J Natl Med Assoc
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COVID-19 has been a devastating disease, especially in underserved communities. Data has shown that Indigenous peoples, Latinx communities, and Black Americans have a 3.3, 2.4, and 2 times higher mortality rate than White communities, respectively, due to COVID-19. ⋯ Studies showed that identifying with a racial/ethnic minority, being homeless, housing insecurity, lower household median income, and living in an area with decreased air quality were associated with higher incidence and mortality from COVID-19. Analyses of these studies also showed a lack of resources to collect patients' social determinants of health, revealing an urgent need to create databases with information on local support programs and operationalize the referral and tracking outcomes to address the health inequities for Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities.
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Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a spiral-shaped gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the gastric mucosa. It is a common infectious agent in children. In this study, we aim to evaluate the demographic data, and the clinical and histopathological findings of pediatric patients that underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGSE) in our clinic. ⋯ Nodular antral gastritis is caused by chronic H. pylori infection. It is predicted that early detection of H. pylori infection in children is important and may decrease complications later in life. Our study shows that all the markers evaluated are very good predictors of H. pylori infection. Positive significant association was found between the prevalence of H. pylori infection and nodular antral gastritis.
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The hypothesis that marijuana availability reduces opioid mortality merits more complete testing, especially in a country with the world's highest opioid death rate and 2nd highest cannabis-use-disorder prevalence. ⋯ Instead of supporting the marijuana protection hypothesis, ecologic associations at the national level suggest that marijuana legalization has contributed to the U.S.'s opioid epidemic in all major races/ethnicities, and especially in blacks. If so, the increased use of marijuana during the 2020-2022 pandemic may thereby worsen the country's opioid crisis.
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Review Case Reports
Polydactyly of the fetal foot: A case report and review of the literature.