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Introduction: Although indoor tanning causes cancer, it remains relatively common among adolescents. Little is known about indoor tanning prevalence and habits in Canada, and even less about associated behaviours. This study explores the prevalence of adolescent indoor tanning in Manitoba and its association with other demographic characteristics and health behaviours. Methods: We conducted secondary analyses of the 2012/13 Manitoba Youth Health Survey data collected from Grade 7 to 12 students (n = 64 174) and examined associations between indoor tanning (whether participants had ever used artificial tanning equipment) and 25 variables. Variables with statistically significant associations to indoor tanning were tested for collinearity and grouped based on strong associations. For each group of highly associated variables, the variable with the greatest effect upon indoor tanning was placed into the final logistic regression model. Separate analyses were conducted for males and females to better understand sex-based differences, and analyses were adjusted for age. Results: Overall, 4% of male and 9% of female students reported indoor tanning, and prevalence increased with age. Relationships between indoor tanning and other variables were similar for male and female students. Binary logistic regression models indicated that several variables significantly predicted indoor tanning, including having part-time work, being physically active, engaging in various risk behaviours such as driving after drinking for males and unplanned sex after alcohol/drugs for females, experiencing someone say something bad about one's body shape/size/appearance, identifying as trans or with another gender, consuming creatine/other supplements and, for females only, never/rarely using sun protection. Conclusion: Indoor tanning among adolescents was associated with age, part-time work, physical activity and many consumption behaviours and lifestyle risk factors. Though legislation prohibiting adolescent indoor tanning is critical, health promotion to discourage indoor tanning may be most beneficial if it also addresses these associated factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cerebral injury from aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is twofold. The initial hemorrhage causes much of the injury; secondary injury can occur from delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) is a mechanism of organ protection in response to transient ischemia within a distant organ. This pilot trial sought to apply RIPC in patients with aSAH to evaluate its effect on secondary cerebral injury and resultant outcomes., Methods: Patients were randomized to the high-pressure occlusion group (HPO) or the low-pressure occlusion group (LPO). Lower extremity RIPC treatment was initiated within 72 h of symptom onset and every other day for 14 days or until Intensive Care Unit (ICU) discharge. In HPO, each treatment consisted of 4 five-minute cycles of manual blood pressure cuff inflation with loss of distal pulses. LPO received cuff inflation with lower pressures while preserving distal pulses. Retrospectively matched controls were also analyzed. Efficacy of treatment was measured by total days spent in vasospasm out of study enrollment days, hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS), cerebral infarction, one and six month modified Rankin score, and mortality., Results: The final analysis included 33 patients with 11 in each group. Patient demographics, aneurysm location, admission airway status, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), modified Rankin score, Hunt and Hess score, modified Fisher Score and aneurysm management were not significantly different between groups. Hospital and ICU LOS was shorter in LPO compared to the control (p = 0·0468 and p = 0·0409, respectively). Total vasospasm days/study enrollment days, cerebral infarction, one and six month modified Rankin score, and mortality were not significantly different between the groups., Conclusions: This pilot trial did demonstrate feasibility and safety. The shortened LOS in the LPO may implicate a protective role of RIPC and warrants future study.

Background: The increasing prevalence of intravenous drug users (IVDU) has resulted in higher incidence of right-sided infective endocarditis (RSIE). However, treatment guidelines for RSIE in IVDU are not well defined. The aim is to evaluate efficacy of different treatment strategies in reducing mortality and to describe treatment outcomes., Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature using PubMed, Cochrane, CENTRAL, OvidEMBASE, Web of Science, and Medline databases to include prospective studies that compare mortality rates among IVDU with RSIE receiving isolated medical treatment versus those receiving medical-surgical treatment. In conjunction, analysis of 27 RSIE patients (including IVDU) treated at authors' institution was done to supplement the findings. Kaplan-Meier survival rates following hospital admission and cumulative incidence estimates for hospital re-admission were obtained., Results: A total of nine studies (all with low or marginal risk of bias) met inclusion criteria. The prevalence of RSIE among IVDU with infective endocarditis varied from 34% to 100%. Seven studies compared medical versus medical-surgical therapy with less than 30% needing surgery. Mortality was higher in patients receiving surgical therapy. There were 27 RSIE (16 non-IVDU and 11 IVDU) analyzed at the authors' institution. Survival at 30 days, 1 year, and 3 years were 89%, 82%, and 78%, respectively, and repeat hospitalization for recurrent endocarditis were 8%, 17%, and 23%, respectively., Conclusions: There is paucity around optimal RSIE management strategy for IVDU that can decrease mortality. Surgical management of RSIE may be associated with increased mortality over medical management mainly due to advanced surgical indications., Competing Interests: None., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)