ABSTRACT
Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Streptococcus agalactiae, is a bacterium often screened for pregnant women and associated with neonatal infections. However, GBS disease is also rising among non-pregnant adults, especially among immunocompromised patients. The median age of non-pregnant adults with invasive GBS disease is 64 years. It can present as skin and soft tissue infection, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, urosepsis, and meningitis. There is very limited data on GBS disease occurring in the pediatric population past the infancy stage. In this report, we present a case of a 16-year-old male with GBS osteomyelitis.
ABSTRACT
Spontaneous tonsillar hemorrhage is defined as continuous bleeding for more than one hour, or more than 250 mL of blood loss regardless of the duration of bleeding. It is associated with various pathologic conditions, including acute or chronic tonsillitis, peritonsillar or parapharyngeal abscess, infectious mononucleosis, carotid aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm, and tonsil cancer. It is a rare complication with very limited data reported in the literature. Reported cases indicate an increased incidence in young patients, associated with a higher mortality rate. We report a rare case of spontaneous tonsillar hemorrhage due to infectious mononucleosis in a previously healthy 16-year-old female.
ABSTRACT
Aortic stenosis (AS) is the third most common type of cardiovascular disease after hypertension and coronary artery disease, and it carries a high mortality rate when left untreated. Risk factors include male sex, hypertension, tobacco use, advanced age, elevated LDL cholesterol, and coronary atherosclerosis. Definitive treatment for AS includes valve repair, either percutaneously or surgically; however, in aging populations corrective surgery carries increased risk. While research suggests that patients of some non-White ethnic groups, including African-Americans, are less likely than their Caucasian counterparts to have AS, these minority patients may experience may experience differences in the way they receive and accept care. This paper seeks to explicate the mechanisms of racial disparities among the African-Americans affected by aortic stenosis as they pertain to healthcare utilization, referral for valve replacement, acceptance of therapy, and overall treatment outcomes.
