The Risk of COVID-19 Infection in Individuals with Alopecia Areata.

Objective: We sought to determine the risk of contracting coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in individuals with alopecia areata (AA) compared to individuals without AA.

Methods: We queried the Symphony Health-derived data from the COVID-19 Research Database, and individuals with a diagnosis of AA from 2019 to 2020 were included in the AA cohort. Subjects with no record of AA diagnosis from 2019 to 2020 were randomly placed in the control group in a 4:1 size ratio compared with the AA group.

Evaluating Onychomycosis Outcomes 2 Months into an 11-month-long Efinaconazole Regimen: The Role of Optical Coherence Tomography.

Background: Onychomycosis affects 43 million people in the United States and Europe. Topical therapies can be effective but require lengthy and costly regimens without an established method for predicting the treatment outcome.

Objective: We studied the role of optical coherence tomography (OCT), a noninvasive imaging device approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, in evaluating onychomycosis treatment outcomes.

From Ship Captains to Crew Members in a History of Relationships Between Anesthesiologists and Surgeons.

With increasing specialization, more collaborative relationships have developed between anesthesiologists and surgeons. Specialization has influenced not only relationships but also communication between anesthesiologists and surgeons. This article considers the nature and scope of these transitions in recent histories of both professions.

The Effect of Acutely Administered Propofol on Forced Swim Test Outcomes in Mice.

Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is a gamma-aminobutyric acid type A agonist intravenous anesthetic agent used in outpatient settings. Based on anecdotal reports of improved mood in humans following propofol-induced anesthesia, the impact of acute propofol treatment alone or in combination with subchronic fluoxetine dosing was tested on forced swim test (FST) performance. Seventy-two adult male mice (C57/BL6, CRL-provided) were pretreated daily with saline or fluoxetine (20 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) (21 days for cohort 1; 24 days for cohort 2).

How Should Physicians Manage Organ Donation after the Circulatory Determination of Death in Patients with Extremely Poor Neurological Prognosis?

Organ donation after the circulatory determination of death (DCDD) accounts for a growing percentage of deceased organ donations. Although hospital DCDD protocols stipulate donor death determination, some do not adhere to national guidelines that require mechanical, not electrical, asystole. Surrogate decisions to withdraw life-sustaining therapy should be separated from decisions to donate organs.

Should Dementia Be Accepted as a Disability to Help Restore Hope during Cognitive Decline?

Dementia is a common condition that impacts the patient, the family, and society. Currently, a diagnosis of dementia evokes hopelessness in the afflicted, and society provides few resources or systematic support for caregivers or for demented patients. In this commentary, we discuss the origins of hopelessness in dementia, the World Health Organization's six-stage framework of dementia care, and barriers to "normalizing" the experience of dementia in order to provide beneficent and humane care for patients with dementia.

SQUIRE 2.0 (Standards for QUality Improvement Reporting Excellence): Revised Publication Guidelines from a Detailed Consensus Process.

Since the publication of Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 1.0) guidelines in 2008, the science of the field has advanced considerably. In this manuscript we describe the development of SQUIRE 2.

Improving patients' readiness for coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Background: Preoperative interventions improve outcomes for patients after coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).

Objective: To reduce mortality for patients undergoing urgent CABG.

Methods: Eight centers implemented preoperative aspirin and statin, preinduction heart rate less than 80/min, hematocrit greater than 30%, blood sugar less than 150 mg/dL (8.

How much do patients' preferences contribute to resource use?

Regional variation in health care use may stem, in part, from the fact that patients in high-utilization regions demand and receive more-intensive care. We examine the association between patients' care-seeking preferences and use of services, using a national survey of Medicare patients. Patients' preferences, in addition to health and sociodemographic characteristics, are associated with differences in individuals' use of office visits.