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Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are important adverse events that must be prevented. The objective of the study was to report and study possible changes in HAI rates as well as their causes after the COVID-19 hospital surge capacity response (HSCR) in an academic referral center. This was a before-after observational study. The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) program (prospective surveillance, prevention bundles, antibiotic stewardship, continuing education, and feedback) was transiently disrupted after the start of HSCR (March 2020). LXH254 inhibitor HAI rates were compared before (January 2019-February 2020) and after (April-July 2020) HSCR, and plausible predisposing factors in affected patients were compared. An increase in the HAI rate from 6.2 to 11.8 cases/1000 patient-days was noted between periods due to increases in ventilator-associated pneumonia and bloodstream infection (BSI) rates. More critically ill patients were admitted during HSCR, and use of invasive devices increased. Prone positioning and infusion of muscle relaxants became commonplace. The nurse-to-patient ratio in the intensive care unit decreased, and 4 h shifts were introduced to avoid fatigue. The BSI rate decreased after the IPC program with additional measures was reintroduced in May 2020. The strain on the workforce and modifications to the IPC program very possibly underlay the findings. IPC programs continue to be essential during the pandemic. The strain on the workforce and modifications to the IPC program very possibly underlay the findings. IPC programs continue to be essential during the pandemic. Polidocanol sclerotherapy of head and neck venous malformations (VMs) and lymphatic malformations (LMs) has been reported only in limited series. In this manuscript we evaluated the efficacy and safety of polidocanol sclerotherapy in a series of head and neck venous and lymphatic malformations. This retrospective observational study analysed data on 20 head and neck VMs and LMs that underwent to percutaneous or endoscopic intra-lesional 3% polidocanol microfoam sclerotherapy at our institution. Clinical response was ranked as excellent, moderate and poor based on volume reduction by MRI and resolution of symptoms. The median volume decreased from 19.3 mL to 5.8 mL after sclerotherapy (mean volume reduction 72.98 ± 16.1%). An excellent-moderate response was observed in 94.4% of cases. We observed a mean volume reduction of 79.5 ± 16.1 in macrocystic LMs, of 76.1 ± 13.0% in VMs, of 60.5 ± 10.9% in mixed lymphatic ones and 42.5% in microcystic lymphatic ones. Polidocanol sclerotherapy appears to be an effective and safe treatment for venous and lymphatic head and neck malformations. We observed the best responses in macrocystic LMs and VMs, whereas mixed lymphatic ones showed a moderate response and microcystic lymphatic ones a poor response. Polidocanol sclerotherapy appears to be an effective and safe treatment for venous and lymphatic head and neck malformations. We observed the best responses in macrocystic LMs and VMs, whereas mixed lymphatic ones showed a moderate response and microcystic lymphatic ones a poor response. To investigate the association between cumulative exposure to chronic stressors and the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in U.S. older adults. Nationally-representative prospective cohort data of adults aged 45 and older (n = 15,109) were used to investigate the association between the cumulative number of chronic stressors and incidence of MI in U.S. older adults. Proportional hazards models adjusted for confounding risk factors and differences by sex, race/ethnicity, and history of MI were assessed. The median age of participants was 65 years, 714 (4.7%) had a prior MI, and 557 (3.7%) had an MI during follow-up. Approximately 84% of participants reported at least one chronic stressor at baseline and more than half reported 2 or more stressors. Multivariable models showed that risks for MI increased incrementally from 1 chronic stressor (HR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.20-1.37) to 4 or more chronic stressors (HR = 2.71; 95% CI, 2.08-3.53) compared with those who reported no stressors. These risks were only partly reduced after adjustments for multiple demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioral, and clinical risk factors. In adults who had a prior MI (P value for interaction = .038), we found that risks for a recurrent event increased substantially from 1 chronic stressor (HR = 1.30; 95% CI, 1.09-1.54) to 4 or more chronic stressors (HR = 2.85; 95% CI, 1.43-5.69). Chronic life stressors are significant independent risk factors for cardiovascular events in U.S. older adults. The risks associated with multiple chronic stressors were especially high in adults with a previous MI. Chronic life stressors are significant independent risk factors for cardiovascular events in U.S. older adults. The risks associated with multiple chronic stressors were especially high in adults with a previous MI. Subjective socioeconomic status (SES) is a well-established psychosocial determinant of adolescents' self-report health. However, whether low subjective SES is associated with stress-related physiological risks (e.g., dysregulations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity) remains uncertain. This study examined the impacts of subjective SES with different reference groups (i.e., perception of family SES relative to other students in the school versus other people in the city) on adolescents' diurnal cortisol profiles. A sample of 255 adolescents (aged 11-14; 53.7% boys) completed a battery of psychological scales, including school-referenced subjective SES and city-referenced subjective SES. Diurnal cortisol was assessed by collecting saliva samples four times a day across two consecutive days. Four cortisol parameters (cortisol at awakening, cortisol awakening response [CAR], cortisol slope, and total cortisol secretion [AUCg]) were derived. Higher levels of school-referenced subjective SES were associated with higher cortisol levels at awakening (β = 0.0483, SE = 0.0219, p = 0.028), steeper cortisol slopes (β = -0.0036, SE = 0.0017, p = 0.034), and higher cortisol AUCg (b = 0.50, SE = 0.24, p = 0.036), but not with CAR (p = 0.77), after adjusting for covariates. In contrast, city-referenced subjective SES was not associated with any of the cortisol parameters (cortisol at awakening [p = 0.90], CAR [p = 0.74], cortisol slope [p = 0.84], and cortisol AUCg [p = 0.68]). Our findings highlight the importance of the reference group for subjective SES and provide a further understanding of socioeconomic disparities in adolescents' stress physiology. Our findings highlight the importance of the reference group for subjective SES and provide a further understanding of socioeconomic disparities in adolescents' stress physiology.