All Clinical Trials in Canada

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if a multi-component behavioral intervention given to anesthesiologists and surgeons is associated with decreasing low value preoperative testing orders in patients undergoing low risk surgery. The objectives of this trial are to evaluate a) the overall rate of low-value preoperative test (electrocardiogram and chest X-ray) in patients undergoing low risk surgery, b) to conduct an economic and c) process evaluation of the implementation The investigators will assess these outcomes in a sample of 22 Hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Read Less

TMS has been safely and reliably delivered at the Harquail Centre for over 5 years, with a primary focus on conventional rTMS protocols for treatment-resistant depression. Recently, the investgator team has gained the capability to deliver sham-controlled intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) rTMS. Unlike conventional high frequency rTMS, which was used in the previous sham-controlled rTMS PCS pilot study, iTBS is a patterned form of stimulation that recapitulates endogenous activity patterns of neural circuits pairing gamma frequency (50Hz) burst pulses coupled in a theta frequency rhythm (5Hz).12 iTBS delivers 600 pulses in just over 3 minutes with similar or greater effects on neural plasticity compared to conventional rTMS (taking over 30-45 minutes) and similar tolerability and efficacy in trials of depression. Furthermore, novel accelerated iTBS protocols stimulating the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) over 8-10 treatments, 50 minutes apart over a 5 day interval has recently demonstrated robust efficacy in depression and received recent FDA approval. Thus, accelerated iTBS can be delivered in a single week of treatment compared to 6 weeks with conventional rTMS methods. Finally, the investigators recently acquired the technology to integrate MRI neuroimage-guided stimulation, which would allow to target specific brain regions/networks implicated in PCS at high spatial resolution. No studies to date have investigated image-guided accelerated iTBS rTMS for the treatment of PCS. Read Less

Suspension laryngoscopy is a common procedure during adenoteonsillectomy (removal of adenoids and tonsils), that consists of extending the patient's neck to allow better visualization of the tonsils. Previous studies on suspension larygnoscopy have shown that the time to maximum force during this procedure predicts complications such as pain, tounge swelling and opioid requirements. Moreover, monitoring these force during laparoscopy can reduce postoperative complications. However, no study to date has investigated the force metrics during suspension laryngoscopy in the pediatric population. Therefore, in this study, the investigators aim to evaluate the relationship of force metrics during adenotonsillectomy, adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy and postoperative pain. Read Less

The Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorders (PBD) are a group of inherited disorders due to defects in peroxisome assembly causing complex developmental and metabolic sequelae. In spite of advancements in peroxisome biology, the pathophysiology remains unknown, the spectrum of phenotypes poorly characterized and the natural history not yet systematically reported. Our aims are to further define this population clinically, biochemically and genetically. The investigators will prospectively follow patients from Canada, the US and internationally, and collect data from medical evaluations, blood, urine and imaging studies that would be performed on a clinical care basis. For patients who are unable to attend our clinic, we will collect all medical records and images since birth as well as subsequent records/images for the next 5 years or until the end of the study. Clinical data from medical records will be banked in our Peroxisomal Disorder Research Databank and Biobank. The investigators will use this information to identify standards of care and improve management. Read Less

An investigator initiated pilot study: two arm, double blind, placebo controlled, randomized, group of approximately 60 patients undergoing a kidney transplant. Participants will be treated with human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) prebiotic versus placebo over 12 weeks from start of the investigational medication date (approximately 3 months) to test whether HMO can improve renal transplant outcomes. Participants will be followed up for 3 months after after they complete the treatment portion of the study. HMO sachets will be administered to determine the safety and efficacy of HMO relative to placebo in improving renal transplant outcomes in patients by reducing delayed graft function and side effects from post transplant therapy. Read Less

Patients with cancer are prone to have blood clots, which are usually treated with blood thinners. The main complication of blood thinners is bleeding. This is especially a concern when the number of platelets in the blood is lower than 50,000 per microliter. The role of platelets is to stop bleeding, so when the number of platelets is low, patients are at a higher risk of bleeding. Cancer patients are prone to have lower platelet numbers due to cancer therapies and/or cancer itself. It is not clear what the best treatment is for cancer patients who need blood thinners for a blood clot but have low platelet counts. The investigators plan to do a small study called a pilot study to help plan for a larger study in such patients. In the pilot study, investigators will include 50 patients with cancer, low platelet counts, and a blood clot diagnosed within 4 weeks. Patients will be randomly assigned to one of the two treatment strategies: the full dose of blood thinners along with platelet transfusion or a reduced dose of blood thinners without platelet transfusion. The investigators will follow all patients for 90 days. If this pilot study is successful, it will help lead to a much larger trial, which will provide important information on the best treatment strategy in these patients. Read Less

Healthy eating during pregnancy has favorable effects on markers related to diabetes (glucose tolerance) and is associated with lower gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk. The cornerstone of GDM treatment is nutrition therapy but the latter often starts late in pregnancy and thus may not have the expected effects on glucose tolerance. What if an intervention promoting healthy eating was initiated at the beginning of pregnancy in all women at risk, would it improve glucose homeostasis? To answer this important question, the investigators will perform a randomized controlled trial in 150 pregnant women. Women receiving the nutritional intervention will be compared to a control group receiving standard care. The nutritional intervention, which will start in the first trimester, is based on the 2019 Canada's Food Guide and is composed of 4 individual sessions with a registered dietitian (12, 18, 24 and 30 weeks). Between those follow-ups, informative nutritional web capsules and phone calls with the registered dietitian will be provided. To ensure that the women remain motivated and receive social support, a private Facebook group will be used. The investigators hypothesize that the nutritional intervention will be effective at improving glucose homeostasis. The investigators expect the results will show the importance of nutritional care starting early in pregnancy in women at risk of GDM. Read Less

