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WHEN GOOD HELPIS HARD TO FIND--AND KEEP-- BEEFED UP TRAINING MAY BE THE ANSWER Drive down the street in Portland, Me., and you'll see 'Help Wanted' signs on dozens of [...]

AN ACCENT ON ETHNIC PRODUCTS SPURS INSTORE BAKERY SALES The small neighborhood bakery with its family recipes and ethnic specialties is fast disappearing from American communities, but more supermarkets are [...]

40TH ANNUAL CONSUMER EXPENDITURES STUDY Nobody ever said that the grocery industry was easy to understand, or at least nobody in the industry has said it. Looking back at 1986, [...]

EXOTIC PRODUCE SHOULDN'T BE A MYSTERY Our shopping trip taught us that the exotics don't sell themselves -- retailers have to help. Unfortunately, not all of them do. By LESLIE [...]

New Westminster has enjoyed a long history as the entertainment capital of the Fraser Valley. Located just outside Greater Vancouver, it was the place to enjoy vaudeville shows, photoplay, travelling [...]

TOPS CATERS TO THE CARRY-OUT CROWD Tops Friendly Markets in Ithaca, N.Y. is helping to build a new Wegmans right next door. When the noon whistle sounds, construction workers from [...]

COOKING UP A TAKE-OUT TRADE Whether it's hearty home cooking or haute cuisine, more supermarket delis are preparing 'real meals' for customers who don't want to cook but would like [...]

GIANT GRABS COMMUTERS WITH 'GOURMET-TO-GO' Dashing by on thier way home from work in D.C., drivers can drop in to the deli in this recently opened Maryland store for delectable [...]

TOPS READIES FOR BATTLE IN ITHACA It's no coincidence that Tops Friendly Markets (Buffalso, N.Y.) has spent an estimated $6 million to renovate its Ithaca, N.Y. store just months before [...]

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.Human infection with Colletotrichumspecies is typically limited to ophthalmologic manifestations. We present the first reported pediatric case of subcutaneous Colletotrichum truncatuminfection. This case highlights the potential importance of C. truncatumas an agent of subcutaneous or disseminated disease in immunocompromised children.

Introduction:Infection rates in implantable defibrillators and pacemakers vary seasonally, with incidence positively associated with higher temperature. However, the impact of environmental factors on left ventricular assist device (LVAD) associated infections remains unexplored. Our study investigated the association of LVAD infection rate with environmental temperature.Hypothesis:LVAD-associated infections are more common in warmer months.Methods:We performed a retrospective chart review of all LVAD patients at MUSC between 1/1/2009 and 10/2018, documenting those who presented with new LVAD-associated infection (including driveline, pump, and pocket infections). Local monthly environmental temperatures were recorded based on US climatologic data. Each month during the follow-up period was defined as warmer or colder than expected by comparing that individual month?s average high temperature versus the 20-year historical average high temperature.Results:Sixty-three patients developed a LVAD-associated infection during the follow-up period. Of the 118 months in the follow-up period, 70 (59%) months had warmer than expected temperatures. Fifty-two of the 63 total driveline infections (83%) occurred during warmer-than-expected months. The rate of LVAD-associated infection was higher in warmer-than-expected months versus cooler-than-expected months (0.74 +0.23 per month versus 0.23 +0.12 per month, p=0.0002) (Figure).Conclusions:LVAD-associated infections were more common in warmer months. Understanding seasonal variation effects on LVAD-associated infections may help clinicians identify high risk time periods for patients and tailor prophylactic policies accordingly. Future studies should evaluate the role of other environment variables (e.g. humidity and precipitation). These findings should be validated in multi-center cohorts inclusive of centers in multiple climate zones.