Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2014
Comorbidity of tinea pedis and onychomycosis and evaluation of risk factors in Latino immigrant poultry processing and other manual laborers.
Latino immigrant workers experience elevated rates of skin disease that result from their working and living conditions. Working in manual occupations exposes workers to a variety of challenges, including occlusive shoes, vigorous physical activity, and wet conditions. These challenges predispose workers to fungal infection. The objectives of this article are to examine the comorbidity of tinea pedis and onychomycosis and to identify possible risk factors among Latino immigrant poultry and nonpoultry workers in western North Carolina. ⋯ Comorbidity of tinea pedis and onychomycosis is common among immigrant Latino men and women who perform manual labor. Further studies confirming the presence and type of dermatophyte should be conducted.
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Southern medical journal · Jun 2014
Incidence and predictors of vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity.
Earlier studies reported a low incidence of vancomycin-associated nephrotoxicity (VAN); however, recent studies have reported higher incidences exceeding 30%. Predictors of nephrotoxicity are not well defined. In this study we aimed to better estimate the incidence and evaluate predictors of VAN in a cohort of patients predominated by long treatment courses. ⋯ VAN is not an uncommon outcome in both short- and long-term treatment courses. Admission to the intensive care unit while receiving treatment, concurrent treatment with a loop diuretic, an underlying diagnosis of cirrhosis, and the initial trough level appear to be the main risk factors for nephrotoxicity. Unexpectedly, elevated baseline creatinine levels appeared to be protective and this could be the result of careful use of vancomycin among individuals with relatively higher baseline creatinine values.