Faculty Bibliography

Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus, is a rare but aggressive fungal disease with high morbidity and mortality rates that tends to affect patients who are severely immunocompromised. Early recognition of the infection and prompt intervention is critical for treatment success. In recent years the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge in the number of cases of mucormycosis. This study aims to report an unfortunate event involving an immunocompromised elderly male with mucormycosis of the foot who expired from sepsis due to COVID-19. It is important to have a high clinical suspicion for mucormycosis when a clinical lesion develops, and to appropriately biopsy the lesion in question, particularly in a context of COVID-19. Raising awareness of COVID-19-associated mucormycosis may allow for early detection of the disease, thus enabling the initiation of rapid treatment, ultimately saving lives.

AIMS:The prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among adolescents in the United States continues to rise, following the trajectory of the obesity epidemic which posits not only a substantial health burden to our society, but also a significant threat to the wellbeing of America's youth. While a number of studies have explored the perception of the risk for developing diabetes in the adult population in the United States, this data is minimal for the adolescent population. In this study, we examined the self-perceived risk of diabetes among adolescents with overweight/obesity. METHODS:Cross-sectional study of 808 non-diabetic U.S. adolescents overweight or obese, ages 12-19, who completed a physical exam and in-home interview during the 2011-2014 National Heath and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). RESULTS:Of adolescents with obesity, African Americans (aOR 0.27, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.51) and Hispanic Americans (aOR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.90) were significantly less likely to perceive themselves as being at risk for developing diabetes/prediabetes compared to Non-Hispanic Whites. Additionally, individuals with overweight (aOR 13.1, 95% CI: 4.54, 37.5) and obesity (aOR 3.40, 95% CI: 1.71, 6.74) who had been informed by their physician that they were at risk for diabetes, were significantly more likely to perceive themselves to be at risk for diabetes. CONCLUSIONS:Significant racial differences exist in the self-perceived risk for diabetes among U.S. adolescents with overweight and obesity. Further investigation focused on preventing the development of diabetes among at-risk adolescents who do not comprehend their risk, i.e. through more effective healthcare communication, is warranted.

BACKGROUND:Low-income individuals who are eligible for nutrition assistance have been shown to consume a larger portion of their daily calories from beverages with added sugar. We examined the association between Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and self-reported sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption as well as the association between self-reported consumption of SSBs and overweight/obesity in low-income children. DESIGN:Cross-sectional analysis of 1455 SNAP-eligible U.S. children, ages 2-17, who completed a questionnaire and physical examination during the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). RESULTS:SNAP-eligible children who received SNAP in the last month were more likely to drink soda in the last month [76.0% (2.2)] than those who did not receive benefits [70.5% (2.8)]. These children were also more likely to drink fruit drinks [74.8% (1.6) vs. 69.3% (3.1)]. Among youth in households receiving SNAP benefits, soda consumption in the past month was associated with a greater risk of obesity, particularly Hispanic youth [OR=1.93 (1.07, 3.50), p=0.0314] aged 2-5 [OR=2.71 (1.29, 5.69), p=0.0114]. Additionally, among youth in households receiving SNAP benefits, male children who consumed sugar-sweetened fruit drinks in the past month were significantly more likely to be overweight [3.13 (1.12, 8.73), p=0.0315] as compared to male peers who did not consume any sugar sweetened fruit drinks. CONCLUSION:Among youth, SNAP recipients drink more SSBs than their eligible non-recipient peers. Our results indicate that certain populations of children receiving SNAP benefits and consuming SSBs are more likely to be overweight or obese when compared to their peers who receive SNAP benefits but do not consume SSBs.

BACKGROUND:Although there have been analyses on the qualities associated with individuals who chose to repeatedly donate blood, there is little known about national blood donation rates in the United States. To address this lack of information, this article uses data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to assess changes in the national rates of blood donation among adults aged 20 years and older. METHODS:Data was collected from 49,512 US adults aged 20 years and older who were surveyed from 1999 to 2016 through the NHANES. Individuals selected for inclusion in NHANES underwent an in-home interview, where they were asked whether or not they participated in blood donation in the past 12 months. Data were analyzed with SAS and Wald-chi square tests were used to assess trends in recent blood donations. RESULTS:The overall recent blood donation rate has hovered around 6% since 1999, with no significant change during that time period. Over the last 2 decades, the percentage of individuals aged 20 to 29 years with a recent blood donation has increased significantly. During the same time period, the percentage of individuals aged 30 to 39 years and individuals with a 4-year college degree or greater with a recent blood donation decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS:Although the national blood donation rate has not changed significantly, significant changes in donation rates have occurred among a number of US subpopulations.