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BACKGROUND: Opioid overprescription has the potential to lead to harmful medications remaining in homes and to a rise in accidental or deliberate ingestion by children and adolescents. Although methods for opioid disposal are available, many are costly or require greater than minimal effort for the patient. In this study, we used a mail-back return envelope to retrieve unused opioids after ambulatory pediatric surgery. METHODS: This feasibility study was performed to assess the rate of opioid return by using a mail-back envelope for children ages 0 to 18 prescribed opioids after outpatient surgery. Participants were provided a return envelope as well as instruction on the dangers of opioids in the home. Our primary outcome was to assess the absolute percent return rate through the use of a mail-back envelope.

Introduction: Herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSE) is an acute infection accompanied by significant morbidity and mortality with the diagnosis often made by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Case Presentation: We report a case of a healthy 35-year-old woman presenting with altered mental status. Due to suspicion of herpes encephalitis, a CSF PCR for herpes virus was sent for examination and acyclovir was started. The patient had an immediate response to acyclovir; however, when the PCR returned negative she was discharged without therapy. The altered mental status returned and she was started on acyclovir therapy and a second CSF PCR sample was sent and was again negative. MRI performed at initial hospitalization was negative, but a repeat MRI demonstrated bilateral temporal lobe involvement suggestive of herpes encephalitis. The patient was successfully treated for 21 days with acyclovir. Conclusion: CSF PCR for herpes virus is highly sensitive and specific and remains the standard for diagnosing herpes encephalitis. Clinicians should be aware of the pitfalls of CSF PCR testing, specifically false-negative results. Although rare, these false negatives can result in premature termination of treatment.

Objectives: (1) To determine the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) in diabetic orthopaedic trauma patients and (2) to establish a protocol for managing diabetes mellitus (DM) in orthopaedic trauma patients. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Level 1 Trauma Center. Patients: All diabetic orthopaedic trauma patients who underwent surgical intervention with at least 1 month follow-up. Patients were classified as poorly controlled or controlled diabetic patients based on admission hemoglobin A1c and blood glucose (BG) levels. Interventions: Orthopaedic surgical intervention in accordance with fracture type and a standardized diabetes management protocol with internal medicine comanagement. Main Outcome Measurement: SSI incidence. Results: There were 260 patients during the study period. Two hundred two (77.7%) were included in the final analysis. Seventy-five (37.1%) patients met the criteria for poorly controlled DM. The overall rate of SSI was 20.8%; 32.0% for poorly controlled diabetic patients, and 14.2% for controlled diabetic patients (P < 0.01). The admission blood glucose level (BG, P = 0.05), but not discharge BG, was associated with SSI incidence. Conclusions: Trauma patients with poorly controlled DM have a higher rate of SSIs than patients with controlled DM. Perioperative diabetes control does not seem to decrease infection rates in these patients. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.