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J C Carroll

Publications and source records attributed to J C Carroll.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Changing physicians' attitudes toward self-help groups: an educational intervention.

BACKGROUND: Members of self-help groups (SHGs) for support of cancer patients are concerned that physicians are skeptical about these groups and see them as potentially harmful. The purpose of this study was to assess family physicians' attitudes towards self-help groups and see whether these could be changed through an educational intervention. METHODS: A questionnaire assessing attitudes toward SHGs was mailed to 1,422 eligible Ontario family physicians, to which 911 responded (64% response rate). Responders were sent an educational package consisting of an article about self-help groups, a list of local cancer self-help groups, and a follow-up questionnaire. RESULTS: The study was completed by 584/911 family physicians (64%). After being exposed to educational material, the physicians were more positive about the helpfulness of SHGs (p = 0.021), and less concerned about SHGs' being harmful (p = 0.003). They were more positive about the potential for SHGs to provide participants with opportunities for: sharing information (p = 0.004), bonding with other patients (p < 0.001), feeling understood (p = 0.004), sharing common experiences (p = 0.004), providing hope (p < 0.001), sharing laughter (p = 0.001), becoming more assertive (p < 0.001), communicating with health professionals (p = 0.04), dealing with issues related to death and dying (p = 0.005), advocacy (p = 0.01), and overcoming isolation (p = 0.002). They were less concerned with the potential for SHGs to provide misinformation (p = 0.003), the negative effects of associating with the very ill (p = 0.002), dwelling on illness (p = 0.002), or cultivating false hope (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Having family physicians complete a questionnaire, followed by educational material specific to their concerns, changed their attitudes toward self-help groups. Further study is needed to see whether behavioral changes resulted.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2000

Family physicians in maternity care. Still in the game? Report from the CFPC's Janus Project.

OBJECTIVE: To describe family doctors' contribution to maternity care in Canada and to observe the influence of age, sex, region of the country, and practice population on provision of maternity care. DESIGN SURVEY: College of Family Physicians of Canada's Janus Project national family physician survey. SETTING: All 10 provinces and two territories. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of family physicians and general practitioners, both members and non-members of the College. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportion of family doctors participating in prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, and newborn care, and proportion of doctors involved in intrapartum care by age, sex, location in Canada, and practice population. RESULTS: Overall response rate was 58%. Just over 50% of all family doctors in Canada are involved in some aspect of maternity care; 19% do intrapartum care; and 33% are involved in prenatal (shared) care. Similar proportions of men and women still do intrapartum care, but women care for more pregnancies than men. More family doctors serving rural areas are doing intrapartum care compared with doctors in urban areas, although those in urban areas tend to do more deliveries. The western provinces have the highest percentages of intrapartum caregivers. A gradual decline in percentage of intrapartum caregivers by age group increases among the 55- to 64-year-old cohort. Almost a quarter of women doctors younger than 35 years are doing intrapartum care. Most physicians doing prenatal (shared) care look after women until the third trimester. CONCLUSIONS: Family doctors are still providing a large proportion of maternity care in Canada. This contribution must be nurtured by the College through its Maternity and Newborn Care Committee and other contacts to encourage family doctors to continue offering this essential service to childbearing women in Canada.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Women's experience of maternal serum screening.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the ideas, opinions, feelings, and experiences of women regarding prenatal genetic screening, specifically maternal serum screening (MSS). DESIGN: Qualitative technique of focus groups. SETTING: Northern, rural, inner-city, urban, and suburban communities in Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Women who had given birth to babies from January 1994 to May 1996, but who were not currently pregnant (n = 60). METHOD: Six focus groups composed of women living in various communities who had recently given birth to babies explored the experience of MSS. MAIN FINDINGS: Women want informed choice about prenatal genetic screening. Three factors influenced women's decisions to undergo or decline prenatal genetic screening: their personal values, including their philosophy of life, moral, and religious values, and attitudes regarding Down syndrome and disability; social support including their partners, families, and friends; and quality of information from health care providers. Women want their providers to give them information personally; they want to receive the information as early as possible in prenatal care to allow time for reflection; and they want unbiased, accurate information in order to make a decision that is in keeping with their personal values and beliefs. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of women's ideas, opinions, feelings, and experiences regarding MSS suggests specific ways health care providers can facilitate informed decision making in prenatal screening. Providing information about genetic testing needs to be individualized, with women actively participating in the decision-making process. Information needs described by these women could apply to other prenatal genetic tests that might be available in the future.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Going the distance: the influence of practice location on the Ontario Maternal Serum Screening Program.

