Asthma and COVID-19: What do we know now.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges in symptomology identification, diagnosis, management and follow-up in common respiratory diseases, and in particular asthma. Research is rapidly ongoing to try and understand how the SARS-CoV-2 virus affects individuals with asthma, as well as, how underlying asthma affects Covid-19 risk, symptomology and prognosis. In light of this unique medical challenge, clinicians are faced with case-by-case based decisions to implement or continue current asthma therapy.

Intentional heroin administration resulting in homicide in a 10-month old infant.

Homicide occurs in approximately one in five injury-related deaths among infants in the United States and studies suggest that male caretakers (fathers or mothers' intimate partners) are the perpetrators of the majority of infant homicides. Opioid abuse is common and it is estimated that between 26.4 million and 36 million people abuse opioids worldwide.

Teens, Drugs, & Vegas: Toxicological surveillance of illicit prescription and illegal drug abuse in adolescents (12-17 years) using post-mortem data in Clark County, Nevada from 2005 to 2015.

Illegal drug abuse, particularly prescription drug abuse is a growing problem in the United States. Research on adolescent drug abuse is based on national self-reported data. Using local coroner data, quantitative prevalence of illegal substance toxicology and trends can be assessed to aid directed outreach and community-based prevention initiatives.

Teens and Spice: A Review of Adolescent Fatalities Associated with Synthetic Cannabinoid Use.

Synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) are commonly abused by adolescents with reported past year (2013) use in high school students between 3 and 10%. Standard adolescent postmortem toxicology does not include routine SC analysis, and thus, the true burden of fatalities related to SCs is unknown. A retrospective case review of two cases included scene investigation, interviews, autopsy, and toxicology.

The Toxicology of Methadone-Related Death in Infants Under 1 Year: Three Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Methadone-related fatalities occur rarely in infants under 1 year, with five confirmed cases in the literature. The interpretation of pediatric postmortem toxicology relies on adult data; however, infants have crucial physiological differences that may impact interpretation of results. Retrospective case review included scene investigation, interviews, autopsy, and NIH/CDC Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form.

A Rare Cause of Death in a Woman: Iatrogenic Bladder Rupture in a Patient With an Indwelling Foley Catheter.

The CDC estimates that 12-25% of all hospitalized patients receive a urinary catheter during their hospital stay. Foley catheter failure is uncommon and Foley catheter failure associated with iatrogenic urinary bladder rupture (IUBR) is extremely rare. Symptoms are often nonspecific and thus misdiagnosis and delayed treatment is common.