CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne
-
To develop guidelines for conducting ward rounds, all trainees in the Department of Medicine residency program at Montreal General Hospital were asked to identify the clinical instructors who were most successful at conducting rounds. The nine instructors mentioned most often were asked to write a description of how they conducted ward rounds. The common characteristics were empathy to the needs of trainees, interest in being with and facilitating the learning of trainees at all levels, and accessibility. Implementation of the guidelines resulted in heightened awareness of the importance of the teaching function of clinical ward rounds as well as increased emphasis on making rounds useful and enjoyable.
-
From January 1982 to June 1984, 30,315 serum specimens from pregnant women at nine hospitals in the Montreal area were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Of the specimens 103, from 98 women, were positive, a prevalence rate of 3.4 per 1000. ⋯ If the prevalence rate found in this study is true for the 95 000 live births that occur yearly in the province of Quebec, there are an estimated 323 infants at risk for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection each year in the province. Screening programs for detecting HBV carriage in pregnant women should be instituted, since recent studies have shown combined active-passive immunization to be effective in preventing perinatal transmission of HBV infection.
-
Between 1971 and 1973, 200 Dalkon Shield and 142 Gyne-T 200 intrauterine devices (IUDs) were inserted at the department of obstetrics and gynecology in a large urban hospital. In 1984 retrospective analysis of events associated with the use of these IUDs was done. Hospital and clinic charts were reviewed, and the women were contacted to obtain information on infertility and the outcome of pregnancy after discontinuation of IUD use. ⋯ There were no differences between the two groups in outcome of pregnancy with the IUD in situ or after expulsion or removal of the IUD because of planned pregnancy or other reasons. Infertility rates after discontinuation of IUD use were similar for the Dalkon Shield and Gyne-T 200 users. The results confirm the authors' opinion that the Dalkon Shield and Gyne-T 200 IUDs are safe and effective methods of intrauterine contraception.