Sleep disorder symptoms are associated with greater posttraumatic stress and anger symptoms in US Army service members seeking treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder.

Study Objectives: Characterize associations between sleep impairments and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, including anger, in service members seeking treatment for PTSD.

Methods: Ninety-three US Army personnel recruited into a PTSD treatment study completed the baseline assessment. State-of-the-science sleep measurements included 1) retrospective, self-reported insomnia, 2) prospective sleep diaries assessing sleep patterns and nightmares, and 3) polysomnography measured sleep architecture and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea severity.

Cervical Ripening and Induction of Labor.

Induction of labor is a common obstetric procedure, and approximately one-fourth of pregnant patients undergo the procedure. Although exercise and nipple stimulation can increase the likelihood of spontaneous labor, sexual intercourse may not be effective. Acupuncture has been used for labor induction; however, it has not been shown to increase vaginal delivery rates.

Anatomical Site, Viral Ribonucleic Acid Abundance, and Time of Sampling Correlate With Molecular Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 During Infection.

Background: Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs are the standard for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. If less invasive alternatives to NP swabs (eg, oropharyngeal [OP] or nasal swabs [NS]) are comparably sensitive, the use of these techniques may be preferable in terms of comfort, convenience, and safety.

Methods: This study compared the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in swab samples collected on the same day among participants with at least one positive PCR test.

Long QT and Cardiac Arrest After Symptomatic Improvement of Pulmonary Edema.

A case of extreme QT prolongation induced following symptomatic resolution of acute pulmonary edema is both relatively unknown and poorly understood.

Perceptions and experiences of web-prolonged exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder: A mixed-methods study.

Objective: Web-based prolonged exposure therapy (Web-PE) has potential to increase the reach of effective posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment. While there is initial support for the efficacy of Web-PE, no studies have examined the perceptions and experiences of participants receiving PE in this novel, Web based format.

Method: We used a mixed-methods convergent design to examine and integrate quantitative and qualitative data of participant perceptions and experiences of Web-PE.

Testing the role of aerobic exercise in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in U.S. active duty military personnel: a pilot study.

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if the efficacy of imaginal exposure for symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could be improved by adding aerobic exercise. We hypothesized that aerobic exercise would enhance the efficacy of exposure therapy. Active duty service members with clinically significant symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTSD Checklist-Stressor-Specific Version, [PCL-S], ≥25) were randomized into one of four conditions: exercise only; imaginal exposure only; imaginal exposure plus exercise; no exercise/no exposure therapy (control).

An Interdisciplinary Dashboard to Streamline Medication Processing at Patient Discharge: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Introduction: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop and evaluate the use of an electronic medication request dashboard to reduce the amount of time required for medication processing and decrease time lost to workflow interruptions during patient discharge. Delayed discharges are associated with increased health care costs and adverse patient outcomes. Processing of medication requests at discharge contributes to these delays and to workflow interruptions for nursing and pharmacy staff at the project site.

Elevated Kinesiophobia Is Associated With Reduced Recovery From Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Injuries in Military and Civilian Cohorts.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine associations between level of kinesiophobia and improvement in physical function during recovery from lower extremity injury.

Methods: A total 430 adults (mean [SD]: age = 27.3 [6.

A Review of PTSD and Current Treatment Strategies.

Current treatment strategies for control of trauma-associated symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have recently been updated by the Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD, after over a decade of dedicated research. The most recent evidence is compelling that its use of trauma-focused therapies such as Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), Eye Movement, Desensitization, and Restructuring (EMDR), and others with significant trauma focus are the current gold standard for treatment. Additional medication use may be of assistance in treatment of symptomology, with special avoidance of benzodiazepines or other sedative hypnotic medications which are causal of increased intrusive and dissociative symptoms over time.

Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response: There's an App for That 2.0.

Introduction: In disaster response, smartphone applications (or apps) are being used by the layperson, emergency first responders, and health care providers to aid in everything from incident reporting to clinical decision making. However, quality apps are often diluted by the overwhelming number of apps that exist for both the lay public and first responders in the Apple iTunes (Apple Inc.; Cupertino, California USA) and Google Play (Google LLC; Mountain View, California USA) stores.

Status of US Emergency Medical Service Protocols Regarding Pre-Transfer Cooling for Exertional Heat Stroke.

