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Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) patients present with low serum bicarbonate (We aimed to introduce the hypothesis that DKA patients on acid-suppressive medications may have a delayed rise in serumThis is a retrospective study using Nationwide Inpatient Sample employing International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) codes for adult patients with a primary diagnosis of DKA. Analyses were performed using STATA, proportions were compared using Fisher exact test, and continuous variables using Student's t-test. Confounding variables were adjusted using propensity matching, multivariate logistic, and linear regression analyses.DKA patients with PUD had higher adjusted LOS, intensive care unit admission, and total hospital costs. Mortality and morbidity indicators were similar in both groups. The variables found to be independent predictors of increased LOS were malnutrition, Clostridium difficile infection, pneumonia, Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3-8, and higher Charlson comorbidity score.We found that Clostridium difficile and pneumonia predicted longer LOS in DKA patients with concomitant PUD, hinting at the possible role of acid suppression in prolonging the LOS in such patients. However, further studies are needed to examine the effect of lesser

Microscopic colitis (MC) is an inflammatory disease of the colon characterized by persistent watery, nonbloody diarrhea. Subtypes of MC include collagenous and lymphocytic MC. Microscopic examination of colon tissue is crucial to confirming the diagnosis because the colonic mucosa often appears normal during flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. We aim to determine the optimal sites and minimum number of colon biopsies required to diagnose MC from published studies. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases from inception until October 2020 using the following keywords: microscopic, lymphocytic, collagenous, colitis, biopsy, and biopsies. We screened the search results for eligibility and extracted data from the included studies. We pooled the numbers of biopsies provided by each study to calculate the mean number of biopsies, SD, and SEM. We included three retrospective cohort studies with 356 patients (148 collagenous, 192 lymphocytic, and 16 mixed), and the total number of biopsies were 1854. The mean number of biopsies that were recommended by the included studies are 4, 4, and 9, respectively. The pooled mean ± SD is 5.67 ± 2.89. The included studies reported that biopsies from the ascending colon (AC) and descending colon (DC) had the highest diagnostic rates. To ensure a high level of certainty in diagnosing MC, a total of six biopsies should be taken from the AC and DC (3 AC and 3 DC). However, special care should be directed toward differentiating MC from other forms of colitis. In addition, detailed and comparative studies are needed to provide stronger recommendations to diagnose MC.

Introduction: Percutaneous cholecystostomies are not infrequently used as an adjunct in the treatment of severe lithiasic cholecystitis, particularly in unstable and comorbid patients. However, their out of proportion liberal use tends to substitute the performance of emergency cholecystectomy, which the definitive treatment. Aim: Our aim was to assess the short and long-term outcomes of patients who had percutaneous cholecystostomy insertion due to severe lithiasic cholecystitis, aiming to define areas for improvement of our institutional practice. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of our institutional practice including all patients who had a percutaneous cholecystostomy for complex lithiasic cholecystitis, over a 5-year period, allowing for an additional 1-year follow up. Results: A total of 34 patients were included in our final analysis. Percutaneous cholecystostomy insertion enabled quick and efficient control of the source of biliary sepsis without major procedural complications in all cases. In 14 (41.2%) patients, cholecystostomy alone served as definitive treatment, while in 20 (58.9%) cases it was used as bridging strategy for delayed elective cholecystectomy. In the delayed cholecystectomy group of patients, we noted a high conversion rate from laparoscopic to open surgery rate of 70%, with an overall subtotal cholecystectomy rate of 60%. Conclusion: Percutaneous cholecystostomies should be reserved only for complex lithiasic cholecystitis patients who are unwilling and/or unfit for surgery. We advocate the performance of upfront emergency cholecystectomy in any other case with liberal use of operative bail-out strategies, as a delayed elective operation is anyway likely to be converted to open and/or subtotal cholecystectomy.

Cocaine use continues to be an important global public health problem. As the use of cocaine remains pervasive so have a myriad of adverse events associated with this drug. These deleterious effects are well-studied, but gastrointestinal complications remain esoteric and the existing clinical evidence is scarce. Ischemia of the esophagus and small bowel, perforation, peptic ulceration, gastrointestinal bleeding, and ischemic colitis are among the reported complications. In specific, acute pancreatitis secondary to cocaine use is an exceedingly rare clinicopathologic entity. To date, only 7 cases of this condition have been reported in the English-language literature. We hereby delineate a rare case of a 29-year-old female who developed her first episode of cocaine-associated pancreatitis. The diagnosis was made based on a standard battery of investigations and meticulous exclusion of common etiologies of acute pancreatitis. To our knowledge, this case represents the first report of re-occurrence of acute pancreatitis upon subsequent crack cocaine insufflation, adding a higher level of evidence to a fallible association. We also present a systematic review of the existing literature on acute pancreatitis following cocaine use. An updated knowledge regarding this rare association is of paramount importance for early diagnosis and astute management.

