September

Infantile botulism is a rare condition in children under 1 year of age that begins with ingestion of Clostridium botulinum spores.[1] The growing organism colonizes the intestinal tract and then releases toxins that bind to acetylcholine receptors, causing muscle weakness and leading to flaccid paralysis.[2] In contrast, foodborne botulism and wound botulism are caused by isolated toxin exposure, not colonization of the gut.[2] 

On 17 October 2018, it became legal in Canada for adults age 19 and older to smoke products of the Cannabis sativa plant for recreational purposes.[1] Before legalization, according to Statistics Canada, 27% of people age 15 to 24 and 13% of people 25 and older were using cannabis.[2] This amounted to 4.6 million Canadians who reported consuming products of the cannabis plant, which include marijuana and hashish.[2] In 2017 British Columbia had the second-highest per capita cannabis consumption level in Canada at 24.6 grams per

Dr Jim Petzold

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In 2015, family doctors with the Fraser Northwest Division of Family Practice identified a need for more support and services for frail elderly patients, many of whom were presenting in the emergency room with issues that could have been managed at home. The division hired a nurse—Nurse Debbie—to support family doctors in caring for these homebound frail elderly patients. This innovative role extended primary care services into patients’ homes, ensuring they could receive the care they needed quickly before health issues could develop further. 

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Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and there are between 200 and 250 new cases diagnosed in BC yearly. Approximately 21% of TB cases in BC are extrapulmonary, with lymphadenitis being a common extrapulmonary site. TB can be suspected based on clinical, microbiological, and histopathological findings. Risk factors include prior TB infection, TB exposure, or residence in or travel to a TB-endemic area.[1] Microbiological confirmation of TB can be by culture of M. tuberculosis or molecular detection of M.

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