Retrospective Study of Psychiatric Hospitalizations in a West Texas Mental Health Treatment Facility during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: The association between the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and adverse mental health outcomes has been well documented; however, little is known about its impact in rural areas of the United States. This study aims to characterize and compare inpatient psychiatric admissions in West Texas before and during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted using the electronic health records of 1392 inpatient psychiatric admissions from period A (March 13, 2019-July 3, 2019) to period B (March 13, 2020-July 3, 2020).

Role of skin autofluorescence in managing renal and cardiac diseases in outpatient dermatology.

Introduction: The accumulation of tissue-advanced glycation end products in skin results from complex and consecutive reactions and can be measured by skin autofluorescence (SAF) reader devices. This overview discusses studies evaluating the utilization of SAF in screening renal and cardiac disease.

Materials And Methods: Literature search was performed using Google Scholar, PubMed, Springer, Ovid, and ScienceDirect.

The Abl/Abi signaling links WAVE regulatory complex to Cbl E3 ubiquitin ligase and is essential for breast cancer cell metastasis.

The family of Abelson interactor (Abi) proteins is a component of WAVE regulatory complex (WRC) and a downstream target of Abelson (Abl) tyrosine kinase. The fact that Abi proteins also interact with diverse membrane proteins and intracellular signaling molecules places these proteins at a central position in the network that controls cytoskeletal functions and cancer cell metastasis. Here, we identified a motif in Abi proteins that conforms to consensus sequences found in a cohort of receptor and non-receptor tyrosine kinases that bind to Cbl-tyrosine kinase binding domain.

Erythema Multiforme-Like Presentation in an Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patient.

In clinical practice, there are a lot of variations in disease manifestations. Diseases are constantly evolving, and one negative test cannot completely rule out a disease. Erythema multiforme (EM) is a common mucocutaneous disease that can be linked to a lot of etiologies, with the most common being herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2, , and the use of various drugs.

Comparison of patient satisfaction with diode laser treatment of female hirsutism: low fluence or high fluence?

The optimal fluence for treating hirsutism with the diode laser has not been elucidated. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the satisfaction and side effects of patients who have been treated with two diode laser therapy techniques: high-fluence and low-fluence. In this cross-sectional study, the medical records of 182 patients referred to Yazd Laser center were collected.

Hold the Chemo! Leukostasis, a Presentation of Brown Recluse Spider Bite: A Case Report.

Brown recluse spiders, also known as Loxosceles reclusa, are endemic to the Southwest and Central Midwestern United States. A bite from this spider can cause a range of clinical manifestations, anywhere from a painless papular lesion to life-threatening reactions. We report a possible spider bite presenting as leukostasis initially suspected to be acute leukemia.

Case in Point: Correction of Dialysis-Induced Metabolic Alkalosis.

Normal saline solution infusion with concurrent removal by ultrafiltration successfully corrected pretreatment metabolic alkalosis when other measures were inadequate for a patient on dialysis.

Bullous Pemphigoid Mimicking Cellulitis.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most prevalent autoimmune blistering skin disease in the Western world affecting mainly the elderly population. The diagnosis is based on clinical assessment along with specific immunopathologic findings on skin biopsy. Risk factors include genetic factors, environmental exposures, and several infections including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, , , and cytomegalovirus.

First Reported Case of Endocarditis Related to Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator.

A 36-year-old male presented to the ED with acute chronic hyponatremia found on routine weekly lab work with one-week history of generalized weakness, confusion, nausea/vomiting, and diarrhea. The patient has nonischemic cardiomyopathy of unknown etiology diagnosed in his teens with an AICD device placed 8 years ago and receiving milrinone infusion 3 years ago via peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line. Two sets of blood cultures grew .

Outcomes of Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Their Predictors: A National Cohort.

Rationale: Although noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) is increasingly used in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to avoid invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), the data supporting its benefit for this indication are lacking.

Objectives: To analyze the all-cause in-hospital mortality rate and length of stay (LOS) for ARDS patients who received NIPPV in the United States (US) compared to those who were initially intubated. Our secondary outcome of interest was to determine the predicting factors for NIPPV failure.

Cholecystitis with Septic Shock in Immunocompetent Patient.

is a Gram-negative rod previously named , isolated as normal flora in the gut of animals including human stool. Most reported cases refer to immunocompromised patients with polymicrobial infections and water environments. Here we present a case of 51-year-old immunocompetent female presented with nausea, vomiting, malaise, and subjective fever for few days.

Bilateral Chylothorax as a Unique Presentation of Pancreaticobiliary or Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer.

Chylothorax presents as exudate with lymphocytic predominance and high triglyceride-low LDH levels, usually due to a traumatic disruption of the thoracic duct, possibly iatrogenic. Other causes include malignancy, sarcoidosis, goiter, AIDS, or tuberculosis. Here we present a case of a 66-year-old male who came in with cough and shortness of breath for few weeks.

Risks of PEG tube placement in patients with cirrhosis-associated ascites.

This study examined the safety of placing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube in people with liver cirrhosis. The target population was further subdivided into people with ascites (case group) and people without ascites (control). We compare the morbidity and the mortality difference of PEG placement in cirrhotic patients with ascites vs cirrhotic patients without ascites.

Kidney disease in the obese patient.

Obesity constitutes a strong risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease. This review examines the epidemiology, clinicopathologic presentation, and proposed mechanisms for chronic kidney disease in the obese patient. Obesity-associated nephropathy displays a continuum that evolves from glomerulomegaly to glomerulosclerosis and from mild to severe proteinuria in the absence of significant edema and hypoalbuminemia.

Combined false hyperkalemia and hypocalcemia due to specimen contamination during routine phlebotomy.

Combined pseudohyperkalemia and pseudohypocalcemia have not been previously reported in the clinical setting. We report 2 cases in which specimen contamination during routine phlebotomy with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) caused alteration in serum levels of potassium and calcium. This alteration could be misleading when making clinical decisions and could produce adverse patient outcomes.