Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Use of Quaternary Ammonium Compound Disinfectants in Healthcare Facilities Within Selected States in the United States of America.

Introduction Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are the active ingredient in the majority of disinfectants approved for use against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although widely used, they have been linked to infertility and birth defects in animals, and have been shown to increase proinflammatory cytokines, decrease mitochondrial function, and disrupt sterol biosynthetic pathways in a dose-dependent manner in humans. This study examined if there was an increased use of QAC-based disinfectants among healthcare settings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to bring to light the negative health outcomes that this rise in QAC exposure may pose.

Rural-Nonrural Disparities in Sports Medicine Access in Secondary School Athletics in Virginia.

Sports play a major role in the secondary school experience, with injuries also being part of these experiences. Healthcare access is a complex topic impacted by where someone lives, among other social determinants of health. Using a survey sent to Virginia-based middle school and high school athletic directors and athletic trainers, this study investigated the differences in sports medicine access comparing rural and nonrural communities.

Kidney Stone Surgery: Assessing Public Interest and Evaluating Social Media Content.

An increasing number of patients are utilizing the internet to answer their medical questions. Given the lack of verified stone treatment resources on the web, we sought to evaluate online interest in kidney stone surgical interventions and assess the quality of the most popular resources on social media. Google Trends was used to evaluate public interest in different kidney stone interventions between March 2016 and February 2021 and reported as search volume index (SVI).

COVID-19 and novel mRNA vaccines in pregnancy: an updated literature review.

The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, or COVID-19, has affected the world on a pandemic scale resulting in catastrophic outcomes and deaths. Currently, there is limited safety data specific to mRNA vaccine use in pregnant or lactating individuals and the potential risks to a pregnant individual and the fetus are unknown. We report an updated literature review of current information and evidence available to aid in the decision whether to vaccinate against COVID-19 currently being made by pregnant individuals and their healthcare providers so that they are able to make a well-informed recommendation and decision.

A Novel Case of Yamaguchi Syndrome in a Hispanic Male.

Yamaguchi syndrome or apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a unique variant of HCM. It is characterized by localized hypertrophy involving the left ventricular apex rather than the left ventricular septum. This syndrome has been traditionally seen in the Asian population, particularly those of Japanese descent.

Cervical Spine CT Can Miss Fractures in American Football Players When Protective Equipment is in Place: A Cadaver Study.

Background: Iatrogenic worsening of spinal injury can result in significant harm to American football players and complicate management when equipment is removed in the acute setting by inexperienced personnel. Spine imaging before removal of protective equipment mitigates this risk. There is no consensus regarding the ideal timing of equipment removal or whether current diagnostic imaging modalities are effective to detect such injuries without equipment removal.

Quaternary Ammonium Compound Disinfectants Reduce Lupus-Associated Splenomegaly by Targeting Neutrophil Migration and T-Cell Fate.

Hypersensitivity reactions and immune dysregulation have been reported with the use of quaternary ammonium compound disinfectants (QACs). We hypothesized that QAC exposure would exacerbate autoimmunity associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus). Surprisingly, however, we found that compared to QAC-free mice, ambient exposure of lupus-prone mice to QACs led to smaller spleens with no change in circulating autoantibodies or the severity of glomerulonephritis.

OSTMED.DR®, an Osteopathic Medicine Digital Library.

The OSTMED.DR® database provides access to both citation and full-text osteopathic literature, including the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. Currently, it is a free database searchable using basic and advanced search features.

Furuncular myiasis of the foot caused by the tumbu fly, Cordylobia anthropophaga: report in a medical student returning from a medical mission trip to Tanzania.

Cutaneous myiasis in humans is a temporary parasitic infestation of the skin by fly larvae or maggots of a variety of Dipteran families. In the United States, autochthonous cases of myiasis are infrequently seen. Most cases of cutaneous myiasis are acquired when traveling to tropical areas of Africa, Central America or South America.