BACKGROUND: The Ontario Maternal Serum Screening (MSS) Program was introduced by the Ontario Ministry of Health as a province-wide pilot project in 1993. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of practice location on Ontario health care providers' use of and opinions regarding MSS, access to follow-up services and recommendations about the program. METHODS: A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 2000 family physicians, all 565 obstetricians and all 62 registered midwives in Ontario between November 1994 and March 1995. RESULTS: Among providers who were eligible (those providing antenatal care or attending births) the response rates were 91.4% (778/851), 76.0% (273/359) and 78.0% (46/59) respectively. Fewer respondents in the Northwest region (71.4%) and in rural areas (81.9%) stated that they routinely offer MSS to all pregnant women in their practices compared with respondents in other regions (84.4%-91.5%) and urban centres (90.1%). Fewer respondents in the northern regions (Northeast 49.2%, Northwest 25.0%) than in the Central East region (includes Toronto) (76.6%) felt that follow-up services were readily available. Respondents in the northern regions had less favourable opinions of MSS than those in the other regions in terms of its complexity, cost, the time involved in counselling and the high false-positive rate. More respondents in the Central East region (64.6%) and in urban centres (52.9%) recommended not changing the MSS program than did those in the Northwest (7.1%) and rural areas (39.8%). After provider characteristics were controlled for in a logistic regression analysis, practice location was not the most important factor. Instead, the model showed that respondents who cared for 50 or more pregnant women in the previous year were more likely to offer MSS routinely (OR 2.00, 95% CI 1.21-3.27) and that those who felt that patient characteristics affect the offering of MSS (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.26-0.67) or that follow-up services were not readily available (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.20-0.55) were less likely to offer it. INTERPRETATION: Health care providers in northern and rural Ontario were less likely to offer MSS routinely than those in other regions and were more likely to recommend changing or eliminating the program. Providers' concerns about the social and cultural sensitivity of MSS and the availability of follow-up services affected use.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1999

Obstetrics anyone? How family medicine residents' interests changed.

