Lady With the Blue Hair: An Atypical Cause of Myasthenic Crisis.

A myasthenic crisis denotes a severe exacerbation of myasthenia gravis, leading a patient to enter a life-threatening state due to progressing muscle weakness that ultimately results in respiratory failure. A crisis can require intubation, mechanical ventilation, and additional critical care to prevent further decompensation and potentially death. Numerous well-documented precipitating factors exist, such as infections, surgery, stress, and various medications. We present the case of a 43-year-old woman recently diagnosed with myasthenia gravis who has experienced two myasthenic crises since diagnosis without evident triggers such as surgery, changes in medication, or infection. Following an unremarkable initial diagnostic test and continued treatment for the crisis, we sought additional information from the patient's family member at the bedside. We were informed that two weeks prior to both times of crisis with intubation, the patient had dyed her hair blue. The common chemical component in the two different hair dyes used was methylisothiazolinone, which is suspected to have contributed to the exacerbation of the patient's myasthenia gravis. As more evidence for new precipitating factors of myasthenic crises develops, it is crucial for physicians to quickly identify signs and symptoms of a crisis so appropriate intervention can occur in a time-sensitive manner. In addition, myasthenia gravis patients should be made aware to be cautious of precipitating factors of a crisis, including but not limited to new beauty products.

Medical Implications of Restricting Abortions on Women Diagnosed With Fetal Anomalies Following the Overturn of Roe v. Wade: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review addresses the potential maternal health outcomes of abortion restrictions in the U.S. by studying and analyzing the reported effects of abortion bans or limitations globally. The goal was to examine the medical implications for pregnant women who are unable to abort fetuses that have severe medical anomalies due to imposed restrictions. EMBASE, Medline, and CINAHL databases were searched for studies published in English concerning the medical implications of abortion restrictions in any country prior to the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. For the search criteria using Boolean operators, keywords included the terms "fetal anomaly," "abortion ban," and "implications." Inclusion criteria incorporated studies published between 1980 and 2021, and controlled experimental research studies aimed to evaluate interventions were excluded. This resulted in 469 records initially found. Duplicate records were removed, and two separate tier reviews were conducted. Eleven reviewers independently screened abstracts and titles of 332 records to ascertain eligibility. Eligibility included pregnant women diagnosed with fetal anomalies, women denied access to safe abortions, and the maternal and fetal medical impacts of this. Three reviewers in the second screening independently read 36 full articles to further assess eligibility, resulting in 14 articles in the final review. Findings from this study showed that abortion bans in countries around the world have led to health complications in women seeking illegal abortion services, a decline in maternal mental health, including stress and depression, various medical complications such as obstructed labor, and an increase in high-risk fetuses born with severe deficits. The findings of this review portend similar negative consequences to be experienced by women who are subject to stricter abortion laws in the U.S.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Relationship Between Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Mental Wellness.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether there was a relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and levels of anxiety, depression, and overall mental well-being. The Mediterranean diet is a popular, healthy diet, aimed to promote wellness and reduce chronic illness. In order to determine the relationship between MD and mental well-being, 100 participants consented to complete an online survey to analyze their adherence to MD, along with levels of anxiety and depression. The validated questionnaires of the 14-item Questionnaire of Mediterranean diet Adherence, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) assessments were used to analyze each participant. To evaluate the results of the study, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis was used to identify relationships between MD, depression, and anxiety. There was a significant negative correlation, indicating that MD adherence is associated with reduced depression and anxiety.