Prevalence of Invasive Bacterial Infection in Hypothermic Young Infants: A Multisite Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of bacteremia and meningitis (invasive bacterial infection [IBI]) in hypothermic young infants, and also to determine the prevalence of serious bacterial infections (SBI) and neonatal herpes simplex virus and to identify characteristics associated with IBI. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of infants ≤90 days of age who presented to 1 of 9 hospitals with historical or documented hypothermia (temperature ≤36.0°C) from September 1, 2017, to May 5, 2021. Infants were identified by billing codes or electronic medical record search of hypothermic temperatures. All charts were manually reviewed. Infants with hypothermia during birth hospitalization, and febrile infants were excluded. IBI was defined as positive blood culture and/or cerebrospinal fluid culture treated as a pathogenic organism, whereas SBI also included urinary tract infection. We used multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression to identify associations between exposure variables and IBI. RESULTS: Overall, 1098 young infants met the inclusion criteria. IBI prevalence was 2.1% (95% CI, 1.3-2.9) (bacteremia 1.8%; bacterial meningitis 0.5%). SBI prevalence was 4.4% (95% CI, 3.2-5.6), and neonatal herpes simplex virus prevalence was 1.3% (95% CI, 0.6-1.9). Significant associations were found between IBI and repeated temperature instability (OR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.3-18.1), white blood cell count abnormalities (OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.8-13.1), and thrombocytopenia (OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.4-17.0). CONCLUSIONS: IBI prevalence in hypothermic young infants is 2.1%. Further understanding of characteristics associated with IBI can guide the development decision tools for management of hypothermic young infants.

Massive Presentation of a Neglected Basal Cell Ulcer on the Forehead and Outcome With Radiation Therapy: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the scalp is the most common cancer of the skin and is locally invasive. The patched/hedgehog intracellular signaling pathway is responsible for regulating cell growth and tumor formation by inactivating mutation of protein patched homolog 1 (PTCH1) or activating mutation of Smoothened (SMOm). BCC can cause significant morbidity from local destruction if neglected. The risk of metastasis and death is 6.5% in tumors greater than or equal to 2 cm in size. The gold standard treatment is surgical excision. Radiation therapy is used to treat skin cancers as an adjuvant or in patients who are not candidates for surgical intervention or who refuse therapy. It works by using low-energy X-rays or electron beam radiation. They work on the superficial skin and do not affect the organs deeper. Here, we describe the case of a man who presented with an unwitnessed seizure and was found to have a large ulcer on his forehead, which was later diagnosed to be BCC of the scalp eroding the calvarium. The base of the ulcer was the patient's dura and brain. He was successfully treated with electron beam radiation therapy for six weeks with careful preservation of brain tissue. The patient's skin was re-epithelialized and the bone was recalcified. The ulcer on the forehead has completely regressed. This case report and literature review illustrates the evidence to propose the importance of radiation therapy and its potential to be the first-line treatment in BCC, especially in similar cases like ours. Multimodality treatment with a radiation oncologist, dermatologist, and medical oncologist can save patients from devastating outcomes.

The anatomical variations of the emergence routes of supraorbital nerve: A cadaveric study and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the location of supraorbital nerve is essential to perform supraorbital endoscopic surgery, regional nerve block, and nerve decompression in the treatment of migraine. This study discusses the emergence routes of supraorbital nerve as well as a systematic literature review on previous anatomical studies. This comparative analysis will be beneficial for surgeons worldwide. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 19 cadavers with bilateral supraorbital nerve dissections. The emergence route of the nerve through either a notch or foramen was recorded. Additionally, the distance from midline, nerve branching patterns, and diameter of emergence routes were measured. RESULTS: Our findings showed an equal number of supraorbital emergence route between notch and foramen (42%) and demonstrated average distance from emergence route and facial midline 22.34 (3.05) mm in male and 23.58 ± 2.42 mm in female. Diameter of notch type is 3.97 (0.99) mm and 3.39 (1.09) mm in foramen type. Data from systematic review showed range of distance from emergence route to facial midline from 22.2 to 33.7 mm. East Asia population had significant shorter distance of supraorbital emergence route to facial midline than Middle Asia and Caucasian population. CONCLUSION: This study provides greater insight into the anatomic variations and supraorbital never course in an understudied minority population. Surgeons should be aware of this critical area and strive to minimize dissection to prevent iatrogenic nerve injury.

Mechanism of inhibition of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase by 4'-Ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine triphosphate, a translocation-defective reverse transcriptase inhibitor.

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) are employed in first line therapies for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. They generally lack a 3'-hydroxyl group, and thus when incorporated into the nascent DNA they prevent further elongation. In this report we show that 4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine (EFdA), a nucleoside analog that retains a 3'-hydroxyl moiety, inhibited HIV-1 replication in activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells with an EC(50) of 0.05 nm, a potency several orders of magnitude better than any of the current clinically used NRTIs. This exceptional antiviral activity stems in part from a mechanism of action that is different from approved NRTIs. Reverse transcriptase (RT) can use EFdA-5'-triphosphate (EFdA-TP) as a substrate more efficiently than the natural substrate, dATP. Importantly, despite the presence of a 3'-hydroxyl, the incorporated EFdA monophosphate (EFdA-MP) acted mainly as a de facto terminator of further RT-catalyzed DNA synthesis because of the difficulty of RT translocation on the nucleic acid primer possessing 3'-terminal EFdA-MP. EFdA-TP is thus a translocation-defective RT inhibitor (TDRTI). This diminished translocation kept the primer 3'-terminal EFdA-MP ideally located to undergo phosphorolytic excision. However, net phosphorolysis was not substantially increased, because of the apparently facile reincorporation of the newly excised EFdA-TP. Our molecular modeling studies suggest that the 4'-ethynyl fits into a hydrophobic pocket defined by RT residues Ala-114, Tyr-115, Phe-160, and Met-184 and the aliphatic chain of Asp-185. These interactions, which contribute to both enhanced RT utilization of EFdA-TP and difficulty in the translocation of 3'-terminal EFdA-MP primers, underlie the mechanism of action of this potent antiviral nucleoside.

Limiting Dietary Sugar Improves Pediatric Sinonasal Symptoms and Reduces Inflammation.

Excessive sugar consumption is associated with many chronic inflammatory diseases in adults. The effects of excessive sugar consumption in children have not been determined. In this study, we hypothesized that sinonasal symptoms and proinflammatory cytokine levels would be related and could be altered through reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. To test this, we conducted a pilot study involving behavior modification and a 2-week follow-up. Seventeen children participants were recruited, and eleven completed the study. The experimental group presented with chronic nasal congestion or rhinorrhea defined by daily symptoms without acute illness for at least 3 months. The control group presented for non-nasal problems. Both groups received counseling to decrease SSB consumption. The Sinus and Nasal Quality of Life (SN-5) Survey was administered, and a blood sample was obtained by venipuncture at baseline and 2 weeks after counseling. Participants kept a 2-week food diary to document sugar intake. Serum lipid profile and inflammatory cytokines were measured. The experimental group reduced daily sugar intake, 46% versus 11% in the control. Baseline SN-5 scores were significantly worse in the experimental group and normalized to controls after intervention. Inflammatory cytokine levels were not different at baseline, but the experimental group significantly reduced in proinflammatory markers and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory markers after intervention. Our pilot data demonstrate higher sugar consumption may be associated with increased inflammatory stress and sinonasal symptoms. Reducing SSB and controlling inflammation in early childhood may have future health benefits.