Publications by authors named "Megan H Noe"

Patients with autoimmune bullous diseases are at an increased risk of infection, both from the underlying skin disease and from immunosuppressive treatments. Limited information is available on vaccine beliefs and behaviors in dermatology patients and adults with autoimmune bullous diseases in particular. To understand vaccine decision making, identify perceived risks and benefits of vaccinations, and discuss individual experiences in patients with autoimmune bullous diseases in the United States.

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Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic skin disease that causes significant burden for patients in multiple aspects of their life. However, the details regarding the impact on factors aside from skin are limited.

Objective: We explored patient perspectives around the impact of HS on personal health and how that affects a patient's health care decision making.

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Despite evidence to suggest a relationship between time of year and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) flaring, no studies have been conducted to date to establish a relationship directly between temperature and flaring. In this study, we aim to validate a classification approach based on administrative data for identifying medical encounters that likely represent HS flares in patient with a known diagnosis of HS within the Mass General Brigham Health System (MGB) and examine the relationship between average daily temperatures and HS disease flaring among patients in Boston. This is a retrospective cohort study.

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Vaccination rates among adults in the United States, including dermatology patients, remain suboptimal. Previous research has concluded that outpatient specialty offices often have administrative and patient-related barriers to administering vaccines in their clinics, however, this has never been examined specifically in dermatology. This study aims to examine dermatologists' perspectives on vaccine education in dermatology clinics, identify facilitators and barriers to vaccine administration in dermatology clinics, and explore strategies to improve vaccination rates in dermatology patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluates the effectiveness of systemic medications for treating plaque psoriasis, focusing on four main drugs: infliximab, bimekizumab, ixekizumab, and risankizumab.
  • All four drugs showed similar clinical effectiveness in managing psoriasis symptoms, with no significant serious adverse events compared to placebo.
  • However, the analysis has limitations, such as not assessing long-term effectiveness beyond 52 weeks and lacking detailed safety evaluations for nonserious side effects.
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  • Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DiHS), also known as DRESS, is a serious skin reaction that includes symptoms like fever and involvement of internal organs, commonly triggered by medications like anticonvulsants and antibiotics.
  • The condition typically arises 2-6 weeks after drug exposure and is driven by a complex interaction between the drugs, viruses, and the immune system, particularly T-cells.
  • This continuing medical education activity aims to inform healthcare professionals about the latest trends in DiHS/DRESS's epidemiology, underlying mechanisms, and clinical features for better prognosis and treatment.
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Article Synopsis
  • - Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) is a serious skin reaction that includes symptoms like rashes, fever, and problems with blood and organs, making it crucial to distinguish it from other similar conditions and diseases.
  • - Although there are proposed diagnostic criteria for DIHS, there's no established consensus, so identifying the right cause can be complex and requires thorough evaluation.
  • - The main treatment involves stopping the suspected drug immediately and using systemic corticosteroids, with ongoing research into alternatives; follow-up care is also essential to monitor for any long-term effects.
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Having a chronic disease is one of the most consistent factors associated with vaccine uptake for adults in the general population, but vaccination beliefs and behaviors specific to those with chronic skin diseases have not been explored. The objective of this study was to explore factors associated with vaccine uptake and barriers to vaccination in adults with psoriasis and eczema. Virtual, video-based semi-structured interviews were performed with adults who self-reported a diagnosis of psoriasis or eczema.

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Rapid human-to-human transmission of monkeypox has created a public health emergency requiring prompt, multidisciplinary attention. Dermatologists are at the forefront of diagnosis due to the disease-defining skin lesions. Moreover, patients with pre-existing skin disease and those who are on immunosuppressive medications for skin disease may be at increased risk of severe infection.

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Clinical Question: What are the effects of systemic therapies for Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN)?

Bottom Line: There is limited high-quality evidence to support the use of systemic immunomodulatory therapies to decrease mortality rates in SJS/TEN.

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Article Synopsis
  • Psoriasis is a skin condition that can lead to other health issues, and a medicine called apremilast is used to help with it.
  • Researchers wanted to see how apremilast affects heart health and fat in the body after treatment.
  • In a study with 70 people, they found that while there were some positive changes in certain body markers, there wasn't much change in aortic inflammation after taking apremilast for 16 or 52 weeks.
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  • Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a rare and severe skin reaction with systemic complications, requiring deeper investigation as existing data are mostly from small, retrospective studies.
  • A study reviewed 340 cases of AGEP from multiple academic health systems in the US over a 20-year period, focusing on patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and treatment.
  • The findings revealed that the majority of patients were middle-aged women, often triggered by medications, with common symptoms including fever and changes in white blood cell counts, indicating an immune response.
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Development and dissemination of novel COVID-19 vaccines represent an opportunity to end the COVID-19 pandemic by vaccinating an estimated 80% of the population. This study examines perceptions, and demographic and clinical factors influencing the likelihood of adults with psoriasis receiving a novel COVID-19 vaccine. A cross sectional study conducted from October-November 2020 of 1405 adults with psoriatic disease with prior contact to a patient advocacy organization.

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Importance: Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a is a chronic, orphan disease with limited epidemiological data.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics, treatments, longitudinal disease course, and health care utilization in adults with PPP across the US.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective, longitudinal case series from 20 academic dermatology practices in the US included a consecutive sample of 197 adults who met the European Rare and Severe Psoriasis Expert Network consensus definition for PPP between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2018.

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Importance: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a chronic, orphan disease with limited epidemiological data.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics, treatments, longitudinal disease course, and disease-specific health care utilization among patients with GPP across the United States.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A retrospective longitudinal case series involving 95 adults who met the European Rare and Severe Psoriasis Expert Network consensus definition for GPP and were treated at 20 US academic dermatology practices between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2018.

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Adults with chronic inflammatory skin disease are at increased risk of vaccine-preventable illnesses and infections, likely because of the underlying disease itself and also their treatment with immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory medications. Despite the association between these agents and increased susceptibility to infection, vaccination rates in dermatology patients remain low. Although preventative care such as vaccinations is typically managed by primary care providers, dermatologists serve a critical role in spreading awareness of the specific risks of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory agents and promoting understanding of individualized vaccine recommendations.

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Importance: To curtail the opioid epidemic, physicians have been advised to limit opioid prescriptions.

Objective: To characterize the frequency and changes over time (2009-2020) of opioid prescriptions following Mohs micrographic surgery.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study using Optum Clinformatics DataMart (Optum CDM), a nationally representative insurance claims database, included patients aged 18 years and older who had Mohs micrographic surgery insurance claims in the Optum CDM database from 2009 to 2020.

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