Intestinal ischemia results from diminished perfusion of the colon resulting in tissue hypoxia. Anecdotal reports suggest that cocaine-induced intestinal ischemia has the highest mortality and longer length of stay among the vasoconstrictors. The present study aimed to summarize the available studies in the literature to assess the effect of routes of consumption on the outcomes of cocaine-induced intestinal ischemia. We conducted a systematic search of MEDLINE from inception through October 2019. Studies of cocaine-induced intestinal ischemia were included if data were available on comorbidities, mortality, and hospital length of stay (LOS). The study’s primary outcomes were mortality and need for surgery, while secondary outcomes included the hospital length of stay, LACE index, and hospital score. Statistical tests used included linear and binary logistic regression. STATA 2015 was used, and P < 0.05 was statistically significant. Of the 304 studies, 8 case series and 45 case reports (n = 69 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Different routes of cocaine use had similar mortality odds and the need for surgery for intestinal ischemia. Hospital LOS showed significant difference among the subgroups. Readmission scores (LACE and hospital score) were higher for intravenous and smoking than ingestion and intranasal use ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, different routes of cocaine use appear to have similar mortality odds for intestinal ischemia, which vary significantly among the different routes of cocaine consumption for the length of stay and readmission scores. Prompt recognition of the route of cocaine use is vital to improve the outcome. Large-scale and well-designed observational studies are needed to investigate this topic further.

BACKGROUND Chronic immunosuppression is a known cause of Clostridioides difficile, which presents with colon infection. It is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Our aim is to determine the inpatient outcomes of liver transplant patients with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and trends in the last few years. METHODS We utilized the national re-admission data (2010-2017) to study the outcomes of CDI in liver transplant patients. Association of C. difficile with re-admission was computed in a multivariable model adjusted for age, sex, gastrointestinal bleeding, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, obesity, cancer, insurance, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dementia, peripheral vascular disease, smoking, hospital location, and teaching status. RESULTS During 2010-2017, there were 310 222 liver transplant patients hospitalized. Out of these, 9826 had CDI. CDI infection in liver transplant patients was associated with higher 30-day re-admission (14.3% vs. 11.21%, hazard ratio [HR]: 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.28, p = .02) and in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR]: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.14-1.61, p

INTRODUCTION: To compare outcomes in patients hospitalized with coronavirus (COVID-19) receiving famotidine therapy with those not receiving famotidine. METHODS: Retrospective, propensity-matched observational study of consecutive COVID-19–positive patients between February 24, 2020, and May 13, 2020. RESULTS: Of 878 patients in the analysis, 83 (9.5%) received famotidine. In comparison to patients not treated with famotidine, patients treated with famotidine were younger (63.5 ± 15.0 vs 67.5 ± 15.8 years, P = 0.021), but did not differ with respect to baseline demographics or preexisting comorbidities. Use of famotidine was associated with a decreased risk of in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval 0.16–0.86, P = 0.021) and combined death or intubation (odds ratio 0.47, 95% confidence interval 0.23–0.96, P = 0.040). Propensity score matching to adjust for age difference between groups did not alter the effect on either outcome. In addition, patients receiving famotidine displayed lower levels of serum markers for severe disease including lower median peak C-reactive protein levels (9.4 vs 12.7 mg/dL, P = 0.002), lower median procalcitonin levels (0.16 vs 0.30 ng/mL, P = 0.004), and a nonsignificant trend to lower median mean ferritin levels (797.5 vs 964.0 ng/mL, P = 0.076). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that famotidine was an independent predictor of both lower mortality and combined death/intubation, whereas older age, body mass index >30 kg/m2, chronic kidney disease, National Early Warning Score, and higher neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio were all predictors of both adverse outcomes. DISCUSSION: Famotidine use in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 is associated with a lower risk of mortality, lower risk of combined outcome of mortality and intubation, and lower levels of serum markers for severe disease in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection are at risk of developing acute kidney injury (AKI) which may result in increased healthcare resource utilization and worse clinical outcomes. We investigated the impact of AKI on healthcare utilization and clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized with acute HAV infection utilizing a large database. METHODS: We queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2007–2014 to identify acute HAV infection-related hospitalizations with and without AKI. Primary outcomes were prevalence of AKI and its predictors with secondary outcomes included the mean length of stay (LOS), hospitalization cost and mortality in both groups. RESULTS: Out of 68 364 acute HAV infection-related hospitalizations, 47 620 met our study criteria and 7458 (15.7%) had concurrent AKI. HAV patients with AKI were older (62.5 vs. 53.7 years; P value

