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Showing posts from September, 2023

Researchers are still untangling the risks of catching COVID over and over

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In many ways, it feels like we tamed SARS-CoV-2 into submission. Yet this virus continues to circulate year-round, causing repeat infections, with few official measures still in place to curb its spread. Scientists warn the long-term toll on individuals' health remains somewhat uncertain.

140,000 Nova Scotians are waiting for a family doctor. Can virtual care help?

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Virtual Care Nova Scotia offers unattached patients access to doctors and nurse practitioners via app or website. Those patients can also be referred to a network of in-person clinics across the province when a video or phone call isn't adequate.

3 years after Joyce Echaquan's death, loved ones reflect on what's changed — and what hasn't

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Though improvements have been made by the Lanaudière health board, Atikamekw community members say there is more work to do as the pain of Joyce Echaquan's death is still fresh and mistrust remains.

Health Canada OKs updated Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19

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Health Canada has given the green light to Pfizer's updated vaccine to protect people aged six months and older from COVID-19.

Nurse says she won't rest until Indigenous patients 'actually feel safe' seeking health care

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Tania Dick is the director for cultural safety and humility and clinical practice for the B.C. Ministry of Health, but she says the last 18 years of her career have shown her how much work is needed to eliminate anti-Indigenous racism from the nursing profession.

Stopping high doses of domperidone, drug used for breastfeeding, can cause withdrawal, Health Canada warns

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A Health Canada review has found there is a risk of psychiatric withdrawal effects when women taking high doses of the drug domperidone to stimulate breast milk production suddenly stop taking it.

Calgary lays charges against catering company believed linked to E. coli outbreak

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, along with AHS health officials, are set to provide an update on the investigation into the E. coli outbreak in Calgary on Wednesday. Watch it here live at 9 a.m. MT.

Haida elder in 'extreme' appendicitis pain was allegedly released from B.C. hospital without treatment

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Penny Kerrigan was flown to Terrace, B.C., because of severe stomach pain. She was allegedly discharged with just regular Tylenol for the discomfort and without a diagnosis of her appendicitis, something she ascribes to anti-Indigenous bias.

Canada relies on Filipino nurses to fill chronic nursing shortage across country

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Since the 1960s, Canada has relied heavily on the Philippines for its nurses. CBC News producer Stephanie Dubois spent weeks in the Philippines in June to learn more about the people involved in recruiting Filipino nurses for Canada and how they do it. We also wanted to know why nurses feel compelled to leave.

'COVID was never gone': As cases rise in B.C., so do worries about normalizing the coronavirus

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Infectious disease specialists and immunocompromised people are concerned about an increase in COVID-19 cases in B.C. — especially because it appears many people have stopped following recommended health measures like wearing masks and staying home when sick.

Caregiver calls for 'culture change' in nursing after Indigenous man's death

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The story of Keegan Combes, who died of accidental methanol poisoning after being neglected by staff at a B.C. hospital, has become part of the fight to dismantle anti-Indigenous racism in the nursing profession, according to B.C.'s regulator for nurses.

9 Albertans infected with West Nile virus, AHS says

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In the last year, two cases have been recorded in the Edmonton area and seven in southern Alberta. In the last month, there have been five recorded cases in the southeastern area of Alberta.

Canadian kids' spinal surgery waits 'far exceed' recommendations: report

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Children across the country are waiting too long to see a specialist and get treatment, a new report by the Conference Board of Canada says.

Family wonders if a quicker cancer diagnosis could have saved Thunder Bay, Ont., woman's life

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A Thunder Bay, Ont., nurse who lost her mother last summer to Stage 4 T-cell lymphoma is pushing for a new policy to make it easier for patients to receive cancer diagnoses. She wants to know why a patient can't see a hematologist until the cancer is verified. Here's what we learned.

Doctors say at-home screening for HPV could be an opportunity to 'eliminate a cancer'

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Take-home kits to screen for cervical cancer virus should be offered to reduce disparity, family doctors say in new guidelines.

Newcomer kids to Canada face chronic health risks. Here's how these researchers hope to help

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In recent years, emerging research has found that newcomer children in Canada are developing chronic adult health conditions because of their circumstances. Researchers at McMaster University are looking to create a program that will help keep them healthy.

What you eat could be key to improving your mental health, scientists say

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Research shows that the types of microbes found in our gut, or gastrointestinal tract, could have a direct impact on our mood.

