Melanie Bechard

• Medical Doctor at University of Ottawa

Objectives Virtual care can facilitate access to pediatric emergency departments (EDs), but it is unclear if virtual care is equitably accessed by patients from marginalized communities. This study compares the use of a virtual pediatric ED between neighbourhoods with different levels of marginalization. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of...

To determine the association between neighborhood marginalization and rates of pediatric ED visits in Ottawa, Ontario. Secondary objectives investigated if the association between neighborhood marginalization and rates varied by year, acuity, and distance to hospital. We calculated rates of pediatric ED visits per 1000 person-years for census disse...

Objectives The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario launched Canada’s first virtual pediatric emergency department (ED) from May 2020 through November 2021 to deliver accessible care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to (i) conduct a cost analysis of the virtual pediatric ED, and (ii) compare the virtual costs to in-pe...

Background: Cannabis-related emergency department visits can be an entry point for youths to mental health and substance use care systems. We aimed to examine trends in cannabis-related emergency department visits as a function of youths' age and sex. Methods: Using administrative data, we examined all visits to emergency departments in Ontario,...

For adolescents with gender dysphoria, it has become common to be offered hormonal treatment to either delay or suppress pubertal development and/or to masculinize or feminize the body. At the same time, it has been our clinical impression that the psychological vulnerability of at least some of these youth has been overlooked. Fifty consecutive re...

Despite the widespread use of subcutaneous methotrexate in treating pediatric rheumatic disorders, the amount of pain associated with the injections has not been quantified. Our study aims 1) to quantify the amount of pain associated with subcutaneous injections of methotrexate, 2) to explore predictors of pain, 3) to determine the frequency of pat...

Background/Purpose Methotrexate is frequently used to treat a variety of paediatric rheumatologic conditions. We explored patient‐reported frequency of side effects and coping strategies for weekly injections of subcutaneous methotrexate. Methods A prospective observational cohort study was conducted from June 2013 through August 2013. All patient...

Background/Purpose Procedural pain may have long‐term negative effects on children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the amount of pain associated with weekly subcutaneous injections of methotrexate. Methods A prospective observational cohort study was conducted from June 2013 through August 2013. All patients with appointments in rheumatolog...

The consolidation of newly acquired memories involves the temporal transition from a recent, less stable trace to a more permanent consolidated form. Opiates possess potent rewarding effects and produce powerful associative memories. The activation of these memories is associated with opiate abuse relapse phenomena and the persistence of compulsive...

Dopamine (DA) receptor transmission through either D(1) or D(2)-like subtypes is involved critically in the processing of emotional information within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). However the functional role of specific DA D(1)-like receptor transmission in the expression of emotionally salient associative memories (either aversive or rewar...

The cannabinoid CB1 receptor system is critically involved in the control of associative fear memory formation within the amygdala-prefrontal cortical pathway. The CB1 receptor is found in high concentrations in brain structures that are critical for emotional processing, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the prelimbic division (PLC) of...

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a significant role in associative learning and memory formation during the opiate addiction process. Various lines of evidence demonstrate that glutamatergic (GLUT) transmission through the N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor can modulate neuronal network activity within the mPFC and influence dopaminergic...

The cannabinoid CB1 receptor system is functionally involved in the processing and encoding of emotionally salient sensory information, learning and memory. The CB1 receptor is found in high concentrations in brain structures that are critical for emotional processing, including the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC)...