Rectal bleeding is a known complication of transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. It is usually mild and resolves spontaneously. However, massive life-threatening hemorrhage can also rarely occur in this setting, potentially presenting a therapeutic conundrum. We hereby delineate the case of a patient who experienced severe intermittent lower gastrointestinal bleeding following a transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy. Traditional tamponade methods failed to control the hemorrhage. Subsequently, an urgent flexible sigmoidoscopy revealed an anterior rectal wall prominence with biopsy punctures as the possible source of bleeding. Endoclip was successfully applied at the bleeding site, achieving permanent hemostasis. The patient had an uneventful recovery and was discharged from the hospital. While the use of endoclipping has been widely reported in gastrointestinal endoscopy, its application remains exceedingly rare in this group of patients. To our knowledge, this case represents only the third report of endoclipping alone to treat massive rectal bleeding follwing a prostate biopsy procedure. In addition, we systematically review published medical literature to evaluate endoscopic techniques aimed at managing this important complication. This article illustrates that endoscopic therapy may present an efficient, noninvasive method to deal with severe post-biopsy rectal hemorrhage. Therefore, prompt consultation with the gastroenterology service should be advocated.

Dyslipidemia is a very common medical disorder affecting nearly 33.5% of US adults over 20 years of age. It represents the major risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD) and cardiovascular diseases, which is the most common cause of death worldwide. Elafibranor is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha and delta dual agonist. A novel dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha/delta (PPAR-α/δ), elafibranor, the agonist is an emerging therapy with promising hepatoprotective results. To estimate the efficacy of elafibranor in patients with liver abnormalities especially non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We searched the following databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for relevant clinical trials assessing the use of silymarin in patients with NAFLD. Risk of bias assessment was performed using Cochrane’s risk of bias tool. We included the following outcomes: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), HOMA-IR, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C). We included four clinical trials. We found that elafibranor significantly reduced the levels of ALT {MD = − 4.60 [− 8.17, − 1.04], (P = 0.01)}, GGT {MD = − 16.57 [− 26.59, − 6.56], (P

Aim The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in January 2020 affected largely the elective operating for non-urgent surgical pathologies, such as hernias, due to periodical cancellations of the operating lists on a worldwide scale. To the best of our knowledge, the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in relation to the emergency hernia surgery operative workload and postoperative outcomes remains largely unknown. Methods Retrospective research of admission, operation and inpatient records of all patients who underwent emergency surgery over a 2-year period (2019-2020) was done. Results An 18% increase in terms of emergency hernia surgery operating volume, with a 23% increase of visceral resections due to unsalvageable herniated content strangulation was found. Overall morbidity did not increase during the pandemic period and there was no postoperative mortality or occurrence of COVID-19 related complications. Conclusion Emergency operative management of acutely symptomatic hernias can be safely performed even during the COVID-19 infection peak waves; hernia taxis should be reserved only for patients unfit or unwilling to undergo upfront surgery.