Rehab programs can improve quality of life for patients struggling with long COVID: research

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New findings indicate how exercise helps people living with long COVID walk farther and faster. Such patients commonly report that they have a hard time handling long or strenuous walks, which in turn hampers their quality of life.

The number of people accessing safe supply in B.C. has dropped. It's unclear why — but it's prompting concerns

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The number of people accessing a prescribed safe supply of illicit drugs in B.C. has dropped by more than 11 per cent over four months, according to the provincial government, although the reasons for the decrease are unclear.

Teen mental health support can learn from cancer care in Ontario, psychologist says

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Two new studies show a significant pandemic increase in ER visits and hospitalizations for teenagers due to self-harm or suicidal ideation. Experts say better mental health supports are needed — and a model for cancer care could be the path to providing them.

Alberta Health Services says E. coli cases related to daycare outbreak stable

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The health authority says there have been two additional lab-confirmed cases of the bacterial infection that have now been linked to the outbreak, up to 350 from 348 on Tuesday.

As Canada moves toward 3-year training for family doctors, some worry about worsening shortages

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The College of Family Physicians of Canada wants to increase the length of a family medicine residency from two years to three, as a way of preparing doctors for more complex patients. But the plan is raising concerns it will increase the shortage of doctors at a time when some six million Canadians don't have access.

Alberta CMOH says E. coli numbers starting to 'trend in the right direction'

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Alberta’s chief medical officer of health said he's "encouraged" by the latest numbers following a weeks-long E. coli outbreak in Calgary, which has left hundreds of kids sick and closed multiple daycares. 

Nationwide tracking sought for rare disease that is spread by canines, fatal if untreated

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As cases creep upward of a rare disease that spreads to humans from wild canines and dogs, medical experts say it's important to get a better understanding of its incidence across the country.

Secondary cases of E. coli grow in aftermath of Calgary outbreak: Alberta Health Services

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There are now 348 lab-confirmed cases of E. coli in Calgary following an outbreak at daycares — including 27 secondary cases, up by four since Saturday, Alberta Health Services says.

This pediatrician has a stark warning about the risks of 'anti-science'

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A pediatrician, author and co-inventor of a low-cost COVID-19 vaccine warns that the anti-vaccine movement has morphed into a political force that threatens the world's gains against deadly childhood infections like measles.

Energy drinks can harm teens' health. Here's what experts say parents can do

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Despite their popularity, experts say there are health risks to consuming energy drinks, and it’s important for parents and teachers to have open conversations with teens about those risks.

Trans teens and youth say gender-affirming care is 'life-changing.' So why is it so hard to find in Canada?

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Demand for gender-affirming care is becoming more common across the country. But families of youth who want this kind of care — which can range from mental health counselling to hormone replacement therapy or even just learning what treatments are available — say the wait is too long. Doctors say more physicians and nurses are keen to help and providing this care is just a matter of training.

As Canada recruits Filipino nurses, those left behind struggle to care for patients

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The Philippines is dealing with a nursing shortage as countries like Canada recruit within its borders. When the nurses leave, it causes a ripple effect on those left behind in the Philippines.

Mobile clinic has vision of bringing eye care to high-needs schools across Manitoba

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Manitoba's Mobile Vision Care Clinic expects to offer eye exams and glasses in about 100 Manitoba schools this year, testing approximately 12,000 students. For the majority, this will be their first eye exam, says the clinic's director.

Some Quebec nursing students getting licensed out of province to bypass controversial exam

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Frustrated with Quebec's licensing exam for nurses, which was found to be flawed and unreliable last year, some Quebec nursing candidates are registering to practise in other provinces in order to take the exam offered to all nursing students in the rest of Canada. 

Botulism outbreak tied to Bordeaux restaurant sickens Canadians

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Health officials in France say a 32-year-old woman is dead and eight others remain hospitalized after an apparent botulism outbreak that includes Canadians.

How can Alberta prevent future E. coli outbreaks? Politicians promise answers as experts weigh in

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As the magnitude of a Calgary daycare-related E. coli outbreak becomes clear, questions are being raised about what went wrong, calls are emerging for increased food safety surveillance and Alberta's health minister is vowing to get to the bottom of it.

