MALDI-TOF imaging analysis of benzalkonium chloride penetration in ex vivo human skin.

Benzalkonium chloride (BZK), alkyldimethylbenzlamonium chloride, is a cationic surfactant that is used as an antiseptic. BZK is classified as a quaternary ammonium compound composed of molecules of several alkyl chains of differing lengths, that dictate its effectiveness towards different microbes. As a result, BZK has become one of the most used preservatives in antibacterial solutions.

Disparities in the Diagnosis and Management of Infants Hospitalized With Inadequate Weight Gain.

Objectives: To evaluate the association between race and the named etiology for inadequate weight gain among hospitalized infants and assess the differences in management.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study of infants hospitalized for the workup and management of inadequate weight gain used infant race and neighborhood-level socioeconomic deprivation as exposures. The etiology of inadequate weight gain was categorized as nonorganic, subjective organic (ie, gastroesophageal reflux and cow's milk protein intolerance), or objective organic (eg, hypothyroidism).

Flow Cytometric Quantification of Peripheral Blood Cell β-Adrenergic Receptor Density and Urinary Endothelial Cell-Derived Microparticles in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by severe angiogenic remodeling of the pulmonary artery wall and right ventricular hypertrophy. Thus, there is an increasing need for novel biomarkers to dissect disease heterogeneity, and predict treatment response. Although β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) dysfunction is well documented in left heart disease while endothelial cell-derived microparticles (Ec-MPs) are established biomarkers of angiogenic remodeling, methods for easy large clinical cohort analysis of these biomarkers are currently absent.

The do-not-resuscitate decision: the context, process, and consequences of DNR orders.

This study examines the process and consequences of an increasingly important element of the dying experience in American hospitals: the writing of a Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order. The focus of the study is on the decision-making process and timing of the DNR decision, the impact of the DNR order on the dying experience, and the consequences of the DNR order for length of hospital stay and accrued medical charges. Patients with a DNR order are compared to those who were unsuccessfully coded.

Clinical profile of apparently healthy neonates with in utero drug exposure.

Objective: To identify the characteristics of neonates exposed to drugs in utero but admitted to the normal newborn nursery because of apparent good health.

Design: Retrospective evaluation with chart review of toxicology screening tests sent from a normal newborn nursery.

Setting: Newborn service in an urban hospital.