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Objectives: To explore preimmigration experiences of violence and postimmigration health status in male-to-female transgender individuals (n = 45) from Mexico applying for asylum in the United States., Methods: We used a document review process to examine asylum declarations and psychological evaluations of transgender Mexican asylum seekers in the United States from 2012. We coded documents in 2013 and 2014 using NVivo, a multidisciplinary team reviewed them, and then we analyzed them for themes., Results: Mexican transgender asylum applicants experienced pervasive verbal, physical, and sexual abuse from multiple sources, including family, school, community, and police. Applicants also experienced discrimination in school and in the workplace. Applicants immigrated to the United States to escape persistent assaults and threats to their life. Applicants suffered health and psychological effects from their experiences in Mexico that affected opportunities in the United States for employment, education, and social inclusion., Conclusions: Additional social protections for transgender individuals and antidiscrimination measures in Mexican schools and workplaces are warranted as are increased mental health assessment and treatment, job training, and education services for asylum seekers in the United States.

Mexican male to female transgender asylum seekers in the United States suffer from serious health issues that can be attributed to stressors related to their transgender, ethnic minority, and socioeconomic status. This study explored these stressors, the resulting health issues, and the needs of this particularly vulnerable population. Asylum seekers' (n = 45) sworn declarations and psychological evaluations were examined by a multidisciplinary research team using a systematic document review process. The review identified stressors that occurred both in Mexico and the United States: verbal, physical, and sexual assaults; unstable environments; fear for safety/security; hiding undocumented status; and economic insecurity. The health issues that resulted in part from these stressors include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, sleep issues, isolation, avoidance, drug/alcohol use, and suicidal tendencies. Despite suffering from multiple health issues, asylum seekers rarely sought health or social services. Health promotion practitioners can play an important role in serving this silent minority by (1) expanding community-based research focused on the intersection of transgender, ethnic minority, and socioeconomic status; (2) using trusted community members to connect this population to necessary resources; (3) providing communication training/resource development for health care providers; and (4) creating a network of service organizations that understand the needs of transgender asylum seekers.

Objective: The objective of this article is to describe the imaging appearances of radiation injury to normal tissues in the abdomen that may be seen during imaging surveillance of oncology patients., Conclusion: Therapeutic radiation is used to treat various malignant conditions in the abdomen. Radiation damages normal surrounding tissues as well as the intended tumor. Radiation changes vary based on the target organ and the time from completion of therapy. Familiarity with the spectrum of changes that may be seen on follow-up imaging studies should help in the differentiation of radiation injury from other causes such as recurrent malignancy.

Exposure to secondhand smoke is a significant public health problem, causing 38,000 premature deaths annually in nonsmokers. The two major sources of exposure are the home and work. We analyzed occupational data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey for smoke-free policy trends among various categories of Texas workers. Nearly three quarters of white collar workers in the state are currently smoke free, but proportionately fewer blue collar and service workers enjoy this level of protection. Hispanics report lower rates of smoke-free policies than whites and African-Americans, and younger workers are less protected than older workers. Smoke-free policies increased 27% from 1992-93 through 1995-96 but only 5% over the next 6 years, indicating a significant slowing in the rate of adoption of such policies. Compliance with a smoke-free policy is not a significant workplace issue in Texas; only 2.7% of workers in 2001-02 reported that someone violated their company's smoke-free policy, down from 5.1% in 1992-93.