Premier Danielle Smith preparing compensation for families impacted by E. coli outbreak at Calgary daycares

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In her first interview about an E. coli outbreak at Calgary daycares that spread to more than 300 children, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she's directed her government to come up with a proposal to financially help affected families.

Drug overdose deaths from multiple substances on rise in Ontario since start of pandemic: report

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A new report points to an increasingly toxic and unregulated drug supply, which is creating more complicated addictions that require nuanced treatments. The trend toward deaths from multiple toxic substances is also apparent across Canada and the U.S.

Ontario proposes letting pharmacists prescribe flu meds, give RSV vaccines

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Ontario is planning to allow pharmacists to prescribe flu medication, administer flu shots to babies and administer RSV vaccines, when available, ahead of an expected fall viral surge.

Tuberculosis screening clinic to open in Pangnirtung, Nunavut

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Nearly two years after the government of Nunavut declared a tuberculosis outbreak in Pangnirtung, a community-wide screening clinic will open in the community of 1,500. 

How E. coli infections wreak havoc on the body, causing dangerous disease — particularly in kids

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Certain strains of E. coli are capable of causing severe disease, by rapidly spreading through the human digestive system, wreaking havoc throughout the bloodstream, and eventually damaging the delicate kidneys. That's the situation right now during a large outbreak in Alberta, with hundreds of children now affected.

Does COVID-19 spread in a hospital mean there's an outbreak? Not anymore, says B.C. health ministry

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In a response to questions from CBC about COVID-19 outbreak declarations at acute care and long term care facilities, the B.C. ministry of health confirmed that in some cases an outbreak is no longer reported even when there is a spike in cases. Instead, “enhanced measures” are put in place without alerting the public.

Staggering mental health, addiction stats push northern First Nations to call for emergency declaration

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Mental health and addictions issues aren't new in First Nations in northern Ontario, but people in the field say the situation is getting worse. Chiefs across the region are calling for urgent intervention to ease the crisis, along with more autonomy in delivering health-care services to their communities.

Popular decongestant in many cold meds is ineffective, says U.S. drug advisory panel

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The leading decongestant used by millions of people looking for relief from a stuffy nose is no better than a dummy pill, according to U.S. government experts who reviewed the latest research on the long-questioned drug ingredient.

Here are some of the biggest E. coli O157 outbreaks in Canada

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An outbreak of E. coli infections at several Calgary daycares has infected more than 260 people, most of them children. It's not the first major outbreak of the food-borne illness— here's a chronological list of some of Canada's other major E. coli O157 outbreaks.

Students struggling in wake of pandemic, more mental health resources needed: Toronto board of health

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Toronto's board of health says more mental health resources are needed for child and teens because they are still suffering negative impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Opening date for new hospital in Surrey pushed back to 2030 from 2027

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B.C. Premier David Eby and Health Minister Adrian Dix announced with aplomb on Tuesday ground-breaking on a new hospital in Surrey, but the facility, which includes a new cancer care centre, will open its doors three years later than originally planned and cost an additional billion dollars.

This entire family died of suspected overdoses. Those left say parents with addictions need more support

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In a 6-month span, a 16-month-old baby and both her parents died of suspected drug toxicity in Saskatoon. The surviving family members say they want to see better supports for parents living with addictions, and better protections for their children.

Proposed class-action lawsuit claims AHS breached contracts with foreign-trained doctors

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A proposed class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of clinical assistants and clinical surgical assistants has been launched against Alberta Health Services.

Cancer society wants government action on youth vaping rates in Nova Scotia

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An official with the Canadian Cancer Society in Atlantic Canada is raising the alarm about youth vaping rates in Nova Scotia and what it says is a lack of action by the provincial government to do something about it.

4 Calgary daycares linked to E. coli outbreak allowed to reopen at their discretion Monday, AHS says

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None of the four facilities that are allowed to open at their discretion Monday were linked to any positive E. coli cases, despite sharing a kitchen where the outbreak started, Alberta Health Services.

Parents struggle as 27 hospitalized in Calgary daycare E. coli outbreak

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Twenty-seven patients are currently hospitalized after an outbreak of shiga toxin-producing E. coli forced the closure of 11 daycare sites in the city over the Labour Day weekend.

Restrictions likely helped curb spread of COVID-19 in N.S., Dalhousie researchers find

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A report from six Dalhousie University researchers finds infections and deaths increased when restrictions eased and the Omicron variant arrived.