Acute Colonic Diverticulitis.

Acute colonic diverticulitis is a gastrointestinal condition that is frequently encountered by primary care and emergency department practitioners, hospitalists, surgeons, and gastroenterologists. Clinical presentation ranges from mild abdominal pain to peritonitis with sepsis. It is often diagnosed on the basis of clinical features alone, but imaging is necessary in more severe presentations to rule out such complications as abscess and perforation.

Smoking and Alcohol Consumption and Risk of Incident Diverticulitis in Women.

Background & Aims: Much of what is known about the effects of alcohol and tobacco use on diverticular disease derives from studies of asymptomatic diverticulosis or complicated diverticulitis. We examined smoking and alcohol consumption and risk of incident diverticulitis in a large cohort of women.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 84,232 women in the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II) who were 39-52 years old and without known diverticulitis at baseline in 2003.

Viral Shedding 1 Year Following First-Episode Genital HSV-1 Infection.

Importance: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is the leading cause of first-episode genital herpes in many countries.

Objective: To inform counseling messages regarding genital HSV-1 transmission, oral and genital viral shedding patterns among persons with first-episode genital HSV-1 infection were assessed. The trajectory of the development of HSV-specific antibody and T-cell responses was also characterized.

Using Deliberate Practice and Simulation for Psychomotor Skill Competency Acquisition and Retention: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: Quality, safe patient care is dependent on graduates who are proficient in the psychomotor skills of nursing. Competent skill acquisition and retention are key to reducing skill-based errors and reducing the risk of adverse patient events.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of deliberate practice combined with skill practice during high-fidelity simulation (HFS) scenarios on urinary catheter insertion skill competency and retention in prelicensure nursing students.