OBJECTIVE: To determine family medicine residents' attitudes and plans about practising obstetrics when they enter and when they graduate from their residency programs. DESIGN: Residents in each of 4 consecutive years, starting July 1991, were surveyed by questionnaire when they entered the program and again when they graduated (ending in June 1996). Only paired questionnaires were used for analysis. SETTING: Family medicine residency programs at the University of Toronto in Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Of 358 family medicine residents who completed the University of Toronto program, 215 (60%) completed questionnaires at entry and exit. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Changes in attitudes and plans during the residency program as ascertained from responses to entry and exit questionnaires. RESULTS: Analysis was based on 215 paired questionnaires. Women residents had more interest in obstetric practice at entry: 58% of women, but only 31% of men were interested. At graduation, fewer women (49%) and men (22%) were interested in practising obstetrics. The intent to undertake rural practice was strongly associated with the intent to practise obstetrics. By graduation, residents perceived lifestyle factors and compensation as very important negative factors in relation to obstetric practice. Initial interest and the eventual decision to practise obstetrics were strongly associated. CONCLUSIONS: Intent to practise obstetrics after graduation was most closely linked to being a woman, intending to practise in a rural area, and having an interest in obstetrics prior to residency. Building on the interest in obstetrics that residents already have could be a better strategy for producing more physicians willing to practise obstetrics than trying to change the minds of those uninterested in such practice.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Family physicians' perspectives on ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the knowledge, practices and perspectives of Canadian family physicians regarding ovarian cancer. DESIGN: A mailed survey questionnaire was followed by a reminder card, a second mailing of the questionnaire and a final reminder card. SETTING: A national sample of family physicians was drawn randomly from the membership database of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge related to ovarian cancer. Practices related to the screening and detection of ovarian cancer. Attitudes towards screening for ovarian cancer. Perceived role in the care of women at risk of, or diagnosed with, ovarian cancer. Perceived educational needs of physicians. RESULTS: A total of 1079 completed questionnaires were returned, providing a response rate of 56.6%. Although most family physicians were aware of the basic facts about ovarian cancer, there were knowledge limitations related to risk factors, familial ovarian cancer syndromes and symptoms. Practices related to asymptomatic women were found to be mostly in accord with current guidelines and recognized the prevailing lack of evidence for the effectiveness of tests. Areas that were troublesome included the role of screening in high-risk women and knowledge about available tests. Most family physicians indicated that they have an important role to play in the care of women after they have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. They also expressed a high level of interest in obtaining additional information related to ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly shows that there is a need for additional research to assist with the development of evidence-based guidelines for women at increased risk of ovarian cancer and for women at no known risk. Pending more definitive evidence, interim guidelines could provide assistance to physicians currently having to make decisions in a context of massive uncertainty. Canadian family physicians would be interested in and would benefit from continuing medical education (CME) initiatives concerning ovarian cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Hereditary breast cancer. Risk assessment of patients with a family history of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To assist family physicians in stratifying women with a family history of breast cancer as being at low, moderate, or high risk of hereditary breast cancer (HBC). To present guidelines for managing each of these risk groups. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: A MEDLINE search was conducted from January 1976 to December 1997 using key words related to breast cancer risk factors, risk assessment, prevention, and screening. Risk stratification criteria were derived empirically and assessed using retrospective chart review. MAIN FINDINGS: Although up to 20% of women in the general population have a family history of breast cancer, less than 5% are at high risk for HBC. Certain features in a family history suggest increased risk. Women with none of these features are at low risk for HBC and should have annual clinical breast examinations and mammography at least every 2 years starting at age 50. Women with one or more features of increased risk who do not meet criteria for referral to a familial cancer clinic are at moderate risk for HBC and should begin annual mammography and clinical breast examination at age 40. Women who meet referral criteria are at high risk for HBC and should be counseled regarding referral to a familial cancer clinic for more detailed risk assessment and consideration for genetic testing. All women should be taught proper breast self-examination technique and encouraged but not pressured to practise it monthly for life. CONCLUSION: A simple algorithm can assist physicians in stratifying women into low, moderate, and high HBC risk groups. Management strategies for each group are given in this article and the two following (Heisey et al page 114 and Carroll et al page 126).

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Hereditary breast cancer. Identifying and managing BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers.

OBJECTIVES: To present a strategy for identifying candidates for consideration of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation testing. To discuss the implications of identifying patients as BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers, and to provide recommendations for managing them. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: A MEDLINE search from January 1990 to May 1998 was performed using the terms genetic breast screening, BRCA1, and BRCA2. The bibliographies of articles found were searched for further relevant titles. There are no published, randomized controlled clinical trials of management strategies for known BRCA carriers. Many recommendations for management are based on expert opinion only. MAIN FINDINGS: About 5% of women with breast cancer are carriers of genetic mutations. An accurate and detailed family history is the most important tool for identifying potential BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Women identified as carriers have a substantially increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Male carriers have a moderately increased risk of prostate cancer. Management strategies for carriers are not well studied but include increased surveillance, preventive surgery, chemoprevention, and lifestyle modification. CONCLUSION: Family physicians must be able to identify people at risk, to discuss management strategies, and when appropriate, to offer referral for consideration of genetic testing. There is an urgent need for research to determine the effectiveness of surveillance strategies, preventive surgery, chemoprevention, and lifestyle modification for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Hereditary breast cancer. Psychosocial issues and family physicians' role.

