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Background: Numerous studies have shown significant neighbourhood level variation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) incidence rates, however, few have provided an explanation for these disparities beyond traditional socioeconomic measures.Methods: This was a retrospective study using data from a large population-based OHCA database (Rescu Epistry). We included adults ≥20 years who experienced a non-traumatic OHCA and were treated by emergency medical services within Toronto, Canada between 2006-2012. The residential address of each OHCA patient was spatially mapped to 1 of 517 Toronto census tracts (CTs). Patient and CT level characteristics were included in multivariate regression models to assess their association with OHCA incidence per 100,000 persons.Results: Of the 7775 OHCAs occurring in the study area, 7692 (98.9%) were eligible for inclusion. OHCA incidence rates varied widely across CT quintiles, with rates differing almost 4-fold (109.1 per 100,000 yearly Q5 most deprived vs. 30.0 per 100,000 yearly Q1 least deprived p < 0.0001). Numerous areas of high incidence adjacent to areas of low incidence were observed. After adjustment, all variables except the Activity Friendly Index showed highly significant linear trends, with increasing age, sex ratio, diabetes prevalence, material deprivation and ethnic concentration being independently associated with increasing OHCA incidence. In contrast, we did not observe a linear relationship between high OHCA incidence and median household income.Conclusions: This study showed almost 4-fold OHCA incidence variability across a large metropolitan area. This variability was partially correlated with population and health data, but not typical socioeconomic predictors, such as median household income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Concurrent admission of a mother and her newborn to separate intensive care units (herein referred to as co-ICU admission), possibly in different centres, can magnify family discord and stress. We examined the prevalence and predictors of mother-infant separation and mortality associated with co- ICU admissions. Methods: We completed a population-based study of all 1 023 978 singleton live births in Ontario between Apr. 1, 2002, and Mar. 31, 2010. We included data for maternal-infant pairs that had co-ICU admission (n = 1216), maternal ICU admission only (n = 897), neonatal ICU (NICU) admission only (n = 123 236) or no ICU admission (n = 898 629). The primary outcome measure was mother-infant separation because of interfacility transfer. Results: The prevalence of co-ICU admissions was 1.2 per 1000 live births and was higher than maternal ICU admissions (0.9 per 1000). Maternal- newborn separation due to interfacility transfer was 30.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] 26.9-35.3) times more common in the co-ICU group than in the no-ICU group and exceeded the prevalence in the maternal ICU group and NICU group. Short-term infant mortality (< 28 days after birth) was higher in the co-ICU group (18.1 per 1000 live births; maternal age- adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 27.8, 95% CI 18.2- 42.6) than in the NICU group (7.6 per 1000; ageadjusted HR 11.5, 95% CI 10.4-12.7), relative to 0.7 per 1000 in the no-ICU group. Short-term maternal mortality (< 42 days after delivery) was also higher in the co-ICU group (15.6 per 1000; age-adjusted HR 328.7, 95% CI 191.2-565.2) than in the maternal ICU group (6.7 per 1000; age-adjusted HR 140.0, 95% CI 59.5-329.2) or the NICU group (0.2 per 1000; age-adjusted HR 4.6, 95% CI 2.8-7.4). Interpretation: Mother-infant pairs in the co- ICU group had the highest prevalence of separation due to interfacility transfer and the highest mortality compared with those in the maternal ICU and NICU groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE -- To assess whether abdominal adiposity in early pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of glucose intolerance at a later gestational stage. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -- Subcutaneous and visceral fat was measured with ultrasonography at ∼12 weeks' gestation. A 50-g glucose challenge test (GCT) was performed between 24 and 28 weeks' gestation. The risk of having a positive GCT (≥7.8 mmol/l) was determined in association with subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue depths above their respective upper-quartile values relative to their bottom three quartile values. RESULTS-- Sixty-two women underwent GCTs. A visceral adipose tissue depth above the upper quartile value was significantly associated with a positive GCT in later pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio 16.9 [95% CI 1.5-194.6]). No associations were seen for subcutaneous adipose tissue. CONCLUSIONS -- Measurement of visceral adipose tissue depth in early pregnancy may be associated with glucose intolerance later in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]