IMPORTANCE This is the first multisite, randomized clinical trial of stellate ganglion block (SGB) outcomes on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.OBJECTIVE To determine whether paired SGB treatments at 0 and 2 weeks would result in improvement in mean Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) total symptom severity scores from baseline to 8 weeks. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis multisite, blinded, sham-procedure, randomized clinical trial used a 2:1 SGB:sham ratio and was conducted from May 2016 through March 2018 in 3 US Army Interdisciplinary Pain Management Centers. Only physicians performing the procedures and the procedure nurses were aware of the intervention (but not the participants or assessors); their interactions with the participants were scripted and limited to the 2 interventions. Active-duty service members on stable psychotropic medication dosages who had a PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) score of 32 or more at screening were included. Key exclusion criteria included a prior SGB treatment, selected psychiatric disorders or substance use disorders, moderate or severe traumatic brain injury, or suicidal ideation in the prior 2 months.INTERVENTIONS Paired right-sided SGB or sham procedures at weeks 0 and 2.MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Improvement of 10 or more points on mean CAPS-5 total symptom severity scores from baseline to 8 weeks, adjusted for site and baseline total symptom severity scores (planned a priori). RESULTSOf 190 screened individuals, 113 (59.5%; 100 male and 13 female participants; mean [SD] age, 37.3 [6.7] years) were eligible and randomized (74 to SGB and 39 to sham treatment), and 108 (95.6% of 113) completed the study. Baseline characteristics were similar in the SGB and sham treatment groups, with mean (SD) CAPS-5 scores of 37.6 (11.2) and 39.8 (14.4), respectively (on a scale of 0-80); 91 (80.0%) met CAPS-5 PTSD criteria. In an intent-to-treat analysis, adjusted mean total symptom severity score change was −12.6 points (95% CI, −15.5 to −9.7 points) for the group receiving SGB treatments, compared with −6.1 points (95% CI, −9.8 to −2.3 points) for those receiving sham treatment (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEIn this trial of active-duty service members with PTSD symptoms (at a clinical threshold and subthreshold), 2 SGB treatments 2 weeks apart were effective in reducing CAPS-5 total symptom severity scores over 8 weeks. The mild-moderate baseline level of PTSD symptom severity and short follow-up time limit the generalizability of these findings, but the study suggests that SGB merits further trials as a PTSD treatment adjunct.TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03077919

Background A 2010 CDC-sponsored consultation of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and public health experts developed a public health agenda for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis indicating that additional population-based research is needed to better characterize psoriasis in the population. Purpose To better characterize the burden of psoriasis in the U.S. using recent population-based, cross-sectional data in this 2012 analysis. Methods A subset of 10,676 adults aged 20–59 years from the 2003–2006 and 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys was used to examine psoriasis prevalence, severity, disparities, health-related quality of life, and selected comorbidities. Results The overall prevalence of psoriasis was 3.1% (95% CI=2.6, 3.6); extrapolating to older adults suggests that 6.7 million adults aged ≥20 years are affected. Psoriasis was significantly more prevalent among non-Hispanic whites than other race/ethnicity subgroups, as well as among those with arthritis. Approximately 82% reported no/little or mild disease; the impact of psoriasis on daily life increased with disease severity (p=0.0001 for trend). Those with psoriasis reported significantly more frequent mental distress or mild to severe depression than those without psoriasis. Psoriasis was also significantly associated with obesity and former smoking status. Conclusions Psoriasis is a large public health problem. Further characterizing psoriasis from a public health perspective will require better survey questions and inclusion of these questions in national surveys.

The exposure-response for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI))-induced lung cancer among workers of the Painesville Ohio chromate production facility has been used internationally for quantitative risk assessment of environmental and occupational exposures to airborne Cr(VI). We updated the mortality of 714 Painesville workers (including 198 short-term workers) through December 2011, reconstructed exposures, and conducted exposure-response modeling using Poisson and Cox regressions to provide quantitative lung cancer risk estimates. The average length of follow-up was 34.4 years with 24,535 person-years at risk. Lung cancer was significantly increased for the cohort (standardized mortality ratio (SMR)=186; 95% confidence interval (CI) 145–228), for those hired before 1959, those with >30-year tenure, and those with cumulative exposure >1.41 mg/m3-years or highest monthly exposures >0.26 mg/m3. Of the models assessed, the linear Cox model with unlagged cumulative exposure provided the best fit and was preferred. Smoking and age at hire were also significant predictors of lung cancer mortality. Adjusting for these variables, the occupational unit risk was 0.00166 (95% CI 0.000713–0.00349), and the environmental unit risk was 0.00832 (95% CI 0.00359–0.0174), which are 20% and 15% lower, respectively, than values developed in a previous study of this cohort.

AIM To determine the association between the distribution of gynecologic oncologist (GO) and population-based ovarian cancer death rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data on ovarian cancer incidence and mortality in the United States (U.S.) was supplemented with U.S. census data, and analyzed in relation to practicing GOs. GO locations were geocoded to link association between county variables and GO availability. Logistic regression was used to measure areas of high and low ovarian cancer mortality, adjusting for contextual variables. RESULTS Practicing GOs were unevenly distributed in the United States, with the greatest numbers in metropolitan areas. Ovarian cancer incidence and death rates increased as distance to a practicing GO increased. A relatively small number (153) of counties within 24 miles of a GO had high ovarian cancer death rates compared to 577 counties located 50 or more miles away with high ovarian cancer death rates. Counties located 50 or more miles away from a GO practice had an almost 60% greater odds of high ovarian cancer mortality compared to those with closer practicing GOs (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.18–2.15). CONCLUSION The distribution of GOs across the United States appears to be significantly associated with ovarian cancer mortality. Efforts that facilitate outreach of GOs to certain populations may increase geographic access. Future studies examining other factors associated with lack of GO access (e.g. insurance and other socioeconomic factors) at the individual level will assist with further defining barriers to quality ovarian cancer care in the United States.

Although differences in characteristics exist which were not adjusted for, participants with historical mTBI have greater symptomatology and life functioning difficulties compared with non-TBI. Performance measures were less dissimilar between groups. These findings will guide further research within this accruing cohort.