Biomedical Publications ABOUT PR

Suicide rates are high in United States (U.S.) Pacific Island Territories, where large numbers of Veterans reside. Yet knowledge of suicidal self-directed violence (SSDV) among Veterans in this region is limited. We examined the feasibility of surveying Veterans in Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), and American Samoa regarding suicidal ideation (SI) and non-fatal SSDV, and examined SI and non-fatal SSDV prevalence and associations with SI. Of 3,000 Veterans invited...

CONCLUSION: Results confirm high prevalence rates of current smoking and the potential impact on health among Puerto Ricans with MI diagnosis. Tailored treatments for smoking cessation for Puerto Ricans living with MI are needed.

CONCLUSION: There was a disproportionately high distribution of meperidine in Puerto Rico compared to the continental US across the years studied.

CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of maxillary canine impaction was high, although parallel to that reported in a Mexican population; site-level risk factors (deciduous canine presence, overlap) were identified.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest disparities in access to primary health services for people with DM between public and private insureds, and that there is no continuity of care, leading to high costs for such services.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among women in Puerto Rico (PR). Cardiovascular disease risk factors (CVDRF) during pregnancy, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), hypertension, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, increase risks for maternal and neonatal health. Limited data exist on CVDRF prevalence among pregnant women in PR.

CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the 6MWT can be used to evaluate SSc patients. No association was found between 6MWD and most clinical SSc symptoms in our population. Two clinical symptoms, lung crackles and palpitations, were associated with decreased 6MWD.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare and potentially life-threatening cause of systolic heart failure that usually arises in the late stages of pregnancy or the early postpartum period. Its clinical presentation can range from moderate symptoms to severe forms of heart failure, such as cardiogenic shock. However, there is scarce data on severe forms of PPCM leading to multiple organ dysfunction and its management. We report a case of a 30-year-old G2P2 previously healthy Puerto Rican woman...

Penetrating cardiac injuries (PCI) from gunshot wounds are among the most fatal forms of trauma, with prehospital mortality rates exceeding 90%. While the right ventricle is most commonly affected due to its anterior location, retained intracardiac projectiles are rarely encountered and pose significant management challenges. Cardiac tamponade, though potentially fatal, can sometimes provide a protective mechanism by limiting hemorrhage. The decision to surgically remove retained bullets remains...

Detailed information of trophic interactions among consumer-resources in food webs is usually limited due to the lack of accurate identification of eaten food resources. The use of DNA-metabarcoding has been proven useful for molecular identification of the numerous taxa present in stomach contents. Here, we characterize the diet and trophic behavior of four sea urchin species inhabiting shallow waters of Puerto Rico using this molecular technique. We extracted, sequenced, and analyzed DNA from...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds tuberculosis (TB) Centers of Excellence (COEs) that support TB control and prevention efforts in the United States. In 2018, the TB COEs conducted a multiphased assessment among U.S. staff involved in TB service delivery to identify needs related to TB training, resources, and medical consultation. Representatives from each TB COE and CDC's Division of TB Elimination formed a workgroup to guide the design of the needs assessment. The...

Porphyria comprises a group of rare inherited or acquired disorders characterized by defects in the heme biosynthetic pathway, resulting in the accumulation of porphyrins or their precursors. This study presents three cases of porphyria in Puerto Rico, including erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). Genetic testing revealed a heterozygous mutation in the FECH gene in the EPP case and an HFE gene mutation in a PCT case with hereditary hemochromatosis. A previously...

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, significant declines in the incidence and relative risk for cancers among people with HIV demonstrate continued progress in HIV treatment and cancer prevention. These estimates may provide insight into the priorities for prevention and early detection of cancer as the population of people with HIV enters ages with greater risk for cancer.

Tree architecture is an important component of forest community dynamics - taller trees with larger crowns often outcompete their neighbors, but they are generally at higher risk of wind-induced damage. Yet, we know little about wind impacts on tree architecture in natural forest settings, especially in complex tropical forests. Here, we use airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and 30 yr of forest inventory data in Puerto Rico to ask whether and how chronic winds alter tree architecture....

At the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Puerto Rico historical evidence exists of usage of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In this study, sediment, Avicennia germinans (black mangrove) leaf litter, and whole-body soft tissue of Minuca rapax (fiddler crab) were analyzed to assess trophic transfer mechanisms. Of these pollutants, PCBs were detected in all samples while p,p'-DDE and o,p'-DDT were the most frequently detected OCPs....

Dengue is the most common mosquito-borne viral disease in humans. Although many dengue virus (DENV) infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild illness, DENV can occasionally cause severe and fatal disease. In this study, we compared the severity of primary and secondary DENV-1 infections among patients enrolled in a prospective, hospital-based, acute febrile illnesses surveillance system in Puerto Rico (2012-2014). Serum samples collected <7 days after symptom onset were tested for...

CONCLUSIONS: Variability in SI and SA prevalence among Veterans at state, divisional and regional levels supports the need for nuanced surveillance efforts, along with targeted prevention efforts in areas at greatest risk.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: In 2022, approximately 24,000 persons died of homicide and approximately 49,000 persons died of suicide in the United States, according to the National Vital Statistics System. This report summarizes data from CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on suicides, homicides, legal intervention deaths, unintentional firearm injury deaths, and deaths of undetermined intent that occurred in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2022. Results are...

The cave ecosystems host microbial communities adapted to extreme environments. This study utilized 16S rDNA to investigate the prokaryotic diversity across seven caves in Puerto Rico's northern limestone karst belt. Microbial profiling revealed distinct subterranean communities, enhancing our understanding of cave microbiology and potential applications in environmental conservation and microbial research.

Climate change is increasingly disrupting medical laboratory operations worldwide, affecting diagnostic accuracy, infrastructure integrity, and supply chain stability. Hurricane Maria in 2017 devastated Puerto Rico, a major hub for medical supply manufacturing, leading to critical shortages of blood bags and reagents in U.S. hospitals. Rising global temperatures have also challenged the stability of temperature-sensitive reagents and biological samples, with studies indicating that a mere 2°C...