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This paper describes several small printed circuit board planar antennas that can be integrated with amplifiers for short-range vehicle wireless communication. The antennas are designed for the 315-MHz frequency band, which is commonly used for control and security devices in the USA and Canada. Each antenna has dimensions of 50 × 70 mm (much less than the free-space wavelength λ = 0.95 m) and is implemented on FR-4 dielectric substrate. These investigated antennas were compared with respect to input impedance, radiation resistance, radiation efficiency, directivity, directionality, bandwidth, matching system complexity, and gain. This paper also includes experimental verification of the final antenna design in the vehicle. It is shown that the antenna diversity method can increase communication range for remote keyless entry systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distracted driving caused by cellphone use is a significant source of needless injuries. These injuries place unnecessary financial burden, emotional stress and health care resource misuse on society. This paper states the Canadian Association of Emergency Physician's (CAEP's) position on cellphone use while driving. In recent years, numerous studies were conducted on the danger of cellphone use while driving. Research has shown that cellphone use while driving negatively impacts cognitive functions, visual fields, reaction time and overall driving performances. Some studies found that cellphone use is as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol. Moreover, vehicle crash rates were shown to be significantly higher when drivers used cellphones. Countermeasures have been implemented in recent years. Over 50 countries worldwide have laws limiting the use of cellphones while driving. Six Canadian provinces, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, currently have legislation prohibiting cellphone use. Other provinces are considering implementing similar bans. As emergency physicians, we must advocate for injury prevention. Cell phone related road traumas are avoidable. CAEP supports all measures to ban cellphone use while driving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. This article will address the process involved in the development and implementation of a clinician-driven portable electronic chart on an Acute Pain Management Service (APMS). We describe the latest version of the program and provide 1 year of clinical data. Setting. Tertiary care center in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Patients. All patients admitted to the APMS between August 1, 2005, and July 31, 2006. Results. A total of 8,726 APMS visits were made to 2,528 patients. Mean length of stay on the Service was 2.3 days. Sixty-one percent of patients reported an active pain score >3/10. Pain scores were highest with hip or knee surgery. Thirty-five percent of patients reported nausea. Conclusions. Executive sponsorship, alignment with institutional priorities, and user input are essential to the development, implementation, adoption, and sustainability of an electronic patient record. Ready access to data at the bedside can improve quality of care, while ongoing, comprehensive data can contribute to Phase IV drug trials. Incorporating both clinical and research outcomes in the database improves data quality and usability, but must be balanced with the impact of clinical time constraints on documentation. Wireless technology and Tablet computers provide portability and adequate screen size for documentation and reviewing of patient data on an acute pain service. It is necessary to provide solutions to process issues, such as printing electronic records during the transition from paper to electronic records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]