Importance Rib fractures are sustained by nearly 15% of patients who experience trauma and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Evidence-based practice (EBP) rib fracture management guidelines and treatment algorithms have been published. However, few studies have evaluated trauma center adherence to EBP or the clinical outcomes of each practice within a national cohort. Objective To examine adherence to 6 EBPs for rib fractures across US trauma centers and the association with in-hospital mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants A retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2014, of 777 US trauma centers participating in the National Trauma Data Bank. A total of 625 617 patients (age, ≥16 years) were evaluated. Patients without rib fractures and those with no signs of life or institutions with poor data quality were excluded. Data analysis was performed from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures Six EBPs were defined (1) nilization (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.25-2.35; P  less then  .001) and chest tube placement (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.21-1.33; P  less then  .001) were associated with increased mortality in older patients with 3 or more rib fractures. On multivariable analysis, insurance status, race/ethnicity, injury severity, hospital bed size, and trauma center verification level were associated with receiving EBPs for rib fractures. Conclusions and Relevance Significant variation appears to exist in the delivery of EBPs for rib fractures across US trauma centers. Three EBPs were associated with reduced mortality, but EBP adherence was poor. Multiple factors, including trauma center verification level, appear to be associated with patients receiving EBPs for rib fractures.Importance There is currently no system to predict 90-day morality among patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) after the completion of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/mivebresib-abbv-075.html  Objective To validate the accuracy of a predictive scoring system for 90-day mortality among patients with locally advanced HNSCC who have completed CCRT. Design, Setting, and Participants This prognostic study included 16 029 patients with HNSCC who completed CCRT between January 2006 and December 2015. Data were extracted from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database. A risk scoring system was developed based on significant risk factors and corresponding risk coefficients. Data analysis was conducted from June 2018 to February 2019. Exposures Mortality within 90 days of completion of definitive CCRT. Main Outcomes and Measures The 90-day mortality rate after completion of CCRT and the accuracy of the scoring system, based on a comparison of mortality rates between training and test data sets. Results Amonk (score of 0), low risk (score 1-3), moderate risk (score 4-6), and high risk (score ≥7), with 90-day mortality rates of 3.37%, 5.00% to 10.98%, 16.15% to 29.13%, and 33.93% to 37.50%, respectively. Mortality rates for patients with the same risk score in the training and test data sets were similar (score of 0, 3.27% vs 3.66%; score of 6, 27.42% vs 25.00%). Conclusions and Relevance In this prognostic study, a 90-day mortality scoring system accurately predicted 90-day mortality among patients with locally advanced HNSCC who completed CCRT.BACKGROUND In the context of global malaria elimination efforts, special attention is being paid to submicroscopic Plasmodium falciparum infections. In pregnant, sub-Saharan African women, such infections are more prevalent than microscopic infections, and are thought to have adverse effects on both mothers' and newborns' health. However, no study has studied the dynamics and determinants of these infections throughout pregnancy. Retard de Croissance Intra-uterin et Paludisme (RECIPAL), a preconception cohort study carried out in Benin between 2014 and 2017, represented a unique opportunity to assess this issue. METHODS We used data from 273 pregnant Beninese women who were followed-up from preconception to delivery. We studied the dynamics of and factors influencing submicroscopic (and microscopic) P. falciparum infections during the 3 trimesters of pregnancy, using an ordinal logistic mixed model. RESULTS The incidence rate of submicroscopic P. falciparum infections during pregnancy was 12.7 per 100 person--mail journals.permissions@oup.com.OBJECTIVE Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a novel technology for obtaining quantitative measurements from transcutaneous spatial and spectral information. In patients with SSc, the severity of skin tightness is associated with internal organ involvement. However, clinical assessment using the modified Rodnan skin score is highly variable and there are currently no universal standardized protocols. This study aimed to compare the ability to differentiate between SSc patients and healthy controls using skin scores, ultrasound and HSI. METHODS Short-wave infrared light was utilized to detect the spectral angle mapper (SAM) of HSI. In addition, skin severity was evaluated by skin scores, ultrasound to detect dermal thickness and strain elastography. Spearman's correlation was used for assessing skin scores, strain ratio, thickness and SAM. Comparisons of various assessment tools were performed by receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS In total, 31 SSc patients were enrolled. SAM was positively correlated with skin scores and dermal thickness. In SSc patients with normal skin scores, SAM values were still significantly higher than in healthy controls. SAM exhibited the highest area under the curve (AUC 0.812, P  less then  0.001) in detecting SSc compared with skin scores (AUC 0.712, P  less then  0.001), thickness (AUC 0.585, P = 0.009) and strain ratio by elastography (AUC 0.522, P = 0.510). Moreover, the severity of skin tightness was reflected by the incremental changes of waveforms in the spectral diagrams. CONCLUSION SAM was correlated with skin scores and sufficiently sensitive to detect subclinical disease. HSI can be used as a novel, non-invasive method for assessing skin changes in SSc. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email journals.permissions@oup.com.