Colonic diverticular bleeding is an established cause of painless acute lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Colonoscopy, performed within 24 hours of presentation, is the usual initial diagnostic procedure in such patients. In order to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic yield of urgent colonoscopy, adequate colon cleansing is required in patients with signs and symptoms of ongoing bleeding. We hereby delineate the importance of rapid bowel preparation with a very-low-volume novel 1 L polyethylene glycol ascorbate solution in the setting of acute severe colonic diverticular bleeding. The 1-L regimen may demonstrate similar efficacy to that of traditional higher volume preparations and it can substantially reduce the time for bowel preparation. Therefore, it can be considered for bowel purge when colonoscopy has to be rapidly planned in critical patients. This article further illustrates that the endoscopic technique using epinephrine followed by direct hemoclipping may be added to the armamentarium for acute colonic diverticular hemorrhage as the first treatment, especially in elderly patients with multiple comorbid conditions. While ample evidence surrounding the efficacy of the clipping method persists in the literature, rapid bowel preparation with 1 L polyethylene glycol ascorbate solution’s imperativeness to achieve hemostasis with direct hemoclipping remains elusive.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an uncommon and under-recognized immune-mediated disorder of the peripheral nervous system. It is associated with both infectious and non-infectious etiologies and presents in several variant forms. In rare instances, CIDP has been reported in association with gastrointestinal (esophageal, hepatic, colorectal, and pancreatic) malignancies. The diagnosis of malignancy is typically preceded by weeks to months by that of CIDP, though the inverse may also be seen. As with other etiologies of CIDP, cases associated with gastrointestinal malignancies are often treated with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulins, and/or plasma exchange, with improvement or resolution of neurological symptoms in the majority of cases. In this review, we provide a practical overview of CIDP, with an emphasis on recognizing the clinical association between CIDP and gastrointestinal malignancies.

Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare but potentially torrential and life-threatening cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. It is described as an intermittent hemorrhage from the major duodenal papilla via the main pancreatic duct. Peripancreatic pseudoaneurysm following chronic pancreatitis is a common underlying etiology. However, gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm-related hemosuccus pancreaticus remains exceedingly rare in the etiological spectrum of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We hereby delineate a rare case of hemosuccus pancreaticus associated with gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm in a patient who initially presented with abdominal pain and hematochezia. He was successfully managed with coil embolization without recurrence or sequelae. Furthermore, we conducted a search of the MEDLINE (PubMed and Ovid) database for relevant studies on hemosuccus pancreaticus published between inception and September 15, 2021. The available clinical evidence on causes, presentation patterns, diagnosis, and management was analyzed and summarized. This article highlights the rarity, the intermittent nature of hemorrhage, and the lack of a standardized diagnostic approach for this elusive disease. Clinicians should remain cognizant of hemosuccus pancreaticus, especially in patients presenting with symptoms and signs of intermittent gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain. Prompt diagnosis carries paramount importance in saving patients from repeat hospital admissions and disease-associated morbidity and mortality. Conventional angiography with coil embolization may constitute an effective treatment strategy.

Jejunal Dieulafoy’s lesion is an exceedingly rare but important cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. It frequently presents as a diagnostic and therapeutic conundrum due to the rare occurrence, intermittent bleeding symptoms often requiring prompt clinical action, variability in the detection and treatment methods, and the risk of rebleeding. We performed a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Cochrane, Embase, and Scopus databases regarding jejunal Dieulafoy’s lesio from inception till June 2020. A total of 136 cases were retrieved from 76 articles. The mean age was 55 ± 24 years, with 55% of cases reported in males. Patients commonly presented with melena (33%), obscure-overt gastrointestinal bleeding (29%), and hemodynamic compromise (20%). Hypertension (26%), prior gastrointestinal surgery (14%), and valvular heart disease (13%) were the major underlying disorders. Conventional endoscopy often failed but single- and double-balloon enteroscopy identified the lesion in 96% and 98% of patients, respectively. There was no consensus on the treatment. Endoscopic therapy was instituted in 64% of patients. Combination therapy (34%) with two or more endoscopic modalities, was the preferred approach. With regard to endoscopic monotherapy, hemoclipping (19%) and argon plasma coagulation (4%) were frequently employed procedures. Furthermore, direct surgical intervention in 32% and angiographic embolization was performed in 4% of patients. The rebleeding rate was 13.4%, with a mean follow-up duration of 17.6 ± 21.98 months. The overall mortality rate was 4.4%. Jejunal Dieulafoy’s lesion is still difficult to diagnose and manage. Although the standard diagnostic and therapeutic modalities remain to be determined, device-assisted enteroscopy might yield promising outcomes.

With the ameliorated resectability prowess of endoscopic techniques, a myriad of diseases previously treated by major ablative surgeries are now endoscopically curable. Endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection (ESTD) is a relatively new technique that has diversified endoscopic application. Although ESTD has frequently been used for the resection of esophageal neoplastic lesions, the clinical evidence pertaining to its efficacy in the treatment of circumferential Barrett’s esophagus remains sparse. In this study, we evaluated ESTD as a potential therapeutic technique in patients with Barrett’s esophagus-related high-grade dysplasia. The tunneling strategy helped achieve complete en bloc resection at an increased dissection speed, without any procedural complications. This article illustrates that ESTD can be a feasible, safe, and effective treatment for dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus. Future research should aim to stratify the potential risks and complications associated with this optimization of endoscopic submucosal dissection in patients with superficial esophageal lesions.

