October

Progress toward creating a Bill of Health Care Rights for British Columbian children and youth.

The BCMA is poised to be the first provincial medical association to develop a Bill of Health Care Rights for Children and Youth. The Child and Youth Health Committee first introduced the concept to the Council of Health Promotion in 2005. Working with partners including the UBC Department of Pediatrics, the BC Pediatric Society, and the International Association of Child Rights and Development, the BCMA has drafted a bill for wider discussion. 

When conventional treatments fail or are unavailable, consider honey as a topical wound dressing.

I read with practical interest the article in the March 2007 BCMJ “Sweet success? Honey as a topical wound dressing” [BCMJ 2007;49:64-67] by Nevio Cimolai, MD.

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Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects about 1.5% of British Columbians. The incubation period is usually 6 to 9 weeks. However over 80% of persons acutely infected with HCV are asymptomatic and may have undiagnosed HCV infection for decades. Cirrhosis or end-stage liver disease develops in 10% to 20% of people with chronic HCV infection after 20 years, and 1% to 5% will develop hepatocellular carcinoma or require a liver transplant. 

References

The Transfusion Medicine Advisory Group (TMAG) of BC has prepared guidelines to provide physicians with current information on the appropriate use of cryoprecipitate plasma. These guidelines are available electronically on the British Columbia Provincial Coordinating Office web site (www.bloodlink.bc.ca) and will be updated periodically. Prescribing physicians are responsible for referring to the most recent guidelines. 

How the guidelines were developed

Background