreseeable future'" after CMA Publications is sold to CMA...

Correction.(Letters/Correspondance)(Correction Notice)
January 18, 2005... In part 2 of the series "Tips for learners of evidence-based medicine" (1) the information in Fig. 1 did not fully correspond with the information provided in the text. Specifically, the data for hypothetical trial 2 in Fig. 1B should have been...

Debate over online recruitment of organ donors.(Medical Ethics)
January 18, 2005... New Internet clearinghouses designed to connect patients in need of organ transplants with altruistic strangers are raising ethical dilemmas for Canadian physicians and transplant centres. Like most transplant centres in the world, Canadian...

Delisting chiropractic and physiotherapy: false saving?(Health Economics)
January 18, 2005... Delisting chiropractic services in BC and Ontario, and limiting community-based physiotherapy in BC, Alberta and Ontario are false economies, both professional associations claim. The Ontario government hopes to save $100 million annually...

Increasing private delivery of publicly funded services?(Health Act)
January 18, 2005... Two years after Canada's political leaders signed the First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal, provincial and federal governments seem more out of step with each other than ever on the question of what constitutes a legitimate role for...

Rural India.(News @ a glance)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2005... Rural India: A new Rural Health Mission in India will attempt to provide basic health services in 300 000 villages. The plan covers 17 states, including those with some of the worst health indicators, including high maternal and infant death...

Google grads.(News @ a glance)(scholarly search engine)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2005... Google grads: One of the Internet's most popular search engines has launched a sister engine devoted to scholarly literature, including peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, preprints, abstracts and technical reports. Google Scholar...

125 ways.(News @ a glance)(Family medicine)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2005... 125 ways: A report from the College of Family Physicians of Canada makes 125 recommendations to address the current and future shortage of FPs. Family Medicine in Canada--Vision for the Future recommends increasing the number of medical school...

Beyond Dolly.(News @ a glance)(cloning and research into motor neuron disease)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2005... Beyond Dolly: The creators of Dolly the sheep have applied for a licence from the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to clone human embryos for research into motor neuron disease (MND). The team from Roslin Institute,...

No autism coverage.(News @ a glance)(Brief Article)
January 18, 2005... No autism coverage: A unanimous Supreme Court of Canada decision that the BC government did not discriminate against autistic children by refusing to pay for expensive therapy, means it's up to the provinces to decide what "noncore" services...

How do the eyes move together? New understandings help explain eye deviations in patients with stroke.(Neuroanatomy)
January 18, 2005... Contrary to popular belief, moving the nondominant side of the body is a bihemispheric event, with commands originating from the major hemisphere and effected by the minor hemisphere. In contrast, moving the dominant side of the body is a...

Craving nicotine: it's in the genes.(Science And Medicine)(smoking cessation)
January 18, 2005... Quitting smoking is perceived as a struggle of mind over matter, but nicotine dependence seems to be determined in part by one's genes. It is known that nicotine interacts with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain, although...

Screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus to prevent vascular complications: updated recommendations from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.(Diabetes)
January 18, 2005... In developing these recommendations, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care drew heavily on a recent systematic review prepared for the US Preventive Services Task Force of the evidence for screening asymptomatic people for type 2...

Is blood transfusion harmful in patients with acute coronary syndromes?(In The Literature)
January 18, 2005... Rao SV, Jollis JG, Harrington RA, Granger CB, Newby LK, Armstrong PW, et al. Relationship of blood transfusion and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndromes. JAMA2004;292 (13):1555-62. Background: There is uncertainty...

Instability of Carbolith (lithium carbonate).(Health And Drug Alerts)
January 18, 2005... Reason for posting: A few lots of Carbolith (lithium carbonate) 150-mg capsules were recalled from pharmacies and wholesalers across Canada because of failed stability tests of samples retained beyond 18 months. In November 2004 the...

