Infectious Diseases Presentations
Skin and soft tissue infections: a 2023 update
Dr. Anne-Marie Bourgault is a senior physician at the MUHC. She is an internist, infectious diseases specialist and medical microbiologist with long term experience in adult clinical medicine and infection control. She is recognized as a dynamic clinician with strong interest in clinical teaching.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the approach to evaluating SSTI
- Identify bacterial pathogens associated with various SSTIs and choose a treatment regimen to target these pathogens
- Identify opportunities for de-escalation of antibiotic therapy for cellulitis
- Recognize SSTI mimics
Herpes Simplex and Varicella-Zoster Viruses: Clinical Pearl
Dr. Sapha Barkati is an Assistant Professor of infectious diseases and medical microbiology at McGill University Health Centre. She completed a master’s degree in virology and was trained in infectious diseases and medical microbiology at Université de Montréal. She was subsequently trained in tropical medicine and parasitology at McGill University. Dr Barkati is the educational director of the J.D MacLean Centre for Tropical diseases at McGill University and the director of this site within the international GeoSentinel network. Since 2018, she has become an established international faculty of the Gorgas Diploma Course, Instituto De Medicina Tropical “Alexander Von Humboldt” at a Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. She is the chair of the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) Migration and Refugee Interest Group Council. Dr Barkati is also an active member of the Comité d'immunisation du Québec (CIQ). Her main interest is the epidemiology of tropical and parasitic diseases in vulnerable individuals, migrants and immunocompromised hosts.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the epidemiology of genital herpes
- Understand the transmission, clinical manifestation, management and prevention of genital herpes
- Describe the epidemiology and risk factors of herpes zoster
- Discuss the efficacy and indication of herpes zoster vaccines
Approach to Immune Deficiency Workup
Dr. Reza Alizadehfar is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric at McGill University and an attending physician in the division of allergy and clinical immunology of the Montreal Children’s hospital and Montreal General Hospital. He graduated from University of Montreal. He did his residency in Pediatrics and his fellowship in Clinical Immunology and Allergy at McGill University. He completed a fellowship in Primary Immunodeficiency and Bone Marrow Transplantation at the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. His clinical and research interests include the epidemiology and genetics of food allergy as well as primary Immunodeficiencies.
Learning Objectives:
- Review when to suspect there is a problem
- Describe the different arms of the immune system to investigate
- Discuss the Investigation of the immune system (screening) when a primary immunodeficiency is suspected
New Vaccine Technologies
Dr Ward was trained at McGill, Oxford, University of London and Johns Hopkins. Since 1991, he has been at McGill as a professor in Infectious Diseases/Tropical Medicine. He was director of the McGill Vaccine study Centre from 1993-2021 and has served in different roles nationally and internationally in matters related to global health and vaccines. Among other responsibilities, he served on the Advisory Board for the Infection and Immunity Institute of CIHR for 12 years. He was elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2012. In 2010, he became the medical officer for Medicago R&D Inc: a Canadian biotechnology company that makes vaccines and monoclonal antibodies using plants. He has a wide range of research interests and has published >285 peer-reviewed manuscripts.
Learning Objectives:
- Better understand the rapidly evolving vaccine environment
- Appreciate the impact of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic on vaccine science
- Better understand the strengths and weaknesses of vaccine platforms
Scientific Overview of COVID
Attending Physician, JGH Dept of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology Assistant Professor, McGill University Dept of Medicine FRCPC Internal Medicine (2003), Infectious Diseases (2005), Medical Microbiology (2006).
Learning Objectives:
- List previous, current, and potential SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern
- List two recent vaccination strategies for COVID-19
- Understand the indications and important limitations for current therapeutics for COVID-19
The Management of Cardiovascular Diseases in Patients with Long COVID
Dr. Huynh is a cardiologist, epidemiologist - McGill University. She is associate professor of medicine. She graduated from University of Montreal, completed her training in internal medicine and cardiology at University of McGill. She subsequently obtained a Master in Biostatistics and Epidemiology-McGill University and PhD in Public Health - Epidemiology at University of Montreal. Her research interests are racial and sex-related inequities in acute cardiovascular diseases, heart failure and knowledge translation. Her current research project is cardiovascular outcomes in patients with long Covid syndrome. She has published approximately 150 manuscripts.
