Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Dec 2013
Minimally invasive drainage of subcutaneous abscesses reduces hospital cost and length of stay.
We compared outcomes among pediatric patients managed with minimally invasive (MI) packing techniques with those managed with traditional packing techniques for drainage of subcutaneous abscesses. ⋯ Soft tissue infections requiring incision and drainage are common in the pediatric population, with the majority caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Infections requiring drainage most frequently occurred in the diaper area of girls younger than 3 years old. Changing to an MI technique significantly decreased the hospital costs and LOS in our patient population.
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Southern medical journal · Dec 2013
Association of cardiac disease and alcohol use with the development of severe ciguatera.
Ciguatera is a foodborne illness that causes severe gastrointestinal and neurologic symptoms, but the risk factors for illness are not well established. ⋯ This study provides preliminary evidence that preexisting health status influences an individual's risk of developing severe ciguatera. There may be a benefit to educating high-risk individuals about preventing ciguatera.
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Southern medical journal · Dec 2013
Does a bite cause cancer? Misperceptions of breast cancer etiology among low-income urban women in Miami, Florida.
To explore breast cancer beliefs among a cohort of low-income, urban, English-speaking women in Miami, Florida, who had undergone screening mammography. ⋯ Women voiced some accurate and numerous inaccurate beliefs regarding the causes of breast cancer, suggesting a lack of knowledge about the potential benefits and harms of screening mammography before undergoing examination. These findings highlight the importance of identifying women's underlying beliefs when initiating a discussion of breast cancer screening and prevention to ensure that messages are mutually understood.
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Southern medical journal · Nov 2013
Routine HIV screening in North Carolina in the era of the Affordable Care Act: update on laws, reimbursement, and tests.
Eighteen percent of the 1.2 million human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals in the United States are undiagnosed, with North Carolina accounting for the eighth largest number of new HIV diagnoses in 2011. In an effort to identify more HIV-infected individuals by reducing physician barriers to HIV testing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have expanded their HIV screening recommendations to adolescents and adults without HIV risk factors or behaviors, eliminated federal requirements for pretest counseling, and modified the informed consent process. ⋯ In concert with these federal recommendations, the majority of states have modified their consent and counseling requirements. The implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will add requirements and incentives for federal (Medicare), state (Medicaid), and private (insurance) payers to reimburse physicians and patients for nonrisk-based HIV screening.
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Southern medical journal · Nov 2013
Accessibility and effectiveness of sources of information about HIV/AIDS in a rural population.
To determine the accessibility and effectiveness of different sources of information about human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in a rural population. ⋯ HIV-related information sources are being used by individuals living in rural regions. Unfortunately, exposure to such information was only weakly or not at all associated with the prevalence of most risk and protective factors. It can be concluded that HIV-related information, although accessible, has at best minimal effects on behaviors. More work is needed to increase the effectiveness of information about HIV/AIDS disseminated in rural regions.