MUHC in the Media - November 17, 2025
Practice to be prepared for any eventuality
Since the pandemic, the Montreal Children’s Hospital (MCH) has been receiving an increasing number of patients with injuries related to violent acts. In response to this trend, its Trauma Centre wants to be proactive and conducted a real-time large-scale exercise in the MCH Emergency Department, simulating the arrival of six patients, including with gunshot wounds or knife injuries, who required massive transfusions. With Debbie Friedman, Trauma Director, Dr. Ilana Bank, Medical Director of the Centre for Pediatric Simulation, Kelly Cummins, Nurse Manager of the Centre for Pediatric Simulation, and Dr. Laurie Plotnick, Pediatric Emergency Physician. CTV News
Years of research may lead to safer, simpler care for patients after atrial fibrillation ablation
An important international study co-led by Dr. Atul Verma, Director of the Division of Cardiology at the MUHC and scientist at The Institute, and Dr. David Birnie at the Ottawa Hearth Institute, reveals that most patients who have successfully undergone catheter ablation to treat atrial fibrillation (a type of irregular heart rhythm) can stop taking blood thinners. The results, presented at the 2025 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, could transform clinical practice and improve the quality of life for millions of people. Ottawa Sun, Medscape, Cardiac Rhythm News, Knowridge Science Report
RSV: a thousand hospitalizations avoided last year
Access to a new drug that prevents respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), nirsevimab, prevented a thousand children from being hospitalized last year, highlights Dr. Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and medical microbiologist at the Montreal Children's Hospital. Le Journal de Montréal
He also gave interviews on vaccination against influenza. Radio-Canada 1, Radio-Canada 2
What should we remember about the potential benefits of beta-glucan?
Prof. Maziar Divangahi, a scientist at the Research Institute of the MUHC, was interviewed on an episode of the science program Découverte, which shed light on the potential risks and benefits of dietary supplements, as well as the growing popularity of mushrooms. He spoke about his research on beta-glucan, a molecule found in mushrooms, and its effect on the immune system, as studied in the laboratory. Radio-Canada
Violent acts among adolescents: “rare” incidents, but they have always existed
Family tragedies such as the teenager who attacked his grandmother with an axe are rare, but they can still happen. It is important to maintain dialogue with young people and monitor the influence of social media, says Dr. Cécile Rousseau, a psychiatrist at the Montreal Children's Hospital. TVA Nouvelles
This year's flu season could be intense
The influenza season has been difficult in the southern hemisphere and started earlier in the United Kingdom. What will happen in Canada? Explanations from Dr. Earl Rubin, Director of the Infectious Diseases Division at the Montreal Children's Hospital. Telegraph Journal