Patient characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in parturients admitted for labour and delivery in Massachusetts during the spring 2020 surge: A prospective cohort study.

Background: While studies from large cities affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have reported on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the context of universal testing during admission for delivery, the patient demographic, social and clinical factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women are not fully understood.

Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in women admitted for labour and delivery, in the context of universal screening at four Boston-area hospitals.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we reviewed the health records of all women admitted for labour and delivery at four hospitals from the largest health system in Massachusetts between 19 April 2020 and 27 June 2020.

Association Between Number of In-Person Health Care Visits and SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Obstetrical Patients.

This case-control study estimates the risk of contracting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among pregnant women making antenatal visits to 4 Boston, Massachusetts, area hospitals during April-June 2020 vs uninfected controls matched on gestational age.

Pharmacologic Properties of Novel Local Anesthetic Agents in Anesthesia Practice.

Therapeutic duration of traditional local anesthetics when used in peripheral nerve blocks is normally limited. This article describes novel approaches to extend the duration of peripheral nerve blocks currently available or in development. Three newer approaches on extending the duration of peripheral nerve blocks include site-1 sodium channel blockers, novel local anesthetics delivery systems, and novel adjuvants of local anesthetics.

Safety of remifentanil in transsphenoidal surgery: A single-center analysis of 540 patients.

Although some studies have examined the efficacy and safety of remifentanil in patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures, none has examined its safety in transsphenoidal operations specifically. In this study, all transsphenoidal operations performed by a single author from 2008 to 2015 were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the safety of remifentanil in a consecutive series of patients. During the study period, 540 transsphenoidal operations were identified.

Kv7.2 regulates the function of peripheral sensory neurons.

The Kv7 (KCNQ) family of voltage-gated K(+) channels regulates cellular excitability. The functional role of Kv7.2 has been hampered by the lack of a viable Kcnq2-null animal model.

Kv7.5 is the primary Kv7 subunit expressed in C-fibers.

Kv7 (KCNQ) potassium channel openers (enhancers) decrease neuropathic pain in experimental models. Here we show that C-fibers, and their associated small-diameter neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (both IB4- and TrkA-positive), expressed Kv7.5.