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Background: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a rare complication of acute pancreatitis (AP) and might be associated with worse outcomes. We aimed to study trends, outcomes, and predictors of PVT in AP patients., Methods: The National Inpatient Sample database was utilized to identify the adult patients (≥ 18 years) with primary diagnosis of AP from 2004 to 2013 using International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision. Patients with and without PVT were entered into propensity matching model based on baseline variables. Outcomes were compared between both groups and predictors of PVT in AP were identified., Results: Among the total of 2,389,337 AP cases, 7046 (0.3%) had associated PVT. The overall mortality of AP decreased throughout the study period (p trend ≤ 0.0001), whereas mortality of AP with PVT remained stable (1-5.7%, p trend = 0.3). After propensity matching, AP patients with PVT patients had significantly higher in-hospital mortality (3.3% vs. 1.2%), AKI (13.4% vs. 7.7%), shock (6.9% vs. 2.5%), and need for mechanical ventilation (9.2% vs. 2.5%) along with mean higher cost of hospitalization and length of stay (p < 0.001 for all). Lower age (Odd ratio [OR] 0.99), female (OR 0.75), and gallstone pancreatitis (OR 0.79) were negative predictors, whereas alcoholic pancreatitis (OR 1.51), cirrhosis (OR 2.19), CCI > 2 (OR 1.81), and chronic pancreatitis (OR 2.28) were positive predictors of PVT (p < 0.001 for all) in AP patients., Conclusion: PVT in AP is associated with significantly higher risk of death, AKI, shock, and need for mechanical ventilation. Chronic and alcoholic pancreatitis is associated with higher risk of PVT in AP., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Bariatric surgery (BSx) is one of the most common surgical procedures in North America. Readmissions may be associated with a high burden to the healthcare system., Methods: Retrospective study of the 2016 National Readmission Database of adult patients readmitted within 30 days after an index admission for BSx. Outcomes were: 30-day readmission rate, mortality, healthcare-related utilization resources, and independent predictors of readmission. Comparison groups were index admission, readmitted, and non-readmitted patients., Results: A total of 161,141 patients underwent BSx. The 30-day readmission rate was 3.3%. Main causes for readmission were dehydration, acute kidney injury, venous thromboembolism events, and sepsis. Readmitted patients were more likely to develop shock (0.5% vs. 0.1%; P < 0.01) with no differences in mechanical ventilation (1.9% vs. 2.0%; P = 0.83) during index admission compared to non-readmitted patients. Readmission was associated with higher in-hospital mortality rate (1.5% vs. 0.1%; P < 0.01) and prolonged length of stay (4.6 vs. 2.4 days; P < 0.01). The total in-hospital economic burden of readmission was $234 million in total charges and $58.7 million in total costs. Independent predictors of readmission were: Charlson comorbidity index of ≥ 3, longer length of stay, admission to larger bed size hospitals, discharge to nursing home, and acute kidney injury. Medicaid, private insurance, BMI of 30-39 kg/m 2 , and 40-44 kg/m 2 were associated with lower odds for readmission., Conclusion: Readmissions after BSx are associated with higher in-hospital mortality rate and pose a high healthcare burden. We identified risk factors that can be targeted to decrease readmissions after BSx, healthcare burden, and patient morbidity and mortality., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background/objectives: Alcoholic acute pancreatitis (AAP) comprises the second most common cause of acute pancreatitis in the USA, and there is lack of data regarding 30-day specific readmission causes and predictors. We aim to identify 30-day readmission rate, causes, and predictors of readmission., Methods: Retrospective analysis of the 2016 National Readmission Database of adult patients readmitted within 30 days after an index admission for AAP., Results: Totally, 76,609 AAP patients were discharged from the hospital in 2016. The 30-day readmission rate was 12%. The main cause of readmission was another episode of AAP. Readmission was not associated with higher mortality (1.3% vs. 1.2%; P = 0.21) or prolonged length of stay (5.2 vs. 5.0 days; P = 0.06). The total health care economic burden was $354 million in charges and $90 million in costs. Independent predictors of readmission were having Medicaid insurance, a Charlson comorbidity index score ≥ 3, use of total parenteral nutrition, opioid abuse disorder, prior pancreatic cyst, chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, and other chronic pancreatitis. Obesity was associated with lower odds of readmission., Conclusion: Readmission rate for AAP is high and its primary cause are recurrent episodes of AAP. Alcohol and substance abuse pose a high burden on our health care system. Public health strategies should be targeted to provide alcohol abuse disorder rehabilitation and cessation resources to alleviate the burden on readmission, the health care system and to improve patient