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Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) contain solvents, nicotine, and other chemicals which are vaporized with heat and inhaled into the lungs during a process known as vaping. Vaping has significantly increased in popularity in the US, especially among youth and young adults. E-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) is a syndrome of lung disease associated with vaping or e-cigarette products--which is well discussed in the current medical literature. However, the mechanisms by which lung injury occurs remain to be fully understood. We hypothesize that vaping damages lung defenses, allowing bacterial or viral organisms to infect the lungs and further exacerbate lung function. Furthermore, chemicals found in e-cigarettes alter lung structures, leading to an exaggerated response to an infectious insult. A combination of these two mechanisms may lead to acute respiratory failure. Here we discuss a case report about a 27-year-old patient who presented with acute respiratory failure due to vaping-induced lung injury with superimposed mycoplasma pneumonia.

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Fungal osteomyelitis is rare and usually seen in immunocompromised patients. We report a case of Candida parapsilosis osteomyelitis in an immunocompetent patient with no prior surgical history. He went for spinal laminectomy with debridement and drainage. Intraoperative culture grew C. parapsilosis, and the patient was treated with fluconazole.

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Hiatal hernias occur when part of the intra-abdominal contents protrude into the chest cavity. Paraesophageal hernia (PEH) is a type of hiatal hernia that is chronic and usually asymptomatic. Although patients may not present with alarming symptoms, the complications of PEH may be severe if left untreated. Hiatal hernias can be further categorized based on the degree of herniation. The most common subtype is a type I hiatal hernia, which occurs when the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) herniates into the chest cavity. Type II, III, and IV PEH are when the GEJ, a portion of the stomach, and abdominal viscera herniate into the thorax. A PEH is usually chronic and asymptomatic. However, patients may present with vomiting, dysphagia, bloating, and abdominal pain. Complications of PEH may include gastric mucosal necrosis, perforation, strangulation, erosive ulcers, and gastric volvulus. This report discusses a case of a 71-year-old male patient who had multiple complications arising from a large PEH that required emergent treatment due to its nebulous presentation.

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INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with hypercoagulability which can predispose infected patients to both arterial and venous thromboembolic complications. Despite therapeutic anticoagulation, there remains a risk of ischemic strokes, which may lead to adverse patient outcomes. Only a few cases are described in the literature regarding SARS-CoV-2 positive patients developing thrombotic ischemic strokes despite therapeutic anticoagulation. CASE REPORT: The following is a case discussion regarding a 71-year-old female with past medical history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, hyperlipidemia, and hypothyroidism who was admitted with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection to the intensive care unit and later developed acute left upper extremity weakness on the 5th day of her admission. Initial National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) was 15. Subsequent brain imaging was significant for right middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke. The patient was therapeutically anticoagulated with 1.5 mg/kg subcutaneous dose of Enoxaparin since day 1 of her admission. D-dimer upon admission was 1.84 mg/L (<0.59) and fibrinogen 783.1 mg/dL (200 to 450). Other than past medical comorbidities, our patient had no other known stroke risk factors. Unfortunately, despite early transcatheter thrombectomy, the patient remained comatose and eventually expired after withdrawal of ventilatory support and compassionate extubation. CONCLUSION: Because of the severity of inflammation and coagulopathic sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019, anticoagulation failure may occur and lead to adverse patient outcomes. Our case report is one of the few discussions in the current literature regarding large vessel thromboembolic ischemic strokes despite therapeutic anticoagulation.

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The gut with its variety of microbiota may serve as an etiological origin of diseases. Gut microbes may also play a role in the pathogenesis of diseases beyond their simple nutritional maintenance and support. For example, gut protein aggregation, possibly aided by microbes as well as nasal influences, might be linked to disease that may move to the brain through the vagus nerve. To this end, Braak has offered a "dual-hit" hypothesis that proposes a novel etiology for Parkinson's disease (PD). The hypothesis places the initial origin of the disease in the nose and the gastrointestinal tract (GI) after infection by an unknown pathogen that could aggregate in the gut and then eventually spread to the brain via the autonomic plexuses. Gut health functioning, therefore, may affect brain status and behavior. A protein known as alpha-synuclein accumulates in brains of people with Parkinson's disease that is also present in the GI before the onset of motor symptoms. Therefore, the stomach, previously thought to be a stable mechanism throughout life, might explain some etiological origins of disease. Finally, the vagus nerve of the autonomic system that extends from the brain to the abdomen and exercises both sympathetic and parasympathetic roles might be associated with PD diagnosis along with Lewy body influences.

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