Is there a doctor on board? Last week, a woman was lucky enough to have two doctors aboard her Toronto-bound flight when she went into premature labour. The flight from St. Lucia was re-routed to Bermuda, where the healthy airborne baby was transferred to a local hospital.

 ☕️Postcall’s one-sip markets update:

The US Federal Reserve, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of England are all announcing announcing their interest rate decisions this week. Nvidia announced the Blackwell B200 chip, which it claims can reduce energy consumption by 25x compared to the H100. Outside of tech, Lululemon and Nike will report earnings this week, on the heels of Adidas posting its first annual loss in 30+ years.

Ready for this week’s stories?

Staying #Up2Date 🚨

 1. Improved tools for stools

Getting colorectal cancer (CRC) screening can sometimes be a literal bummer — who wants to provide stool samples or get colonoscopies? A more non-invasive screening test using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) may soon be on the horizon. This study from NEJM assessed a blood-based test in a population eligible for CRC screening. In an average-risk screening population, this cfDNA blood-based test had 83% sensitivity for colorectal cancer, 90% specificity for advanced neoplasia, and 13% sensitivity for advanced precancerous lesions. 

2. Shots & clots 

Although COVID-19 vaccines have been associated with increased risk for cardiac and thromboembolic events (myocarditis, thrombosis etc), these risks have always been thought to be higher following SARS-CoV-2 infection. A staggered cohort study looked into the association between COVID-19 vaccination and the risk of post-COVID cardiac and thromboembolic complications. After comparing 10 million vaccinated & unvaccinated folks, getting the shot was associated with reduced risks of COVID-19 venous & arterial thromboembolism as well as heart failure. 

3. Teen pregnancy linked to premature mortality

Earlier this year, BC started providing contraception free of charge. And it’s about time — teen pregnancy has been thought to be a marker of adverse life experiences for decades. A Canadian population-based cohort study of 2.2 million female teenagers evaluated the risk of premature mortality from age 12+ in association with the number of teen pregnancies and age at pregnancy. In a nutshell, teen pregnancy was associated with subsequent premature mortality amongst females.

👨‍💻Tech Bites

1: Because owning more than half the satellites in space isn’t enough, SpaceX has reportedly been contracted by a US intelligence agency to build hundreds more, according to Reuters. These low-orbit spy satellites would be able to both track targets on the ground and operate as a swarm.

2: Social news website/forum/meme factory Reddit is planning to go public tomorrow, aiming for a valuation of up to $6.4 billion. It’ll be the first significant tech and social media platform IPO (initial public offering) in years.

3: The HIMSS conference took place this week, drawing 30,000+ health and tech professionals to Orlando, FL. With generative AI hitting the mainstream, ambient clinical documentation tools were the talk of the conference.

4: Surprising no one, it turns out automakers (incl. GM, Kia, and Subaru) have been capturing and sharing car driving data with insurance providers. Trip reports can include start/end times, distance driven, and any speeding, hard braking, or sharp accelerations. One researcher called cars “a privacy nightmare.”

Electric Cars Spark a Conversation  🚗

While electric vehicles are revving up to be the future, some people are questioning the public health implications behind their production.

What happened: Researchers at Northwestern University found that if 30% of the gas vehicles in Chicago switched to electric, the reduction in pollution would save more than 1,000 lives and $10 billion in U.S healthcare costs every year. 

Why it’s interesting: The team ran simulations to find out the reduction in emissions from all types of electric vehicles. In an earlier study, researchers found that if they replaced 30% of heavy duty trucks with electric versions, it could save around 500 lives and about $5 billion per year in health benefits. (Carbon dioxide and black smoke, both found in gas engines, affect the respiratory and cardiovascular system.)

But some are concerned about the production of lithium ion batteries for EVs. They use three times more cumulative energy demand than a regular battery. Only 5% of them get recycled, which means the rest end up in landfills and could potentially cause fires. 

In 2016, 40,000 children in the Democratic Republic of Congo reportedly worked in mines, retrieving minerals for products like cell phones and electric cars. Chile is also affected by the mining, as it can contaminate the country’s water supply. It’s been reported that by 2040 the demand for these minerals will increase 20-fold.

Bottom line: One prescription does not fit all, and the same can be said for gas and electric. So before you trade in, do your own research to see what’s best for you.

Notable Numbers 🔢

$112k: the daily interest accruing on Trump’s $454M USD judgment in his civil fraud case. But he testified last year that he had $400M in liquid assets, so he should be good 👍️ 

8 (in 10 days): the number of Boeing incidents reported between Mar. 4 and Mar. 14 that required emergency landings or diversions.

5: the number of organs a 35-year-old Ottawa man received for a transplant. A rare genetic condition, Hollow Visceral Myopathy, had virtually shut down his digestive system.

2.3s: That’s the 0-100km/h time of the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, the most powerful production electric car it’s ever made. The catch? It’ll set you back $303,419 CAD for the GT model.

Postcall Picks ✅ 

🛫 Travel: Castles, whiskey, and bagpipes? Say no more. Fly nonstop from Halifax, NS to Edinburgh, Scotland for $591.

📗 Register: For this upcoming OMA Webinar, titled Enhance Family Practice Billing on Apr. 9, 2024. The webinar is complimentary to OMA members.

🌑 Plan: Your eclipse watching party. Occurring on Apr. 8, 2024, the total solar eclipse will be passing through eastern Canada. For everyone else, a partial eclipse will still be visible.

👀 Watch: How it’s made — this common ingredient is used in jellybeans, wood finish, and fruit preservation (shellac).

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