Objective:  Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in athletes and active individuals. In the field, initial management of exertional heat illness is based on rapid whole-body cooling. Cold-water immersion (CWI) is considered the superior cooling modality for EHS treatment.

COVID-19 Outcomes Among US Military Health System Beneficiaries Include Complications Across Multiple Organ Systems and Substantial Functional Impairment.

Background: We evaluated clinical outcomes, functional burden, and complications 1 month after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in a prospective US Military Health System (MHS) cohort of active duty, retiree, and dependent populations using serial patient-reported outcome surveys and electronic medical record (EMR) review.

Methods: MHS beneficiaries presenting at 9 sites across the United States with a positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) test, a COVID-19-like illness, or a high-risk SARS-CoV-2 exposure were eligible for enrollment. Medical history and clinical outcomes were collected through structured interviews and International Classification of Diseases-based EMR review.

Allergen Immunotherapy Extract Shortages and Their Effects on Clinical Care: A Work Group Report of the AAAAI Immunotherapy, Allergen Standardization, and Allergy Diagnostics Committee.

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only disease-modifying therapy indicated for treatment of allergic asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and Hymenoptera hypersensitivity. Manufacturing of the extracts used in AIT involve multistep complex processes as well as regulatory oversight. Furthermore, some source materials are vulnerable to unexpected events of nature.

Secondary individual outcomes following multicouple group therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: An uncontrolled pilot study with military dyads.

Cognitive-behavioral conjoint therapy (CBCT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has demonstrated efficacy for improving PTSD and comorbid symptoms and relationship adjustment. To enhance treatment efficiency and scalability, we developed a 2-day, abbreviated, intensive, multicouple group version of CBCT for PTSD (AIM-CBCT for PTSD). Prior work demonstrated that AIM-CBCT for PTSD wasassociated with reductions in PTSD and comorbid symptoms in a sample of 24 post-9/11 active duty military or veteran couples who received the treatment in a retreat format over a single weekend.

Myasthenic Crisis After Recurrent COVID-19 Infection.

A patient with myasthenia gravis who survived 2 COVID-19 infections required plasmapheresis to recover from an acute crisis.

Perforated Peptic Ulcer of the Duodenum After the Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

Perforated ulcers of the gastric remnant and duodenum seem to be a rare complication after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Diagnosis of this complication can be difficult given a vague presentation, however, early intervention is critical to prevent further morbidity. We present the case of a 38-year-old male with a perforated duodenal ulcer nearly a year after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Prevalence of Fibromyalgia Syndrome in Active-Duty Military Personnel.

Objective: Previous research with civilian populations has found strong associations between fibromyalgia (FM) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We undertook this study to investigate the prevalence of FM in military service members with and without PTSD.

Methods: Participants were active duty military personnel recruited into either an epidemiologic cohort study of service members before a military deployment or 1 of 3 PTSD treatment trials.

STRONG STAR and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD: Shaping the future of combat PTSD and related conditions in military and veteran populations.

The STRONG STAR Consortium (South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience) and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD are interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research consortia focused on the detection, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comorbid conditions in military personnel and veterans. This manuscript outlines the consortia's state-of-the-science collaborative research model and how this can be used as a roadmap for future trauma-related research. STRONG STAR was initially funded for 5 years in 2008 by the U.

Prehospital Intervention Analysis of Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan.

Background: Based on isolated case reports, military helicopter mishaps often result in multiple critical casualties leading to complicated stabilization and evacuation by healthcare providers. The aim of this retrospective descriptive analysis is to describe the incidence of common prehospital injuries associated with rotary wing crashes in order to improve mission planning and casualty survivability.

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data from the Prehospital Trauma Registry and the Department of Defense Trauma Registry (DoDTR) from April 2003 through May 2019.

Pivoting to the QUAD AIM-Lessons Learned From the Central Texas Market.

Introduction: Since 2009, the Military Health System (MHS) has represented its mission as that of attaining the Quadruple Aim (QUAD AIM): increased readiness, better health, better care, and low per capita costs. The journey to reach the four goals is challenging and ongoing. Leaders in the MHS's Central Texas Market (CTM) sought to understand and overcome the root-cause obstacles that interfered with achieving the QUAD AIM.