A 53-year-old woman with abdominal pain and fullness.(Clinical Vistas)
January 18, 2005... A 53-year-old woman presented with a 6-month history of discomfort and fullness on the right side of her abdomen. She denied having gastrointestinal symptoms, weight loss or back pain. Abdominal examination revealed a palpable, welldefined mass...

Lymphogranuloma venereum in the differential diagnosis of proctitis.(Public Health)(Sexually transmitted diseases)
January 18, 2005... Background and epidemiology: Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a systemic STD caused by infection by Chlamydia trachomatis serotypes L1, L2 and L3, which are endemic in parts of Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean but rare in Western...

Impact of specialist follow-up in outpatients with congestive heart failure.(Research/Recherche)
January 18, 2005... Abstract Background: There is uncertainty about whether physician specialty influences the outcomes of outpatients with congestive heart failure after adjustment for differences in case mix. Our objective was to determine the impact of...

Volume of screening mammography and performance in the Quebec population-based breast cancer screening program.(Research/Recherche)
January 18, 2005... Abstract Background: In the Quebec Breast Cancer Screening Program (Programme quebecois de depistage du cancer du sein [PQDCS]), radiologists' and facilities' volumes of screening mammography vary considerably. We examined the relation of...

How should abridged scientific articles be presented in journals? A survey of readers and authors.(Research letter)
January 18, 2005... Abstract SEVERAL SCIENTIFIC AND GENERAL MEDICAL JOURNALS publish full-length articles on their Web sites and abridged versions in their print journals. We surveyed a stratified random sample of BMJ readers and authors to elicit their...

Patients with treatable malignant diseases--including heart failure--are entitled to specialist care.(Commentary/Commentaire)
January 18, 2005... In this issue (1) (see page 189) Ezekowitz and colleagues examine the impact of physician specialty on the outcome of care in patients discharged from hospital with a new diagnosis of congestive heart failure. Their comparison of patients who...

Breast cancer screening, diagnostic accuracy and health care policies.(Commentaire)
January 18, 2005... The criteria for an effective screening program are well established: the disease should pose a substantial burden, it should have an understood latency period, and there should be acceptable screening tests and therapeutic interventions...

Oral antihyperglycemic therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus.(Review/Synthese)
January 18, 2005... Abstract DIABETES MELLITUS IS A CHRONIC DISEASE that is growing in prevalence worldwide. Pharmacologic therapy is often necessary to achieve optimal glycemic control in the management of diabetes. Orally administered antihyperglycemic...

Prescribing errors.(Book Review)
January 18, 2005... Powerful medicines: the benefits, risks, and costs of prescription drugs Jerry Avorn New York: Alfred A. Knopf; 2004 448 pp $39.95 (cloth) ISBN 0-375-41483-5 There are many jobs that I would not want to have, and these days...

The leaving game.(Room for a view)(Column)
January 18, 2005... It was going to happen sooner or later, and now, finally, it had come. Time to pack up. Everyone leaves eventually, going to new places, making new friends, shaking off the dust from the past. Then it happens to you, too. Want it or not, you...

Visionary gifts.(Lifeworks)(Nancy Edell, artist)
January 18, 2005... Visual art exists in the physical moment when the viewer stands before the work. But it also generates a psychological or intellectual moment that the viewer captures as memories in the mind's eye. This is certainly true of Nancy Edell:...

Deaths/Necrologie.(Obituary)
January 18, 2005... Notice--CMAJ welcomes obituaries submitted within 60 days of a death. These should be no longer than 200 words, and colourful writing is encouraged. Send to Barbara Sibbald, barbara.sibbald@cma.ca; fax 613 565-2382. Adamson, David H., St....

Query.(Life styles of physicians)(Column)
January 18, 2005... Are doctors charter members of the cult of consumption? I ask this because of a revelation I had last night when attending a journal club meeting at a colleague's home. Judging from the line of cars parked on the street, I figured I had the...