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Objective: To present an updated version of the original Facial Nerve Grading Scale (FNGS), commonly referred to as the House-Brackmann scale., Study Design: Controlled trial of grading systems using a series of 21 videos of individuals with varying degrees of facial paralysis., Results: The intraobserver and interobserver agreement was high among the original and revised scales. Nominal improvement is seen in percentage of exact agreement of grade and reduction of instances of examiners differing by more then one grade when using FNGS 2.0. FNGS 2.0 also offers improved agreement in differentiating between grades 3 and 4., Conclusion: FNGS 2.0 incorporates regional scoring of facial movement, providing additional information while maintaining agreement comparable to the original scale. Ambiguities regarding use of the grading scale are addressed. more...

People often perceive risks for others and themselves differently. This study examines whether personal beliefs about HIV and experience with those living with HIV influence personal risk assessments of contracting HIV in an interview sample of northern Namibians (N=400), but not others' assessments as explained by singular-distribution theory [Klar, Medding, & Sarel (1996). Nonunique invulnerability: Singular versus distributional probabilities and unrealistic optimism in comparative risk judgments. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 67, 229-245]. Findings indicate that personal risk perceptions decrease with more HIV stigmatizing beliefs and increase with greater experience, but that those characteristics had no impact on assessments for others' risk. The study also examines whether the size and characteristics of the referent group, peers and the general Namibian population, influence others' risk assessments. Optimistic biases for personal risk versus others' risk appear with the highest discrepancy emerging between personal and general population risk assessments. Further, we found that personal risk perceptions did not mediate the relationship between personal characteristics, beliefs and experiences, and intentions to seek HIV testing. more...

Fournier gangrene is a life-threatening infection of the scrotal skin. Although originally thought to be an idiopathic process, Fournier gangrene has been shown to have a predilection for patients with diabetes as well as chronic alcohol abuse; however, it can also affect patients with nonobvious immune compromise. Because of potential complications, it is important to diagnose the disease process as early as possible. Ultrasound has been previously described to aid in the diagnosis of Fournier's gangrene. In patients with low to moderate suspicion of Fournier gangrene, it may provide a rapid and reliable diagnosis and differentiate the pathological process from mimicking entities such as scrotal edema or cellulitis. We present 6 cases of Fournier's gangrene diagnosed in the ED at the patient's bedside using ultrasound. None of the patients had a history of diabetes, and 5 had sources of infection determined. more...