Military medicine
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To estimate the cumulative incidence of sexual assault during the time of Gulf War I among male Gulf War I Veterans who later applied for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) post-traumatic stress disorder disability benefits and to identify potential risk and protective factors for sexual assault within the population. ⋯ The 9-month cumulative incidence of sexual assault in this particular population exceeded the lifetime cumulative incidence of sexual assault in U.S. civilian women. Although Persian Gulf deployment was not associated with sexual assault in this population, combat exposure was.
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To assess whether race is a significant factor in the ability of prostate-specific antigen velocity (PSAV) for predicting high-grade prostate cancer (HGPC). ⋯ PSAV may complement static PSA in African Americans and help identify early stage aggressive cancers.
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Catastrophic pelviperineal injuries have become more commonplace on the modern battlefield as a result of dismounted blast mechanism and the survival benefits afforded by far-forward resuscitation and surgery. Inherent in the survival of casualties with such devastating injuries is both the risk for invasive infections and the need for complex reconstruction. We report a series of two combat casualties sustaining the constellation of catastrophic pelviperineal blast injury, anal sphincter complex destruction, complicated by invasive fungal infection managed with completion proctectomy. Our experience, although lacking numbers to qualify as high-level evidence to guide care, will assist future surgeons' care for similar patients.
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Comparative Study
Melanoma incidence rates in active duty military personnel compared with a population-based registry in the United States, 2000-2007.
This study was conducted to investigate whether incidence rates of malignant cutaneous melanoma in U.S. Department of Defense active duty military personnel differed from rates in the U.S. general population between 2000 and 2007. ⋯ Melanoma rates were marginally higher among active duty military personnel than the general population between 2000 and 2007.
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Comparative Study
Safe lithium use in a non-psychiatric versus a psychiatric inpatient veterans affairs hospital setting: a retrospective assessment.
This study examined practices for monitoring lithium in a non-psychiatric versus psychiatric inpatient setting at a Veterans Affairs facility. ⋯ Our results demonstrate significant differences between the non-psychiatric and psychiatric inpatient settings in respect to monitoring lithium. The frequency of serum lithium level monitoring in both groups was below the level set by both the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines. Additionally, frequency of corrective measures in both settings was low, indicating a need for improvement in this area.