Serologic screening and infectious diseases consultation in renal transplant candidates for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella.

Renal transplant recipients are at increased risk for developing complications of vaccine-preventable diseases. They benefit from a comprehensive pre-transplant evaluation when they might safely receive live vaccines. The primary aim of our study was to investigate the number of renal transplant recipients who were evaluated for serologic status against measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and varicella.

The evolution of parkinsonism in primary progressive apraxia of speech: A 6-year longitudinal study.

Introduction: Primary progressive apraxia of speech (PPAOS) is a neurodegenerative syndrome in which patients present with an isolated motor speech disorder. Some PPAOS patients develop parkinsonism and other features of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and/or corticobasal syndrome (CBS) over time. We aimed to assess the evolution of parkinsonian characteristics in PPAOS patients who had been followed yearly for at least six years.

Ioflupane 123I (DAT scan) SPECT identifies dopamine receptor dysfunction early in the disease course in progressive apraxia of speech.

Objective: To describe I-FP-CIT (DAT scan) SPECT findings in progressive apraxia of speech (PAOS) patients and to compare those findings with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal syndrome (CBS).

Background: PAOS is a neurodegenerative syndrome in which patients present with apraxia of speech, a motor speech disorder affecting programming and planning of speech. Patients with PAOS predictably develop Parkinsonism.

Acute pulmonary embolism in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: frequency, hospital outcomes, and recurrence.

Study Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the risk of acute pulmonary embolism (PE), hospital outcomes including mortality, and PE recurrence.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled adult patients, admitted to Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, within a 5-year period (2009-2013). We compared frequency of PE, hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes in patients with OSA versus patients without OSA.

Serologic screening and infectious disease consultation (IDC): Indicated in heart, lung, liver (HLL) solid organ transplants (SOT) for measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella.

Background: Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are a special group of patients who require comprehensive evaluation for preventable infectious diseases before transplantation. The main aim of our study was to investigate the number of heart, lung, and liver (HLL) transplant recipients who were evaluated for their immune status against measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and varicella (VZV). As a secondary aim, we investigated whether pre-transplant infectious disease consultation (IDC) improves vaccination rates.