Alberta Health Services

Diabetic foot infections (DFIs) are a serious complication of diabetes, leading to high rates of hospital admission, amputation, and early death-particularly in persons living in resource-limited communities. Although the updated International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot guidelines in 2024 provide well-laid-out strategies for managing DFIs, these tend to be better suited for use in well-resourced centers. This case-based review discusses and applies these guidelines for an approach to DFI in real-world scenarios. It focuses on supporting health care providers working in community and resource-limited settings. The review explores how to recognize and diagnose DFI, including the use of imaging modalities, and how to distinguish soft tissue infection from bone infection or noninfectious entities. Management strategies are detailed regarding antibiotic considerations and approaches, including in resource-limited settings, and when other interventions or surgical referral may be important. Practical clinical cases are used to illustrate key points, emphasizing how care may be adapted based on the context. The authors also consider health equity aspects by identifying barriers that may be faced by patients who are from racialized backgrounds and live in resource-limited settings. The review aims to equip frontline wound clinicians with a pragmatic approach to managing DFIs that is grounded in up-to-date evidence framed in a real-world context.JOURNAL/aswca/04.03/00129334-202604000-00004/figure1/v/2026-03-10T151712Z/r/image-jpeg GENERAL PURPOSE: To provide clinicians with an evidence-based approach to the diagnosis and management of diabetic foot infections (DFIs). TARGET AUDIENCE: This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES: After participating in this educational activity, the participant will:Analyze evidence-based clinical and laboratory findings to accurately diagnose (DFIs) and diabetic foot osteomyelitis.Evaluate patient-specific clinical data to select evidence-based management strategies for patients with (DFIs) and diabetic foot osteomyelitis.

This cross-sectional study evaluates the prevalence of hearing loss among specific patient populations in Alberta and explores participant perceptions about patient-health care worker communication and potential solutions.

To map and critically appraise the current literature on Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in emergency general surgery, with a focus on clinical decision-support tools for preoperative risk stratification and intraoperative assistance, and to identify ethical, structural, and regulatory barriers to implementation. A scoping review was conducted within the ARIES project, following established methodological frameworks. Relevant studies evaluating AI-based tools in emergency surgical settings were systematically identified and analyzed. The literature describes AI applications mainly in two domains: preoperative decision support, including risk prediction and diagnostic or triage models for acute abdominal and traumatic conditions, and intraoperative assistance, largely focused on computer vision–based systems for anatomical recognition, safety guidance, and navigation in minimally invasive emergency procedures. Additional contributions address training and telementoring platforms, as well as cross-cutting ethical, legal, and regulatory considerations relevant to AI adoption in emergency surgical care. AI has the potential to complement emergency surgeons’ clinical judgment, but its routine adoption in emergency surgical practice remains limited. Addressing methodological, ethical, and regulatory challenges, together with the development of robust data infrastructures and targeted training pathways, is essential to support safe, effective, and equitable implementation in acute care settings. In addition, the lack of dedicated investment and sustainable funding models for large-scale clinical implementation and prospective evaluation represents a critical barrier to the translation of AI from research into routine emergency surgical practice.

PURPOSE:To evaluate the feasibility, impacts, and perspectives of a family-led robotic walking intervention. MATERIALS & METHODS:This single-arm interventional study recruited participants aged ≥4 years with neuromotor impairments. Participants were lent a robotic walker and recommended to use at least 150 min/week for 12-weeks. Robotic walking use, acceptability, practicality and adverse events were tracked. Family goals were measured before and after training period using Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Quality of life was examined using EQ-5D-Y, Carer-QoL, and CP-CHILD. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (median (25th-75th percentile)) and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Qualitative interviews captured family perspectives and were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS:15 participants aged 4-23 completed this study. Participants trained 5 (3.5-6) times for 150(82-181) minutes and took 7,544(4,640-9,575) steps each week. Adverse events occurred in <1% (16 minor, 1 moderate) of robotic walking sessions. Performance (3.5 (1.9-4.5), p ≤ 0.001) and satisfaction (3.3(3.0-5.0), p ≤ 0.001) of goals increased. Parents described positive changes in social experiences and family interactions and difficulties with the logistics of robotic walking. CONCLUSIONS:This family-led robotic walking intervention resulted in improvements in individual goals, though families did struggle with some logistics of robotic walking.

BACKGROUND:Cardiovascular disease has historically been the most common cause of death (COD) among people with and without diabetes. However, substantial progress has been made in the management of cardiovascular disease. We conducted a multinational analysis to establish whether this trend is still the case. METHODS:In this multinational, population-based study, we assembled aggregated annual mortality data collected during routine clinical care from nationally or regionally representative administrative datasets in high-income jurisdictions between 2000 and 2023. For inclusion, datasets must have ongoing enrolment of new patients with diabetes, cause-specific death counts in people with and without diabetes, and sex-specific and age-specific data. We collected population size, counts of prevalent diabetes (type 1 and type 2), death counts, and person-years of follow-up in people with and without diagnosed diabetes by sex and 10-year age group. We estimated cause-specific trends in mortality rates, proportional mortality, and mortality rate ratios (MRR) for people with versus those without diabetes (type 1 and type 2) using Poisson models standardised for age and sex. FINDINGS:Using data from 11 jurisdictions, we identified 2·7 million deaths in people with diabetes and 11·0 million deaths in people without diabetes during a total of 1·7 billion person-years of follow-up. Cardiovascular disease mortality decreased in all jurisdictions in populations with and without diabetes. Mean 5-year declines in cardiovascular disease mortality among people with diabetes ranged from 8·3% (95% CI 5·9 to 10·7) to 25·4% (22·8 to 28·0). Mortality due to diabetes declined in most jurisdictions. Dementia mortality increased in people with and without diabetes in six (86%) of seven jurisdictions. Cancer mortality declined in people with diabetes in three (33%) of nine jurisdictions and in people without diabetes in six (67%). At the end of the observation period, cancer was the leading COD in people with diabetes in four (36%) of 11 jurisdictions. MRRs were generally stable for all CODs. Exceptions include Lithuania, where the mean 5-year change in MRR for cardiovascular disease was -7·6% (-10·1 to -5·1), indicating a more rapid fall in cardiovascular disease mortality in people with diabetes than in people without. For dementia, the MRR increased in Denmark (5-year change 8·0% [5·0 to 11·1]) and Scotland (11·4% [8·5 to 14·3]). INTERPRETATION:Mortality from cardiovascular disease and diabetes has declined among people with diabetes in most jurisdictions, whereas mortality from dementia has increased markedly, independent of age. Cardiovascular disease is no longer universally the most common COD among people with diabetes in high-income countries. FUNDING:US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Diabetes Australia Research Program, and Victoria State Government Operational Infrastructure Support Program.