outcomes., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Aims: Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic immune-mediated enteropathy that is precipitated by dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. A few studies reported a higher incidence of pancreatitis in the CD population. Using a large US database, we sought to describe the epidemiology, risk, and outcomes of acute pancreatitis (AP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) in CD patients., Methods: We queried a multiple health system data analytics and research platform (Explorys Inc, Cleveland, OH, USA). A cohort of patients with a diagnosis of CD was identified. Subsequently, individuals who developed a new diagnosis of AP and CP after at least 30 days of being diagnosed with CD were identified. A multivariate regression model was performed to adjust for multiple confounding factors., Results: Of the 72,965,940 individuals in the database, 133,400 (0.18%), 362,050 (0.50%), and 95,190 (0.13%) had CD, AP, and CP, respectively. New diagnosis of AP and CP after at least 30 days of CD diagnosis was 1.06%, 0.52%, respectively, compared to non-CD patients with 0.49% for AP and 0.13% for CP, P < .0001. In multivariate regression analysis, patients with CD were at higher risk of developing AP [OR 2.66; 95% CI 2.55-2.77] and CP [OR 2.18; 95% CI 2.04-2.34]. Idiopathic AP was the most common etiology among CD patients [OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.34-1.77]., Conclusions: In this largest US population database and after adjusting for several confounders, patients with CD were at increased risk of developing AP and CP. Celiac disease patients had worse outcomes and higher medical burden compared to non-CD patients. Recurrent abdominal pain that suggests pancreatic etiology, idiopathic pancreatitis, or elevation of pancreatic enzymes should warrant investigation for CD as a potential cause of pancreatic disease., (© 2020. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Literature on acute pancreatitis (AP) outcomes in patients with cirrhosis is limited. We aim to investigate the mortality and morbidity of AP in patients with cirrhosis., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, and propensity score matching was done to match cirrhotic with non-cirrhotic patients on a 1:2 basis. Outcomes included inpatient mortality, organs failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and length of hospital stay. We performed subgroup analysis of cirrhotics according to Child-Pugh and MELD scores. Multivariable logistic regression models were tested., Results: From 819 AP patients, cirrhosis prevalence was 4.9% (40). There was no significant difference between cirrhotics and non-cirrhotics for inpatient mortality (7.5% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.1), severe AP (17.5% vs. 7.5%), shock (7.9% vs. 3%), respiratory failure (10% vs. 3.8%), need for intensive care unit (15% vs. 6.3%), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) on admission (22.5% vs. 32.5%), and SIRS on day 2 (25% vs. 15%). Cirrhotics had similar rates of pancreatic necrosis, ileus, BISAP score, Marshall score, admission hematocrit, BUN, and hospital length of stay. Finally, cirrhotics who had severe AP, required ICU, and/or die in-hospital appeared to have more severe liver diseases (Child-C, higher MELD score > 17) and had lower AP severity scores (BISAP < 3, Marshall scores < 2)., Conclusion: In our study, cirrhotics hospitalized with AP had similar morbidity and mortality when compared to non-cirrhotics., (© 2020. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Infectious etiologies are rare cause of acute pancreatitis (AP). We sought to investigate the frequency of viral-attributed AP (VIAP) and describe its natural course and clinical features. Comprehensive review of PubMed and EMBASE in English until December 31, 2019, was performed. AP diagnosis and severity were defined per the Revised Atlanta Classification. Viral infections were diagnosed by serology and/or histology. A diagnosis of viral infection, with a concurrent AP diagnosis, a temporal resolution of both entities, and the attempt to exclude the most common etiologies of AP defined VIAP. Two independent reviewers reviewed eligible publications. Bias risk was assessed with the Murad tool. A total of 209 cases identified in 128 publications met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 38.9 ± 1.28 years. Male-to-female ratio was 2.2:1, and 28% of patients were immunocompromised. Viral hepatitis (A, B, C, D and E) was the most common virus and accounted for 34.4% of cases, followed by coxsackie and echoviruses (14.8%), hemorrhagic fever viruses (12.4%), CMV (12.0%), VZV (10.5%), mumps and measles (3.8%), primary HIV infection (3.8%), HSV (1.9%), EBV (1.9%), and the remainder of cases (2.9%) attributed to adenovirus, influenza H1N1, and multiple viruses. Severity of AP was: 43.1% mild, 11.7% moderately severe, 32.4% severe. Death occurred in 42 (20.1%) patients. A significant portion of VIAP patients were immunocompromised (28.0%) and accounted for 71.4% of mortality cases. Mortality was higher than that reported for AP from other etiologies in the literature.

