Pause at Your Own Peril: A Case Series on Rebound Pulmonary Hypertension.

Severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic approaches for intermediate- and high-risk pulmonary arterial hypertension have now shifted toward initial combination management, often including parenteral epoprostenol and iloprost and early assessment for a lung transplant. After the initiation of therapy, usually various combinations of different classes of medication, it is important to consider the potential interruption in therapy causing rebound PAH. We present two patients recently admitted to our hospital with rebound symptoms after interruption of their pulmonary vasodilator therapy.

Seeds in the Lungs: A Pseudo-Miliary Pattern of Sarcoidosis.

We present a 26-year-old African-American gentleman with no significant past medical history who presented with a three-day history of dry cough. Computerized tomography of the chest showed scattered infiltrates consistent with a pseudo-miliary pattern. A transbronchial biopsy showed non-caseating granulomas confirming our suspicion for pulmonary sarcoidosis. Miliary sarcoidosis is rare; therefore, health care providers should consider other diagnoses such as tuberculosis, malignancy, and pneumoconiosis.

An Alternative Cause of Encephalopathy: Valerian Root Overdose.

The interest in alternative therapeutics use has increased over the past few decades. Valerian, also known as "plant Valium," is a popular choice as a natural remedy for insomnia or anxiety. In order to ensure patient safety, clinicians need to be knowledgeable about commonly used alternative therapeutic products, their mechanisms of action, and potential pharmacological interactions. We present an unusual case of encephalopathy due to the combination of Valerian root, a plant with putative sedating properties, along with a natural "γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) supplement." This case highlights the importance of thoroughly exploring alternative therapies when evaluating encephalopathy as well as the importance of being educated on the commonly used agents.

Reply to the Comment on: Subrat Khanal et al. The Repertoire of Adenovirus in Human Disease: The Innocuous to the Deadly. Biomedicines 2018, 6, 30.

We would like to thank Dr. Atkinson for his comments on our review article on the manifestations of adenoviral infections in humans. [...].

The Repertoire of Adenovirus in Human Disease: The Innocuous to the Deadly.

Adenoviridae is a family of double-stranded DNA viruses that are a significant cause of upper respiratory tract infections in children and adults. Less commonly, the adenovirus family can cause a variety of gastrointestinal, ophthalmologic, genitourinary, and neurologic diseases. Most adenovirus infections are self-limited in the immunocompetent host and are treated with supportive measures. Fatal infections can occur in immunocompromised patients and less frequently in the healthy. Adenoviral vectors are being studied for novel biomedical applications including gene therapy and immunization. In this review we will focus on the spectrum of adenoviral infections in humans.

Musculoskeletal disease in Nepal: A countrywide cross-sectional survey on burden and surgical access.

INTRODUCTION: Musculoskeletal disease (MSD) is a major cause of disability in the global burden of disease, yet data regarding the magnitude of this burden in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are lacking. The Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS) survey was designed to measure incidence and prevalence of surgically treatable conditions, including MSD, in patients in LMICs. METHODS: A countrywide survey was done in Nepal using SOSAS in May-June 2014. Clusters were chosen based on population weighted random sampling. Chi squared tests and multivariate logistic regression assessed associations between demographic variables and MSD. RESULTS: Self-reported MSDs were seen in 14.8% of survey respondents with an unmet need of 60%. The majority of MSDs (73.9%) occurred between 1 and 12 months prior to the survey. Female sex (OR = 0.6; p < 0.000), access to motorized transport (for secondary facility, OR = 0.714; p < 0.012), and access to a tertiary health facility (OR = 0.512; p < 0.008) were associated with lower odds of MSD. DISCUSSION: Based on this study, there are approximately 2.35 million people living with MSDs in Nepal. As the study identified non-availability, lack of money, and fear and/or lack of trust as the major barriers to orthopedic care in Nepal, future work should consider interventions to address these barriers. CONCLUSION: There is a need to increase surgical capacity in LMICs; in particular, there is a need to bolster trauma and orthopedic care. Previous studies have suggested ways to allocate resources to build capacity. We recommend targeting the alleviation of these identified barriers in parallel with capacity building.