OBJECTIVES: To outline the psychosocial issues in hereditary breast cancer (HBC) assessment and discuss the role of family physicians. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: A literature search using MEDLINE, CINAHL, CancerLit, and HealthStar databases was conducted from January 1990 to April 1998, using the key words breast cancer or neoplasm and familial or hereditary, genetic testing or screening, primary care or family physician or counseling, genetic counseling, psychosocial or psychological. We found only a few studies focusing on a small number of well-studied "research families." MAIN FINDINGS: Women with a family history of breast cancer were likely to be highly interested in genetic testing for cancer risk. The benefit of testing for those with negative results is reassurance. Those found to be carriers of genetic mutations might benefit from increased surveillance and prophylactic therapy. Risks of testing include anxiety, depression, guilt, altered self-image, and insurance and employment discrimination. A family physician's role is to assess risk, to provide information and support so women can make informed choices about referral to familial cancer clinics, to offer cancer surveillance, and to provide support once genetic test results are available. CONCLUSION: Genetic testing is rapidly moving from research to clinical applications. Family physicians play an integral role in educating and managing women at risk for HBC. Physicians must prepare themselves with knowledge and counseling skills to meet the challenges of this new technology.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Self-help groups.

OBJECTIVE: To assess Ontario family physicians' attitudes toward, awareness of, and practices related to self-help groups in general and cancer self-help groups specifically. DESIGN: Mailed survey using a modified Dillman method. SETTING: Ontario family practices. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 1500 Ontario members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, of whom 949 responded. A total of 911 completed questionnaires were received, for an eligible response rate of 64%. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physician demographics, practice characteristics; extent of awareness of self-help groups and their perceived value; attitudes toward self-help groups; practices related to interactions with patients about self-help groups. RESULTS: Only 40.2% of respondents were aware of six or more self-help groups in their region; 56.8% were aware of at least one cancer self-help group. Discussions with patients about groups were reported as occurring "frequently" by 12% of respondents, who indicated they made referrals to an array of groups. Ratings of group helpfulness were relatively high (83.8% scoring 3, 4, or 5 on a 5-point scale, where 5 is "very helpful"). There were low ratings of potential harm (1% scoring 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale, where 5 is "very harmful"). Confidence intervals for proportions reported on in this paper were all within 4%. CONCLUSIONS: Family physicians have predominantly positive attitudes about the potential benefits of self-help groups, and many are recommending groups to their patients.

Female↗
PubMed1997

Ontario Maternal Serum Screening Program: practices, knowledge and opinions of health care providers.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the practices, knowledge and opinions of health care providers regarding a prenatal genetic screening program in Ontario. DESIGN: Cross-sectional self-reported survey. SETTING: Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 2000 family physicians, all 565 obstetricians and all 62 registered midwives in the province. Among subjects who were eligible (those providing antenatal care or attending births) the response rates were 91% (778/851), 76% (273/359) and 78% (46/59) respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Which patients were offered maternal serum screening (MSS), how results were being communicated, knowledge of the test's sensitivity, likes and dislikes about MSS and recommendations regarding the program. RESULTS: Most (97%) of respondents stated that they were offering MSS to the pregnant women in their practices; 88% were offering it routinely to all pregnant women (87% of the family physicians, 90% of the obstetricians and 100% of the midwives). Most (92%) of the respondents stated that they communicate positive results to their patients personally as soon as they are received; 23% did so for negative results. The respondents correctly identified the initial positive rate but underestimated the false-positive rate. About one-third did not respond to these knowledge questions. Of those who gave feedback on the screening program, 50% recommended that it not be changed, 29% suggested that it be changed, and 22% recommended that it be scrapped. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in the Ontario Maternal Serum Screening Program by health care providers has been good, although knowledge about MSS is far from ideal. Many providers have reservations about the program. In light of concerns raised about the high false-positive rate and the anxiety such results generate in pregnant women, there is a need for more education of providers and patients and a better understanding of women's experiences with genetic screening.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1997

Maternity care and maternal serum screening. Do male and female family physicians care for women differently?