Ovulatory dysfunction affects 18 to 25% of infertile women, the most common identifiable condition is polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The most frequent symptoms of PCOS are oligo-anovulation, hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovary appearance. Hyperandrogenism is the main contributor that affects oocyte and embryo quality and decreases the success rates in PCOS patients undergoing IVF treatments. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of hyperandrogenism as an independent factor on IVF success rates and oocyte/embryo quality in PCOS patients undergoing IVF. Read Less

The goal of this study is to learn more about the risk factors associated with left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) and the predictors of adverse outcomes associated with LVNC. The main questions this study aims to answer are as follows. * Are there any genetic mutations that impact the risk of LVNC patients developing ventricular arrhythmias? * Does LV myocardial strain increase risk stratification in the LVNC population with or without genetic mutations? * What are some of the determinants that cause LV dysfunction in LVNC? * What are other risk stratifiers (ex. premature ventricular contraction (PVC) burden on Holter, non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) on stress test) that lead to an outcome of ICD implantation? Participants will have their medical records accessed annually for a span of ten years, either prospectively or retrospectively depending on whether they are being actively followed by physicians at the Inherited Arrhythmia Clinic or not, to evaluate LVNC progression over time. This data will be stored in a large clinical registry with the London Heart Rhythm Program at the London Health Sciences Centre, University Hospital Campus. Read Less

The goal of this quasi-experimental feasibility study is to determine if a home based exercise program, that is supported virtually by a physiotherapist, is feasible for frail adults that are waiting for cardiac surgery. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Will patients be interested in participating in a virtual home-based exercise program before surgery? * Is the prescribed program practical? Will participants complete the exercises as prescribed, 3x/week? * Are the exercise images, videos, and live, virtual sessions with the physiotherapists good enough to allow the participant to be independent with good exercise technique? * Are the 4 virtual sessions able to be done in the specified time frames (1hr initial assessment, 30 minute follow ups)? * Can the exercise program be done with out any major adverse events? * What are the physical activity behaviours of frail participants awaiting cardiac surgery? Do they improve with an exercise program? Participants will be required to: * meet with a physiotherapist virtually (Zoom or Microsoft Teams) 4 times over a 3 week period. 1. the first session will be 1 hour to complete an interview about current health and upcoming surgery, a physical assessment, followed by individual exercise demonstration and education. 2. the second and third session will be follow up sessions to review exercise technique and progress, the presence of abnormal responses, provide encouragement and to address any barriers to activity completion. 3. the fourth, final session will be at the end of week 3 and will take 30 minutes to review exercise progress, presence of abnormal responses with activity and complete a reassessment of physical function. * Complete an individualized exercise program 3x/week independently as instructed by the physiotherapist following the initial assessment. * Complete a home exercise diary to track exercises done and intensity of exercise, in addition to documenting any abnormal responses For participants who reside in Winnipeg: * Accelerometers will be delivered to the patients home to wear for: 1. 7 days prior to the initial assessment 2. 14 days, from day 8 - 21 of the initial assessment. * Accelerometer diaries will be provided for participants to complete during the days when the accelerometers are worn. Read Less

Enucleation of the prostate equips technology (usually laser) to effectively treat lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). The holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho: YAG) laser is considered the gold standard laser used to perform enucleation of the prostate. Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) reduces hospital stay and hemoglobin drop while improving International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality of life, as well as other postoperative outcomes. HoLEP has been found to have a better enucleation efficiency rate and may have better hemostatic properties when combined with the modulated pulsed laser energy featured associated with Moses technology (m-HoLEP). A novel laser technology called thulium fiber laser (TFL) delivers a pulsed laser at a more optimal wavelength and a shallower depth of tissue penetration leading to better hemostatic properties. However, the differences in clinical outcomes between TFL enucleation of the prostate (TFLEP) and m-HoLEP have yet to be described. This prospective study aims to compare the safety profile and clinical outcomes, peri-operatively up to one year post-operatively, between m-HoLEP and TFLEP with BPH and evidence of bladder obstruction. Read Less

Syncope (fainting) is a common reason for emergency department (ED) presentation. Fainting can be caused by heart conditions such as irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia) that can be life-threatening, structural heart problems, or serious conditions not related to the heart. The standard or usual treatment for the majority of patients at-risk for irregular heart rhythm is getting discharged home with no heart rhythm monitoring. If patients receive any monitoring, only Holter monitoring device that records all heart beats for 24 hours to 72 hours will be used. One-third to half of irregular heart rhythm will be identified only after patients are either discharged from the ED or hospitalized in an inpatient unit. One-third to half of irregular heart rhythm will be identified only after patients are either discharged from the ED or hospitalized in an inpatient unit. The study hypothesize that prolonged live cardiac rhythm monitoring (15 days) of at-risk syncope patients, discharged from the ED, will lead to identification of irregular heart rhythm, which can lead to improved patient safety and lower healthcare costs. Read Less