Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Student Performance and Evaluation Scores.

In March 2020, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine suspended in person clinical teaching due to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) pandemic. During this period, virtual cases, telehealth participation, and online cases were incorporated into medical education.

Subspecies (subsp.) Meningitis in a 7-week-old Boy.

Meningitis caused by subspecies (subsp.) is a rare complication with 14 cases reported in literature worldwide between 2003-2023, with the majority of the cases occurring before 4 weeks of life and with preceding symptoms. This is a case report of an infection without any preceding symptoms.

A simple and expedient PCR format for rapid molecular screening of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Amies gel swabs.

Screening patients for carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is commonly undertaken in hospital laboratories using phenotypic methods. This work is labour-intensive, costly and may take several days to complete. We report on the validation of a novel rapid screening approach for direct testing of Amies gel swabs for MRSA.

Development of an internal amplification control system for a real-time PCR assay for detection of Neisseria meningitidis in CSF and EDTA blood.

The aim of this study was to assemble and assess a non-competitive internal amplification control (IAC) system targeting the Escherichia coli alanine racemase (alr) gene to include in a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for Neisseria meningitidis. Primers and hybridisation probes specific for the IAC were designed and assessed for specificity. Amplification efficiency and limit of detection for the assembled assay was extrapolated using standard curves constructed with serial dilutions of N.

Shockwave therapy under ultrasonographic guidance in rotator cuff calcific tendinitis.

Objectives: This is the first efficacy evaluation in patients with rotator cuff calcific tendinitis treated with shockwave therapy delivered using a dedicated extracorporeal lithotripter and ultrasonographic guidance.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-two patients with rotator cuff calcific tendinitis received shockwave therapy delivered using a lithotripter specifically designed for the musculoskeletal system (DORNIER EPOS ULTRA), under ultrasonography guidance (which is not part of the conventional procedure). The cumulative dose per patient was 1300 mJ/mm2 divided in two or three sessions.

Synovial lipoma arborescens of the hip.

Lipoma arborescens is a rare intra-articular tumor usually found in the knee joint. The reported lesion involved the inferomedial recess of the right hip synovium, in a 29-year-old male. The clinical findings were nonspecific.