Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity levels assessed from 7 standard-field stereoscopic color photographs on a 35° fundus camera to both Clarus and Optos ultrawidefield color images.
Design: Cross-sectional, comparative imaging study.
Participants: Participants with DR imaged at a single-center retina practice.
Diminutive posterior mitral valve leaflet with an extremely elongated anterior leaflet is a rare phenomenon. We share such a case discovered in an 82-year-old patient with severe, symptomatic mitral regurgitation. LA, left atrium; LV, left ventricle; MR, mitral regurgitation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The curation of images using human resources is time intensive but an essential step for developing artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. Our goal was to develop and implement an AI algorithm for image curation in a high-volume setting. We also explored AI tools that will assist in deploying a tiered approach, in which the AI model labels images and flags potential mislabels for human review.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF• Left ventricular (LV) diverticulum is a rare cardiac anomaly. • Echocardiographic examination of accessary LV chambers is critical to diagnosis. • Multimodality imaging can aid in ruling out additional congenital heart defects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To compare Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) severity levels between two digital fundus imaging protocols for research studies of diabetic retinopathy: the gold standard 7-field (7F) imaging and the more recent 4-widefield (4W) imaging.
Methods: Two hundred twenty-two participants enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study underwent concurrent 7F and 4W imaging. The ETDRS levels from 220 paired gradable images were determined by masked graders.
Purpose: We investigated whether dietary carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin (L/Z) in the serum and macula were associated with central retinal arteriole and venule calibers in a follow-up ancillary study among older women in the Women's Health Initiative.
Methods: Among 390 women who participated in Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (CAREDS2) (2016-2019), we investigated associations between serum L/Z at Women's Health Initiative baseline (1994-1998), and macular pigment optical density (MPOD) at CAREDS baseline (2001-2004), with central retinal vessel caliber in CAREDS2. MPOD was measured using heterochromatic flicker photometry (0.
Purpose: To compare Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) severity levels between standard 7-field imaging and ultra-widefield (UWF) imaging and to incorporate peripheral diabetic retinopathy (DR) lesions into the ETDRS grading system.
Design: Cross-sectional Study.
Participants: Paired images from 192 eyes (189 participants) with diabetic retinopathy were included.
Am J Infect Control
January 2021
A Veterans Affairs long term care facility on Long Island New York was confronted with a COVID-19 outbreak in late March to Mid-April 2020. Faced with a dwindling supply of PPE, the Infection Control team distributed supplies saved for a possible Ebola outbreak. A COVID unit was created within the nursing home facilitating the geographic isolation of cases; universal testing of residents and employees allowed for the implementation of proper quarantine measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Meningococcal disease is a serious problem in adolescents, including high school students. Universal immunization of adolescents with meningococcal conjugate vaccine was recently recommended. We studied risk factors for meningococcal disease in students in grades 9-12.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLimited information exists on the incidence and characteristics of invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) infections among residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). We reviewed cases of invasive GAS infections occurring among persons > or =65 years of age identified through active, population-based surveillance from 1998 through 2003. We identified 1,762 invasive GAS cases among persons > or =65 years, including 1,662 with known residence type (LTCF or community).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Invasive group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection causes significant morbidity and mortality in the United States. We report the current epidemiologic characteristics of invasive GAS infections and estimate the potential impact of a multivalent GAS vaccine.
Methods: From January 2000 through December 2004, we collected data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Active Bacterial Core surveillance (ABCs), a population-based system operating at 10 US sites (2004 population, 29.
Background: The pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) can prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in the elderly and those with certain underlying illnesses. However, vaccine uptake remains suboptimal. Identification of missed opportunities for vaccination could guide new strategies for improving uptake.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: BACKGROUND. To prevent Streptococcus pneumoniae infection among persons at highest risk for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) is currently recommended for persons >or=65 years old and persons 2-64 years old with certain underlying conditions. Policymakers have considered expanding recommendations for PPV to include persons who are 50-64 years old and additional populations at risk for IPD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFConnecticut established telephone-based gram-positive rod (GPR) reporting primarily to detect inhalational anthrax cases more quickly. From March to December 2003, annualized incidence of blood isolates was 21.3/100,000 persons; reports included 293 Corynebacterium spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Our goal was to describe trends in invasive pneumococcal disease incidence among persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
Methods: We used time-trend analysis of annual invasive pneumococcal disease incidence rates from a population-based, active surveillance system. Annual incidence rates were calculated for 5 July-June periods by use of data from San Francisco county, the 6-county Baltimore metropolitan area, and Connecticut.
Background: Athletics-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections have become a high-profile national problem with substantial morbidity.
Methods: To investigate an MRSA outbreak involving a college football team, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of all 100 players. A case was defined as MRSA cellulitis or skin abscess diagnosed during the period of 6 August (the start of football camp) through 1 October 2003.
Community-specific antimicrobial susceptibility data may help monitor trends among drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and guide empiric therapy. Because active, population-based surveillance for invasive pneumococcal disease is accurate but resource intensive, we compared the proportion of penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates obtained from existing antibiograms, a less expensive system, to that obtained from 1 year of active surveillance for Georgia, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, Oregon, Maryland, Connecticut, and New York. For all sites, proportions of penicillin-nonsusceptible isolates from antibiograms were within 10 percentage points (median 3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere has been recent concern raised over the detection, prevalence, and clinical implications of infection with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. which produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). These enzymes hydrolyze beta-lactams including the cephalosporins (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSevere invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease is believed to have reemerged during the past 10-20 years. We conducted active, laboratory, population-based surveillance in 5 US states (total population, 13,214,992). From 1 July 1995 through 31 December 1999, we identified 2002 episodes of invasive GAS (3.
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