A shared understanding of medical conditions between patients and their health care providers may improve self-care and outcomes. In this study, the concordance between responses to a medical history self-report (MHSR) form and the corresponding provider documentation in electronic health records (EHRs) of 19 select co-morbidities and habits in 230 patients with heart failure were evaluated. Overall concordance was assessed using the κ statistic, and crude, positive, and negative agreement were determined for each condition. Concordance between MHSR and EHR varied widely for cardiovascular conditions (κ = 0.37 to 0.96), noncardiovascular conditions (κ = 0.06 to 1.00), and habits (κ = 0.26 to 0.69). Less than 80% crude agreement was seen for history of arrhythmias (72%), dyslipidemia (74%), and hypertension (79%) among cardiovascular conditions and lung disease (70%) and peripheral arterial disease (78%) for noncardiovascular conditions. Perfect agreement was observed for only 1 of the 19 conditions (human immunodeficiency virus status). Negative agreement >80% was more frequent than >80% positive agreement for a condition (15 of 19 [79%] vs 8 of 19 [42%], respectively, p = 0.02). Only 20% of patients had concordant MSHRs and EHRs for all 7 cardiovascular conditions; in 40% of patients, concordance was observed for ≤5 conditions. For noncardiovascular conditions, only 28% of MSHR-EHR pairs agreed for all 9 conditions; 37% agreed for ≤7 conditions. Cumulatively, 39% of the pairs matched for ≤15 of 19 conditions. In conclusion, there is significant variation in the perceptions of patients with heart failure compared to providers’ records of co-morbidities and habits. The root causes of this variation and its impact on outcomes need further study.

Decisions regarding cardiac transplantation listing are difficult in patients with heart failure who have relatively discordant peak exercise oxygen consumption (Vo(2)) and cardiac index (CI) values. One hundred five patients with heart failure who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing and right-sided cardiac catheterization for transplantation evaluation were studied. Patients were divided into 4 groups on the basis of peak Vo(2) and CI: group 1, Vo(2)or = 12 ml/min/kg, CIor = 1.8 L/min/m(2) (n = 30); group 2, Vo(2)or = 12 ml/min/kg, CI1.8, L/min/m(2) (n = 27); group 3, Vo(2)12 ml/min/kg, CIor = 1.8 L/min/m(2) (n = 25); and group 4, Vo(2)12 ml/min/kg, CI1.8 L/min/m(2) (n = 23). Groups were compared for event-free (death or ventricular assist device) survival. The overall CI was 1.9 + or - 0.4 L/min/m(2) and peak Vo(2) was 12.4 + or - 2.8 ml/min/kg; values in the 4 groups were as follows: group 1, peak Vo(2) 14.7 + or - 2.1 ml/min/kg, CI 2.2 + or - 0.3 L/min/m(2); group 2, peak VO(2) 14.2 + or - 1.3 ml/min/kg, CI 1.5 + or - 0.2 L/min/m(2); group 3, peak Vo(2) 10.2 + or - 1.3 ml/min/kg, CI 2.1 + or - 0.3 L/min/m(2); and group 4, peak Vo(2) 9.7 + or - 2.0 ml/min/kg, CI 1.6 + or - 0.2 L/min/m(2). After a median follow-up period of 3.7 years, 28 patients (26.0%) had events. Event-free survival was 96%, 95%, 96%, and 79% for 6 months (p = 0.04); 88%, 81%, 90%, and 73% for 12 months (p = 0.09); 88%, 73%, 85%, and 65% for 18 months (p = 0.11); and 83%, 73%, 79%, and 53% for 24 months (p = 0.06) for groups 1 to 4, respectively. Median survival was 5.1, 3.0, 3.9, and 2.6 years, respectively, in groups 1 to 4 (p = 0.052). In conclusion, almost half the patients had relatively discordant peak Vo(2) and CI measurements. Patients with lower peak Vo(2) values but relatively preserved CI values had survival comparable to post-transplantation survival, whereas those with low CI but preserved Vo(2) had a lower survival rate. These results suggest that the former group may be safely monitored on medical therapy, whereas the latter may benefit from early listing.