Objective: To correlate serum glycolic acid levels with clinical severity and outcome in ethylene glycol poisoning and to determine if glycolic acid levels are predictive of renal failure and the need for hemodialysis., Methods: We measured serum ethylene glycol and glycolic acid levels by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for 41 admissions (39 patients) for ethylene glycol ingestion and performed retrospective chart reviews., Results: Eight patients died, all of whom developed acute renal failure. Of the survivors, 15 also developed acute renal failure, whereas 18 did not. Of those with normal renal function, 8 had glycolic acid levels below detection limits (< 0.13 mmol/L) despite ethylene glycol levels as high as 710 mg/dL; 7 of these patients coingested ethanol. Pertinent initial laboratory data for each group are as follows (mean; range): Deceased: pH 6.99 (6.82-7.22); bicarbonate, 4.8 mmol/L (2-9); anion gap, 28.6 mmol/L (24-40); glycolic acid, 23.5 mmol/L (13.8-38.0); ethylene glycol, 136.5 mg/dL (6-272). Survived/acute renal failure: pH 7.07 (6.75-7.32); bicarbonate, 5.6 mmol/L (1-12); anion gap, 28.7 mmol/L (18-41); glycolic acid, 20.2 mmol/L (10.0-30.0); ethylene glycol, 238.8 mg/dL (12-810). No acute renal failure with glycolic acid > 1.0 mmol/L: pH 7.29 (7.12-7.46); bicarbonate, 14.7 mmol/L (4-23); anion gap, 16.5 mmol/L (10-26); glycolic acid, 6.8 mmol/L (2.6-17.0); ethylene glycol, 269.1 mg/dL (6-675). No acute renal failure with glycolic acid < 1.0 mmol/L: pH 7.41 (7.38-7.47); bicarbonate, 23.4 mmol/L (17-25); anion gap, 11.8 mmol/L (8-18); glycolic acid, 0.1 mmol/L (0-0.66); ethylene glycol, 211 mg/dL (8-710). The mean time postingestion to admission generally correlated with severity as follows: deceased, > or = 10.4 h; survived/acute renal failure, > or = 9.9 h; no acute renal failure with glycolic acid > 1.0 mmol/L, > or = 6.2 h; no acute renal failure with glycolic acid < 1.0 mmol/L, > or = 3.7 h. Hematuria was more prevalent than oxaluria (86% and 41%, respectively), but neither was individually predictive of acute renal failure. Good correlations were found between glycolic acid levels and anion gap (r2 = 0.7724), pH (r2 = 0.7921), and bicarbonate (r2 = 0.6579); poor correlations (r2 < 0.0023) occurred between ethylene glycol levels and glycolic acid, pH, anion gap, and bicarbonate. Measured ethylene glycol values were highly correlated with ethylene glycol values calculated from the osmolal gap (r2 = 0.9339), but the latter overestimates the true value by about 7%, on average. An initial glycolic acid level > or = 10 mmol/L predicts acute renal failure with a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 94.4%, and an efficiency of 97.6%. Ethylene glycol levels are not predictive of acute renal failure or central nervous system manifestations of toxicity. If only ethylene glycol values are available (measured or calculated), an initial anion gap > 20 mmol/L is 95.6% sensitive and 94.4% specific for acute renal failure when ethylene glycol is present. Likewise, initial pH < 7.30 is 100% sensitive and 88.5% specific for acute renal failure., Conclusion: We propose glycolic acid > 8 mmol/L as a criterion for the initiation of hemodialysis in ethylene glycol ingestion. Patients with glycolic acid < 8 mmol/L probably do not need dialysis, regardless of the ethylene glycol concentration, when metabolism of ethylene glycol is therapeutically inhibited. In the absence of glycolic acid values, an anion gap > 20 mmol/L or pH < 7.30 predicts acute renal failure.

Chemotherapy has not significantly altered the overall survival of patients with recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck; therefore, the development of new agents is essential. The purpose of the current phase II study was to define the efficacy of ifosfamide in the treatment of recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. All patients were required to have squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck that had recurred following surgery or radiotherapy or both. Patients may have received prior chemotherapy. Patients were initially treated with ifosfamide 2 g/m2/day for 4 days (dose level 0). Dose level-1 was 2 g/m2/day for 3 days, and dose level-2 was 2 g/m2/day for 2 days. All patients received mesna 400 mg/m2/day prior to and 1,200 mg/m2/day as a continuous infusion after ifosfamide. Thirty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. Five patients were inevaluable for toxicity or response. Overall, the regimen was well tolerated, with grade 4 granulocytopenia the only significant toxicity occurring in 16 patients. Overall, eight of 31 evaluable patients (25.8%) had a major response. Only one of the 10 patients (10%) with prior chemotherapy responded, but seven of the 21 patients (33.3%) with no prior chemotherapy had major responses. Ifosfamide is an active agent in recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Further studies of ifosfamide in combination with other agents, particularly as induction therapy in patients with locally advanced disease, are warranted.