In recent years, gastroenterology has become one of the most competitive subspecialties included in the internal medicine fellowship match, which increases the stressful nature of an already potentially nerve-wracking process for the trainee. Though each applicant has unique strengths and thus the process is somewhat individualized, there are some basic principles that can render an applicant more competitive for a gastroenterology fellowship. These include establishing mentorship, achieving scholarly work, building your resume, honing interpersonal and networking skills, and writing a well-planned application. The goal of this article is to outline some basic principles that will help improve the competitiveness of an applicant, and also highlight some practical tips and tricks for applicants with diverse backgrounds, such as international medical graduates, minority applicants, and women in medicine.

In recent years, gastroenterology has become one of the most competitive subspecialties included in the internal medicine fellowship match, which increases the stressful nature of an already potentially nerve-wracking process for the trainee. Though each applicant has unique strengths and thus the process is somewhat individualized, there are some basic principles that can render an applicant more competitive for a gastroenterology fellowship. These include establishing mentorship, achieving scholarly work, building your resume, honing interpersonal and networking skills, and a writing a well-planned application. The goal of this article is to outline some basic principles that will help improve the competitiveness of an applicant, and also highlight some practical tips and tricks for applicants with diverse backgrounds, such as international medical graduates, minority applicants, and women in medicine.

Introduction: Bariatric surgery (BSx) leads to weight loss and causes alterations in gastrointestinal and pancreatic peptides. This raises questions on acute pancreatitis (AP) occurrence and outcomes in this cohort of patients. We aim to assess mortality, morbidity, and resource utilization of AP in patients with BSx., Methods: Observational retrospective cohort study (2012-2016) with propensity score match. Patients with a principal diagnostic ICD9-10CM code for AP were included. Stratification for the coexistence of history of BSx was performed. The primary outcome was mortality. Secondary outcomes were morbidity, resource utilization, length of hospital stay (LOS), total hospital charges, and costs., Results: Out of 920,615 AP patients, 15,345 had undergone BSx. After propensity matching, 8220 patients with BSx had AP. The mortality for AP was 0.42 (p < 0.01) and for biliary AP 0.29 (< 0.04) in the history of BSx group compared to patients without BSx history. Acute kidney insufficiency (AKI), shock, ICU, multiorgan failure, ERCP, costs, charges, and LOS were all lower for patients with AP who had history of BSx. Patients with biliary AP showed even lower odds of AKI, ICU, multiorgan failure, costs, charges, and LOS, but higher odds of cholecystectomy., Conclusion: Patients with AP with history of BSx have lower mortality, morbidity, and resource utilization. This may be due to post-surgical alterations in pancreatic and gastrointestinal functions including hormonal and anatomical changes. Interestingly, patients with biliary AP and BSx had even lower odds of mortality and morbidity than patients with non-biliary AP, suggesting an added benefit with milder disease course.

Background: Modified Marshall Score is one of the severity scores for acute pancreatitis (AP) and is included in the Revised Atlanta Classification, but given its utilization of a set serum creatinine level (sCr), it may misclassify stable patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to a more severe class just due to their elevated sCr., Aims: Our study aims to evaluate the role of CKD in AP and the possibility of utilizing acute kidney injury (AKI) into developing a new scoring system., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of three hundred consecutive patients who were diagnosed with AP during hospitalization. Multiple demographic variables and clinical course indices were collected. Univariate logistic regression was then applied to predict mortality and ICU admission. Finally, receiver operating curve was utilized to compare original versus New Revised Marshall Score., Results: Two hundred and eight-four (284) patients had a definitive diagnosis of AP. When comparing patients who had AKI on admission to those without AKI, the AKI group showed statistically significant higher mortality rate (5.6% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.04). Finally, we substituted the renal part of Marshall Score with our AKIN and we plotted the New "Revised" Marshall Score, which showed a higher AUROC compared to the original modified version (C-statistics 0.93 vs. 0.89, p < 0.05)., Conclusion: We found that AKI predicts mortality and outperforms the use of a fixed sCr value alone. The use of our New Revised Marshall Score can accurately classify AP severity, avoiding misclassification of AP severity and providing better patient care.

Background and Aim: Twenty-percentage of acute pancreatitis (AP) cases is labeled as idiopathic. Cannabis remains the most frequently used illicit drug in the world. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of cannabis use among all patients with a first episode of AP, particularly in those labeled as idiopathic etiology, and determine any effect on AP severity., Methods: Retrospective cohort of all consecutive patients admitted with a first episode of AP at a large tertiary referral hospital from 01/2013 through 12/2014. AP was identified by ICD9 code, or lipase ≥ 3 times the upper limit of normal and abdominal pain consistent with AP. Cannabis users (CU) were identified via history or urine toxicology., Results: Four hundred and sixty patients were included. 54% were men, with a mean age of 48 years (range 17-89 years). Forty-eight patients (10%) were identified as CU. After adjusting for admission SIRS, age, and gender, cannabis use was not found to be an independent risk factor for persistent SIRS, AKI, ARDS, pancreatic necrosis, mortality, ICU admission, length of stay, in-hospital infections, nor recurrent AP. Of note, AKI was least common among non-CU compared to CU (OR 0.4; p = 0.02; CI 0.2-0.9) and non-CU had a higher admission BISAP score (≥ 2) compared to CU (OR 2.5; p = 0.009; CI 1.2-4.9)., Conclusion: This is the largest study to date examining cannabis use in AP. Cannabis use was found across almost all etiologies of AP with a prevalence of 10% (48 cases), and in 9% (9 cases) of so-called idiopathic AP cases in this cohort, which could account as an association for approximately 2% of all AP cases. Cannabis use did not independently impact AP severity or mortality.