Liver Nurse News

May 2022 – CLM Highlights, Award Recipients & Cirrhosis Learning Guide

Canadian Liver Meeting Highlights

Reconnecting! After a two-year hiatus, reconnection was truly the predominant sentiment throughout the CLM for those who attended live in Ottawa. It was fantastic to see friends and colleagues from across the country and have the networking touchstones that come with meeting together in person. Reconnection was felt virtually as well, through the laughter, the engaging and interactive elements and the very special CAHN member profile presentation.

CAHN program once again showcased the in-depth knowledge of Nurses and Doctors while remaining relevant to the needs of members who practice in a variety of settings.

The day started bright and early with the Meet a Nurse Expert Workshop. The incredibly detailed presentation: HIV/HCV Co-Infection, Tamara Barnett & Karen Lundgren, Cool Aid Community Health Centre, showcased how HIV and HCV can be treated in a holistic manner utilizing the services of an impressive array of allied health and creative solutions.

Next in CAHN’s program was Specialty Nursing, a Holistic and Integrated Approach to Care. First, Barbra Cave from the University of Louisville presented “Needle Exchange Programs: A Spotlight on the Influence of Social Determinants of Health on Viral Hepatitis.” Followed by the virtual presentation, “Implications of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Substance Use”. Leo Yamamoto from the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre interviewed his patient, Jessica Bigstone. The dialogue was a fascinating look into the impacts of the lived experience of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and substance use.

The Hepatology Zebras described key considerations for a diagnostic approach for autoimmune liver disease and summarized and evaluated the common diagnostic tests for PBC, PSC and AIH. Our speakers: Diagnosis of Autoimmune Liver Disease (AILD), Hin Hin Ko, University of British Columbia, Canada, Post Transplant Recurrence – AILD, Gideon Hirschfield, University Health Network, Canada and Alpha-1 Antitrypsin, David Wong, University Health Network, Unity Health (St. Michael’s Hospital).

And last but not least, the great debate that is quickly becoming THE way to wrap up the CAHN portion of CLM! Attendees from all over the conference poured into the meeting room to hear a hilarious (scientific) roast debating, The Cure: to SVR or not to SVR?, with Curtis Cooper, University of Ottawa, Canada, vs. Alnoor Ramji, University of British Columbia, Canada. Whether or not you agreed with the debate points, everyone in the room was united in laughter.

CanHepC’s 11th Canadian Symposium on HCV and CanNash’s Symposium will both take place on Friday, May 13. The CLM Opening is Friday at 5:00 PM EST with CASL and CAHN’s programs beginning Saturday morning, ending Sunday at 1:00 PM EST.

CAHNs 2022 Annual General Meeting

CAHN’s AGM will take place virtually on Tuesday, May 24 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time.

Attendance is required to receive any and all member reimbursement benefits for 2022 including travel to the Canadian Liver Meeting, virtual registration reimbursement and future travel to CAHNference 2022 planned for November 18-19 in Vancouver.

CAHN is seeking nominations to fill three Board of Director positions. Being part of the board is a personally rewarding experience and all members, old and new, are welcome to participate. No volunteer experience is needed.

Congratulations to CAHN Award Recipients

Kate Newcombe

Innovation and Inspiration

Sarah De Coutere

Innovation and Inspiration

Donna Zukowski

Distinguished Service

Stephanie Eiloart

Exceptional Contribution

Sharon Bojarski

Lifetime Achievement

CAHNference Bytes

On April 26, CAHN presented “A Case-Based Discussion of Ascites Management” with Sarah De Coutere and Lindsay Myles as the first “Byte” in our planned four-part series on the management of decompensated cirrhosis. The on-demand recording will be available shortly. In the meantime, check out the updated, corresponding Cirrhosis Learning Guide.
Become a member to access CAHN’s educational resources.

Save the dates!

CAHNference 2022 is set to be CAHN’s first stand-alone hybrid event. Mark your calendars for Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19 in Vancouver or online. Members who attend the Annual General Meeting happening virtually on May 24 will qualify for travel reimbursement to this event. Our planning committee already has some exciting topics and possible collaborations in the works. Stay tuned!

Canadian Liver Meeting

CLM 2023 planning is already underway for March 3-5, 2023, in Halifax!

Other Liver Events

Jun 7-10, 2022, World Hepatitis Summit, Virtual

Jun 22 – 23, 2022, World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Viral Hepatitis, Virtual

Jun 22 – 26, 2022, EASL – The International Liver Congress™ 2022, London, United Kingdom & Virtual

Sep TBD, The Liver Forum, Vancouver

Oct 14 – 16, 2022, CASL Single Topic Conference on Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease, Vancouver & Virtual

Oct 19 – 21, 2022, INHSU 2022, Glasgow & Virtual

Oct 27, 2022, The Nurse and Allied Health Hepatology Update, Ontario, format TBD

Oct 28, 2022, Jenny Heathcote Hepatology Update, Ontario, format TBD

Nov 2, 2022, International Workshop on HBV Cure, Washington, DC & Virtual

Nov 4 – Nov 8, 2022, The Liver Meeting (AASLD 2022), Washington, DC & Virtual

ETHNICITY DISEASE SEVERITY AND SURVIVAL IN CANADIAN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY BILIARY

Despite similar age at diagnosis, Indigenous patients with PBC presented with more advanced disease including higher ALP and total bilirubin values. Higher total bilirubin values in Indigenous patients may reflect more pronounced ductopenia. Indigenous patients also presented with higher GLOBE prognostic scores that were beyond thresholds indicating impaired survival compared to an age-matched population.

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