Learning Objectives:
- Awareness of burden of Post Acute Covid Condition (PACS)
- Recognition of cardiovascular (CV) symptoms of PACS
- Management of CV symptoms of PACS
- When to refer to cardiologists
COVID Rehabilitation
Marie-Hélène Boudrias is an Associate Professor, physical therapist and neuroscientist at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University. She is also a researcher at the Jewish Rehabilitation Hospital-Research, a site of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR). She is a Fonds de recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQ-S) Research Scholar - Junior 2 and currently acts as a CRIR Axis leader 1 for the theme “sensory, motor and cognitive functions & activities.” She uses neuroimaging techniques to quantify brain networks implicated in movement production in the context of aging, stroke and long COVID. Her research program aims to identify sensitive biomarkers of motor ability to promote the design of subject-specific therapeutic interventions to alleviate declines in motor performance.
Learning Objectives:
- Define what is Post COVID-19 condition
- Recognize the main symptoms
- Understand the role of rehabilitation in the clinical management of this condition
- Know the reg flags before considering physical exercise training
- Identify the resources in place
Office Practices for Infection Control in the Era of COVID
Infectious Diseases specialist and Medical Microbiologist. Chair of Infection Prevention and Control and the Jewish General Hospital and CIUSSS Centre_Ouest-de-Montreal. He is a Senior clinician-researcher funded by the FRQS. His research interests include infection prevention and control, multidrug resistant organisms and C. difficile.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the principles of Routine Practices and Additional Precautions as they relate to practice in the clinical office
- Identify the necessary tools, materials or equipment to ensure a safe environment in the clinical office to prevent transmission of infections
- Recognize any breeches in infection prevention and control in your current practice and make changes based on recommendations and best practice to ensure patient safety
Urinary Tract Infections Review in Adults
Dr. Ruth Horn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University. She is an infectious disease specialist, medical microbiologist and also the Director of the Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy Program at the MUHC.
Learning Objectives:
- What’s new in the treatment of UTIs
- What’s new in asymptomatic bacteriuria
- About the threat of multidrug resistant bacteria
- How to treat complicated infections
Understanding COVID-19 Infection in Children: What Does the Data Tell Us?
Dr. Christos Karatzios is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (McGill University Health Centre) since 2004. He also is an Associate Member in the Département de Pédiatrie, Division d’Immunologie, Clinique d’Immunologie Spéciale, at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) - Mère Enfant de Ste Justine since 2004. He is a McGill Medicine graduate and received his Pediatric and Infectious Diseases training at the Montreal Children’s Hospital. He has also completed clinical research training in pediatric HIV at the University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. Additionally, he is a professor at McGill University and is the course coordinator of the Infectious Diseases Block of the McGill undergraduate medical curriculum. In 2014 he was awarded the Osler Teaching Award for the most effective teacher by the McGill Medicine graduating class. As a member of the Canadian Pediatric AIDS Research Group, he is involved with perinatal HIV surveillance across Canada. As of 2020 he has worked with the Brighton Collaboration – a WHO and USFDA-partnered group looking at COVID-19 complications in children.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the epidemiology of COVID-19
- Understand the transmission of SARS-2-CoV
- Be familiar with potential parental concerns about COVID-19
COVID-19 and Adolescents: A Mental Health Crisis
Dr. Agostino completed her pediatric training at the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) and went on to do a 2-year academic fellowship in adolescent health. She now works at the MCH Adolescent Medicine clinic and is an assistant professor at McGill University. She is the medical director of the MCH Eating Disorder Program since 2016 and sits on both the Royal College and Canadian Pediatric Society national Adolescent Medicine Committees. Her current research interests center around the medical management of eating disorders and the delivery of confidential care in a tertiary setting.
Dr. Jason Bond is a Child and Adolescent psychiatrist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital and at the Douglas Mental Health Institute - and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. His main area of clinical focus is Eating Disorders - and he also has training in Family Based Treatment for adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa.
Learning Objectives:
- Review existing literature on the impact of COVID-19 on eating disorder prevalence
- Understand the driving forces behind the increased incidence of adolescent anorexia nervosa
- Know when to refer patients for urgent assessment