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether male and female family physicians practise maternity care differently, particularly regarding the maternal serum screening (MSS) program. DESIGN: Mailed survey fielded between October 1994 and March 1995. SETTING: Ontario family practices. PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 2000 members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada who care for pregnant women. More than 90% of eligible physicians responded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Attitudes toward, knowledge about, and behaviour toward MSS. RESULTS: Women physicians were more likely than men to practise part time, in groups, and in larger communities. Men physicians were more likely to perform deliveries; women were more likely to do shared care. Despite a shorter work week, on average, female physicians cared for more pregnant women than male physicians did. Among those providing intrapartum care, women performed more deliveries, on average, than men. Women physicians were more likely than men to offer MSS to all pregnant patients. Although average time spent discussing MSS before the test was similar, women physicians had better knowledge of when best to do the test and its true-positive rate. All differences reported were statistically significant (P < or = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among family physicians caring for pregnant women, women physicians cared for more pregnant women than men did. Both spent similar time discussing MSS with their patients before offering screening, but more women physicians offered MSS to all their patients and were more knowledgeable about MSS than men physicians.

Delivery, Obstetric↗
PubMed1996

Antenatal psychosocial risk factors associated with adverse postpartum family outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the strength of the association between antenatal psychosocial risk factors and adverse postpartum outcomes in the family, such as assault of women by their partner, child abuse, postpartum depression, marital dysfunction and physical illness. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, Cinahl, Famli, Psych Abstracts and the Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials were searched from relevant articles published from Jan. 1, 1980, to Dec. 31, 1993, with the use of MeSH terms "depression, involutional," "child abuse," "child neglect," "domestic violence," "family," "marital adjustment," "family health," "newborn health," "child health," "physical illness," "social support," "psychosocial risk," "prediction," "risk factors," "obstetrics" and "prenatal care." Further articles were identified from bibliographies. STUDY SELECTION: Of the 370 articles identified through the search, 118 were included for review. Studies were included if they examined the association between psychosocial risk factors and the outcomes of interest. Articles were excluded if they were reviews of poor quality or they had one or more of the following features: insufficient description of the sample, a high attrition rate, a lack of standardized outcome measures, outcomes other than the ones of interest or results that had already been reported in a previous study. DATA EXTRACTION: The strength of evidence of each study was evaluated. On the basis of the evidence, each risk factor was assigned a rating of the strength of its association with each of the postpartum outcomes. The ratings were class A (good evidence of association), class B (fair evidence) and class C (no clear evidence). Of the 129 antenatal psychosocial risk factors studied, 15 were found to have a class A association with at least one of the postpartum outcomes. DATA SYNTHESIS: Child abuse and abuse of the mother by her partner were most strongly correlated (class A evidence) with a history of lack of social support, recent life stressors, psychiatric disturbance in the mother and an unwanted pregnancy. Child abuse was also strongly associated with a history of childhood violence in the mother or her partner, previous child abuse by the mother's partner, a poor relationship between the mother and her parents, low self-esteem in the mother and lack of attendance at prenatal classes. Postpartum abuse of the mother was also associated with a history of abuse of the mother, prenatal care not started until the third trimester and alcohol or drug abuse by the mother or her partner (class A evidence). Child abuse had a fair (class B) association with poor marital adjustment or satisfaction, current or past abuse of the mother and alcohol or drug abuse by the mother or her partner. There was class B evidence supporting an association between abuse of the mother and poor marital adjustment, traditional sex-role expectations, a history of childhood violence in the mother or her partner and low self-esteem in the mother. Postpartum depression was most strongly associated with poor marital adjustment, recent life stressors, antepartum depression (class A evidence), but was also associated with lack of social support, abuse of the mother and a history of psychiatric disorder in the mother (class B evidence). Marital dysfunction was associated with poor marital adjustment before the birth and traditional sex-role expectations (class A evidence), and physical illness was correlated with recent life stressors (class B evidence). CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial risk factors during the antenatal period may herald postpartum morbidity. Research is required to determine whether detection of these risk factors may lead to interventions that improve postpartum family outcomes.

Child↗
PubMed1996

Home mechanical ventilation of children.

