Highlights of this issue
========================


*   © 2007 Canadian Medical Association

**Use of hospital services during the SARS outbreak** 

![Figure1](http://www.cmaj.ca/https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/176/13/1805.1/F1.medium.gif)

[Figure1](http://www.cmaj.ca/content/176/13/1805.1/F1)

Figure. Photo by: CP PHOTO ARCHIVE/Kevin Frayer

Schull and colleagues evaluate the impact of the restrictions on the use of hospital services during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Toronto in 2003. Although the restrictions achieved modest reductions in the use of elective services, some unintended consequences did occur. In a related Public Health commentary, Schabas comments on the new Quarantine Act and questions whether it will be useful during an influenza pandemic.

**See pages** [1827](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/volpage/176/1827?iss=13) **and** [1840](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/volpage/176/1840?iss=13)

**Improving door-to-balloon times: the Calgary experience** 

For patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI), the shorter the time to reperfusion, the better the outcome. In Calgary, a new protocol for expedited pre-hospital diagnosis and transfer of patients for primary percutaneous coronary intervention was introduced in June 2004. In this article, de Villiers and colleagues evaluate the protocol's impact on door-to-balloon times in the first 16 months after its introduction. In a related commentary, Travers reviews the many hurdles in achieving optimal care for ST-segment elevation MI in Canada.

**See pages** [1833](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/volpage/176/1833?iss=13) **and** [1843](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/volpage/176/1843?iss=13)

**Early detection of prostate cancer** 

![Figure2](http://www.cmaj.ca/https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/176/13/1805.1/F2.medium.gif)

[Figure2](http://www.cmaj.ca/content/176/13/1805.1/F2)

Figure. Photo by: Dean A. Troyer, MD, Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Tex.

Although prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening has led to dramatic increases in detection rates of prostate cancer, it is still unknown whether it significantly reduces the rate of death from the disease. Thompson and Ankerst review the pros and cons of PSA screening for prostate cancer and clarify the information currently available about this screening method. In a related commentary, Jewett and colleagues discuss the findings of 2 landmark trials that challenge the treatment paradigm for managing benign prostatic hypertrophy.

**See pages** [1853](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/volpage/176/1853?iss=13) **and** [1850](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/volpage/176/1850?iss=13)

**Practice** 

![Figure3](http://www.cmaj.ca/https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/176/13/1805.1/F3.medium.gif)

[Figure3](http://www.cmaj.ca/content/176/13/1805.1/F3)

Figure. 

In this teaching case report, Nijveldt and colleagues describe a case of **arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy**, an important but underrecognized cause of arrhythmia and sudden death in young adults (page [1819](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/volpage/176/1819?iss=13)).

![Figure4](http://www.cmaj.ca/https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/176/13/1805.1/F4.medium.gif)

[Figure4](http://www.cmaj.ca/content/176/13/1805.1/F4)

Figure. 

**Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis**: Nzegwu and coauthors describe a rare, benign breast disorder that mimicked inflammatory breast cancer in a woman post partum (page [1822](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/volpage/176/1822?iss=13)).