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Introduction: British Columbia (BC) declared an overdose public health emergency in 2016. Since then, BC has consistently reported the highest overdose death rates of any province in Canada. In the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic, overdose deaths in BC reached a record high in 2020. This analysis reports on changes in the profile of people who have died of overdose since BC's declaration of COVID‐19 as a public health emergency on 17 March 2020. Methods: Using BC Coroners Service data, Chi‐square tests and multivariable logistic regression were conducted to compare demographic, geographic and post‐mortem toxicology data between people who died of overdose before (17 March–31 December 2019) and after (17 March–31 December 2020) BC's declaration of COVID‐19 as a public health emergency. Results: Overdose deaths observed since 17 March 2020 (n = 1516) more than doubled those observed in the same period in 2019 (n = 744). In the adjusted logistic regression model, odds of death in the post compared to pre‐COVID‐19 period was significantly higher among males compared to females, among all older age groups compared to people aged 30–39, and was lower in public buildings compared to private residences. Discussion and Conclusions: Alongside a significant increase in overdose deaths since BC's declaration of COVID‐19 as a public health emergency, the demographic profile of people who have died of overdose has changed. Ongoing overdose prevention efforts in BC must seek to reach people who remain most isolated, including older adults, who during dual public health emergencies are facing compounded risk of preventable mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori infection is the leading cause of peptic ulcer disease. The purpose of this study was, first, to assess the difference in the distribution of negative versus positive results between the older 14C-urea breath test and the newer 13C-urea breath test and, second, to determine whether use of an indeterminate-results category is still meaningful and what type of results should trigger repeated testing. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed of all consecutive patients referred to our service for urea breath testing. We analyzed 562 patients who had undergone testing with 14C-urea and 454 patients who had undergone testing with 13C-urea. Results: In comparison with the wide distribution of negative 14C results, negative 13C results were distributed farther from the cutoff and were grouped more tightly around the mean negative value. Distribution analysis of the negative results for 13C testing, compared with those for 14C testing, revealed a statistically significant difference between the two. Within the 13C group, only 1 patient could have been classified as having indeterminate results using the same indeterminate zone as was used for the 14C group. This is significantly less frequent than what was found for the 14C group. Discussion: Borderline-negative results do occur with 13C-urea breath testing, although less frequently than with 14C-urea breath testing, and we will be carefully monitoring differences falling between 3.0 and 3.5 %Δ. 13C-urea breath testing is safe and simple for the patient and, in most cases, provides clearer positive or negative results for the clinician. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori infection is the leading cause of peptic ulcer disease. The purpose of this study was, first, to assess the difference in the distribution of negative versus positive results between the older 14 C-urea breath test and the newer 13 C-urea breath test and, second, to determine whether use of an indeterminate-results category is still meaningful and what type of results should trigger repeated testing. Methods: A retrospective survey was performed of all consecutive patients referred to our service for urea breath testing. We analyzed 562 patients who had undergone testing with 14 C-urea and 454 patients who had undergone testing with 13 C-urea. Results: In comparison with the wide distribution of negative 14 C results, negative 13 C results were distributed farther from the cutoff and were grouped more tightly around the mean negative value. Distribution analysis of the negative results for 13 C testing, compared with those for 14 C testing, revealed a statistically significant difference between the two. Within the 13 C group, only 1 patient could have been classified as having indeterminate results using the same indeterminate zone as was used for the 14 C group. This is significantly less frequent than what was found for the 14 C group. Discussion: Borderline-negative results do occur with 13 C-urea breath testing, although less frequently than with 14 C-urea breath testing, and we will be carefully monitoring differences falling between 3.0 and 3.5 %Δ. 13 C-urea breath testing is safe and simple for the patient and, in most cases, provides clearer positive or negative results for the clinician., (© 2017 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.)

Objectives: To assess the risk of on-screen death of important characters in children's animated films versus dramatic films for adults., Design: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with Cox regression comparing time to first on-screen death., Setting: Authors' television screens, with and without popcorn., Participants: Important characters in 45 top grossing children's animated films and a comparison group of 90 top grossing dramatic films for adults., Main Outcome Measures: Time to first on-screen death., Results: Important characters in children's animated films were at an increased risk of death compared with characters in dramatic films for adults (hazard ratio 2.52, 95% confidence interval 1.30 to 4.90). Risk of on-screen murder of important characters was higher in children's animated films than in comparison films (2.78, 1.02 to 7.58)., Conclusions: Rather than being the innocuous form of entertainment they are assumed to be, children's animated films are rife with on-screen death and murder., (© Colman et al 2014.)

Background: To examine mental health (MH) presentations to the emergency department (ED) of a paediatric hospital following two highly publicized local teen suicides., Methods: Youths aged 12-18 years with a MH chief complaint and/or diagnosis were included. Differences in frequencies were analyzed using chi-square tests, and relative risks were evaluated using generalized linear modelling., Results: Significant increases in the number of ED presentations were found within the months of the publicized suicides compared to the same months of previous years. No differences were found in symptom acuity, suicidal status and psychiatric hospitalization rates. Significant increases were found in relative risk of presenting to the ED 28 and 90 days post both publicized suicides., Conclusions: RESULTS suggest there was an association between highly publicized suicides and an increase in the number of MH presentations to the local paediatric ED. Considerations of media's potentially positive role in MH awareness are needed., (Copyright © 2014 Longwoods Publishing.)