Apremilast is a small-molecule biologic approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Behçet disease. Although apremilast is seemingly a less favorable choice for treating psoriasis in the era of injectable biologics, the drug is an important option for patients in the military. In this article, we review on-label indications and off-label uses for apremilast; highlight the importance of apremilast for managing psoriasis in the military population; and propose other patient populations in whom the use of apremilast is favorable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNon-pigmented rapidly growing mycobacteria are nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) capable of producing disease. We report a case of tattoo-associated NTM infection with a novel species: Mycobacterium mageritense. A 48-year-old man presented with a two-week history of a papulopustular eruption on the shaded areas of a tattoo that had been placed five weeks prior while in the Philippines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: The severity of exertional heat illnesses (EHI) ranges from relatively minor heat exhaustion to potentially life-threatening heat stroke. Epidemiological surveillance of the types of and trends in EHI incidence depends on application of the appropriate International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision (ICD-9) diagnostic code. However, data examining whether the appropriate EHI ICD-9 code is selected are lacking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article reviews current prehospital treatment for heat casualties and introduces a retrospective study on the addition of cold (4 °C) intravenous (IV) saline to prehospital treatment and its effect on morbidity. The study is a retrospective cohort reviewing electronic medical records of 290 heat casualties admitted to Martin Army Community Hospital, Ft. Benning, GA, comparing two treatment groups; U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUp to 50% of children will experience a sleep problem. Early identification of sleep problems may prevent negative consequences, such as daytime sleepiness, irritability, behavioral problems, learning difficulties, motor vehicle crashes in teenagers, and poor academic performance. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs in 1% to 5% of children.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChildren should be at least 6 months of age and parents should provide only 100% fruit juice in a cup (not a bottle). Intake should be limited to 4 to 6 oz a day until 12 months of age. It's important to reiterate to parents that breastfeeding is the preferred source of infant nutrition for the first 6 (preferably 12) months of life.
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