The medical records of 89 ventilator-assisted children followed at the University of Michigan Medical Center from 1978 to 1993 were reviewed. The status of these children was remarkably stable. Parameters of communication, nutrition, education, and mobility changed very little over time, and fewer than half had to be re-admitted. Children aged 9 to 12 years had the most nursing hours; in terms of diagnosis, those with spinal cord injury and bronchopulmonary dysplasia had the most. The younger children had the longest initial hospital stay and the most re-admissions. The authors conclude that appropriate rehabilitation during the initial hospitalization can minimize later changes, instability and rehospitalizations, and that careful follow-up and periodic evaluation can improve the patients' health and function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Female family physicians in obstetrics: achieving personal balance.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the experiences of female family physicians who practise obstetrics in balancing professional obligations with personal and family needs, given the unique challenges that such practice poses for these physicians. DESIGN: Qualitative study. SETTING: Ontario. PARTICIPANTS: A purposefully selected sample of nine female family physicians who met the criteria of being married, having children and currently practising obstetrics. OUTCOME MEASURES: Experiences of female family physicians and their strategies in their personal, family and professional lives that enable them to continue practising obstetrics. RESULTS: All participants continued to practise obstetrics because of the pleasure they derived from it, despite the challenges of balancing the unpredictable demands of obstetrics with their personal and family needs. To continue in obstetrics, they needed to make changes in their lives, either through a gradual, evolutionary process or in response to a critical event. Alterations to work and family arrangements permitted them to meet the challenges and led to increased satisfaction. Changes included making supportive call-group arrangements, limiting work hours and the number of births attended and securing help with household duties. CONCLUSIONS: An in-depth examination, through the use of qualitative methods, showed the reasons why some female family physicians continue to practise obstetrics despite the stressful aspects of doing so. This knowledge may be useful for women who are residents or experienced clinicians and who are considering including obstetrics in their practice.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Home mechanical ventilation in mitochondrial encephalomyopathy syndrome.

Long-term home mechanical ventilation of children has only recently become more practically feasible and ethically acceptable by the medical community. It has been particularly controversial in cases of degenerative myopathies in which quality of life has been questioned. There are no reports in the literature of long-term home mechanical ventilation of a child with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy (MELAS) syndrome despite the many descriptions of possible etiologies of the concomitant respiratory failure. The patient reported here has used home mechanical ventilation for 6 years with few medical complications, no hospitalizations in the past 3 years, and increased function in activities of daily living. Despite the ill-defined nature of the disease and uncertain prognosis, we believe that long-term home mechanical ventilation of children with early onset MELAS syndrome is a viable option for both patients and their families and results in overall improvement in quality of life for the patient.

Child↗
PubMed1995

Consultation in family practice obstetrics.

PURPOSE: To examine the types of non-low-risk obstetric patients managed by family physicians in urban teaching hospitals, and to determine indications for consultation for women at low risk when labour began. METHOD: Retrospective chart review for all patients delivered by family physicians in three downtown Toronto teaching hospitals during 1 year. RESULTS: Of 1710 cases, 595 (34.8%) were classified as non-low risk, with the main indications being postdates (> 42 weeks) (19.9%); pregnancy-induced hypertension (19.3%); and premature labour (< 37 weeks) (14.8%). Of the 1115 low-risk patients, 363 (32.6%) had an intrapartum consultation, usually for failure to progress (50.1%) or fetal distress (12.7%). More than 80% of intrapartum consultations were associated with induction and augmentation of labour. CONCLUSION: Family physicians can continue to care for many non-low-risk women, usually with the help of obstetricians. Consultations were obtained for many women at low risk. We need to reevaluate whether some mandatory consultations are necessary in family practice obstetrics.

Family Practice↗
PubMed1994

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the right cardiac ventricle without contiguous vena caval involvement.

We report an unusual metastatic renal cell carcinoma in the right cardiac ventricle in a 53-year-old man who presented with increasing dyspnea. Diagnostic evaluation revealed a left renal tumor without contiguous extension into the inferior vena cava and a right ventricular mass. To our knowledge this is only the second reported case of metastatic renal cell carcinoma to the right cardiac ventricle diagnosed ante mortem. We discuss the case and review the literature.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