Complete atrioventricular block developed in a 26-year-old woman, and she was found to have antinuclear antibodies, including antibodies against Ro52. Treatment with methylprednisolone and azathioprine restored normal atrioventricular conduction.

A novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus has shown the ability to infect humans. As described in this letter, human infection may be occurring because of multiple cross-species jumps from birds to humans.

To the Editor: Transplacental transfer of anti-Ro antibodies is a well-known cause of conduction defects and permanent atrioventricular block in newborns.¹ In adults, conduction disturbances related to these antibodies are rare.²

We report a case of a ...

To the Editor: Kelton et al. (Feb. 21 issue)¹ recommend fondaparinux for the management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in patients with normal renal function because of its ease of use and familiarity, but it has another advantage as well: cost. At ...

To the Editor: The benefit of chlorhexidine bathing reported by Climo and colleagues (Feb. 7 issue)¹ appears to be a reduction in the rate of bloodstream infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci. As the authors note, the National Healthcare ...

To the Editor: In their review article, Giannakopoulos and Krilis (March 14 issue)¹ do not include drugs as a possible trigger of the antiphospholipid syndrome. Indeed, several drugs — such as chlorpromazine, oral contraceptives, procainamide, quinine, ...

To the Editor: Schulman et al. (Feb. 21 issue)¹ report the results of the RE-MEDY and RE-SONATE trials. In these trials, there was a significantly higher number of acute coronary events in patients who received dabigatran than in patients who received ...

JC virus in the peripheral circulation increases the risk of PML among natalizumab-treated patients. In this study, a PCR assay detected viral DNA, an indication of infection, in some persons in whom tests for seropositivity for antibodies to the virus were negative.

To the Editor: In their article on the Oscillation for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Treated Early (OSCILLATE) study, Ferguson et al. (Feb. 28 issue)¹ report increased mortality in patients with the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who ...

To the Editor: Casazza et al. (Jan. 31 issue)¹ state that the common notion that “regularly eating (versus skipping) breakfast is protective against obesity” because people who skip breakfast may overeat later in the day is currently nothing more than a ...

To the Editor: We agree with the Perspective article by Lehman and Guercio (March 7 issue)¹ that national clinical exams are expensive. We also agree with First et al.² that such exams positively shape the educational and assessment programs of medical ...

To the Editor: In the Case Record, Greka et al. (Jan. 31 issue)¹ describe a 50-year-old man with flank pain due to renal infarction secondary to bacterial endocarditis, and they report that viridans group streptococci are the most common cause of native-...

To the Editor: In their Perspective article, De Cock and El-Sadr (March 7 issue)¹ highlight the need for data on when to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected people in Africa who have CD4+ counts above 350 cells per cubic millimeter. ...

To the Editor: We are a group of scholars and leaders in bioethics and pediatrics with extensive experience in ethical and regulatory issues in pediatrics and human subjects research. We urge the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) to withdraw ...

Researchers found that oxytocin concentrations in ampules remained stable after exposure to freezing temperatures. These results should reassure health care workers and skilled birth attendants that oxytocin ampules can be safely used even if temporarily frozen during transportation or storage.