Burden of delirium on mortality and healthcare resource utilization in geriatric patients hospitalized for inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Delirium is prevalent in elderly patients, linked to elevated mortality rates, heightened healthcare resource use, and caregiver burden. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) poses various delirium risk factors, yet the impact on geriatric IBD patient outcomes remains unexplored. Methods: Using 2016-2019 National Inpatient Sample data, we identified ≥65-year-old patients admitted for IBD (Crohn's, ulcerative colitis) management stratified by delirium presence as a secondary diagnosis. The study aimed to assess delirium's impact on geriatric IBD patient outcomes. Results: Among 67,534 elderly IBD admissions, 0.7% (470) developed delirium. The delirium group had a 4.8-fold increase in in-hospital mortality risk (odds ratio 4.80, P < 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.94-11.8). IBD patients with delirium experienced prolonged length of stay (adjusted mean difference 5.15 days, 95% CI 3.24-7.06, P < 0.001) and increased care costs (adjusted mean difference $48,328, 95% CI $26,485-$70,171, P < 0.001) compared to those without delirium. Conclusion: Elderly IBD patients with delirium face higher mortality risk, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare costs. Clinicians should recognize delirium's detrimental effects in this vulnerable group and adhere to preventive protocols for improved care.

The Effect of Proton Pump Inhibitor Use on Survival of Patients With Colorectal Cancer: A Study of a Racially Diverse Population.

Introduction Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is increasing in the general population. Chronic PPI use can lead to hypergastrinemia, which has been purported to increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). Several studies have failed to report any association between PPI use and the risk of CRC. However, little is known about the effect of PPI use on CRC survival. In this retrospective analysis, we studied the effect of PPI use on CRC survival in a racially diverse population. Methods Data were abstracted for 1050 consecutive patients diagnosed with CRC from January 2007 to December 2020. The Kaplan-Meier curve was created to study the effect of PPI exposure compared to no exposure on overall survival (OS). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate predictors of survival. Results Complete data were available for 750 patients with CRC, 52.5% were males, 22.7% were Whites, 60.1% were Asians, and 17.2% were Pacific Islanders. A total of 25.6% of patients had a history of PPI use. Moreover, 79.2% had hypertension, 68.8% had hyperlipidemia, 38.0% had diabetes mellitus, and 30.2% had kidney disease. There was no difference in median OS among PPI users compared to non-users, p value=0.4. Age, grade, and stage were predictors of inferior OS. No significant association was noticed with gender, race, comorbidities, or treatment with chemotherapy. Conclusion In this retrospective analysis of a racially diverse population of CRC patients, we found that PPI use was not associated with worse OS. Until high-quality prospective data are available, physicians should not stop PPIs that are clinically indicated.

The Impact of Inflammatory Bowel Disease on Mortality and Other Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With Diabetic Ketoacidosis: An Observational Study of the United States National Inpatient Sample.

Background Recent studies have shown an increased risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with Inflammatory bowel disease. However, the impact of IBD on outcomes of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis remains unknown. Methods This is an observational analysis of the National Inpatient Sample Database. The authors identified patients with a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis and inflammatory bowel diseases. Outcomes studied were differences in risk of mortality, in-hospital outcomes and healthcare resources utilization. Multivariate logistic analysis was performed and results were adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics and comorbidities. Results No significant difference in mortality was observed in the DKA-IBD group when compared to the DKA-only group (aOR 0.55, p = 0.560). Similarly, inflammatory bowel disease had no impact on risk of sepsis (aOR 1.06, p = 0.742), acute kidney injury (aOR 1.08, p = 0.389), acute coronary syndrome (aOR 0.70, p = 0.397), ischemic stroke (aOR 1.53, p = 0.094), acute respiratory failure (aOR 1.00, p = 0.987), invasive mechanical ventilation (aOR 0.54, p = 0.225), deep vein thrombosis (aOR 1.68, p = 0.275), pulmonary embolism (aOR 2.16, p = 0.279) or cardiac arrest (aOR 1.35, p = 0.672) in diabetic ketoacidosis patients. The study group had a significant increase in length of stay (adjusted mean difference 0.63, p = 0.002) and charge of care (adjusted mean difference 3,950$, p = 0.026). Conclusion Inflammatory bowel disease is not associated with risk difference in mortality or morbidity in admitted patients with diabetic ketoacidosis, however, it does contribute to increased healthcare resources utilization.

Impact of Atrial Fibrillation on Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease Admitted for Colectomy.

Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with IBD may undergo a segmental or total colectomy, depending upon the extent of the disease. It is estimated that approximately 20 to 30 percent of patients with advanced ulcerative colitis will eventually require surgical resection. The incidence and prevalence of Atrial Fibrillation (AF) are increasing globally. There is plausible evidence linking inflammation to the initiation and perpetuation of AF. Given the importance of systemic inflammation in the pathogenesis of AF, an increased risk of the development of other diseases related to systemic inflammation can be expected. Objective Study how AF can affect the outcome of the patients in a population database hospitalized due to IBD flare and in whom colectomy was performed.  Methodology Data from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2019 were used to obtain baseline demographic numbers and outcome variables. T-tests and chi-square tests were used to compare data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was used to calculate Odds ratios for comorbidities.  Results The study identified 27,165 patients with IBD who had colectomy during the same admission, among whom 2,045 also had AF. AF patients had a statistically significant longer mean LOS than patients without AF (16.79 vs. 11.24 days, p-value 0.001). AF patients also had significantly higher hospital charges ($222,109 vs. $142,011, p-value < 0.001). The mortality rate in IBD undergoing colectomy patients with AF was higher than in patients without AF (13.45% vs. 2.69%, p-value < 0.001), which was also reflected in multivariate analysis with an odds ratio of 2.27 (p-value < 0.001) after adjusting for age, gender, race, and comorbidities. Conclusion Our study showed that a national cohort of IBD patients with a history of colectomy had increased mortality and morbidity in the presence of AF. A finding that can guide physicians to allocate more time to optimizing the management of AF in this group of patients decreases the risk of complications, length of stay, and overall mortality.

Disparities in Social Determinants of Health Among Patients Receiving Liver Transplant: Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample From 2016 to 2019.

Background Liver transplantation is the life-saving standard of care for those with end-stage liver disease. Unfortunately, many patients on the liver transplant list die waiting. Several studies have demonstrated significant differences based on disparities in race, gender, and multiple socioeconomic factors. We sought to evaluate recent disparities among patients receiving liver transplants using the latest available data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), the largest publicly available inpatient care database in the United States. Methods We performed an analysis of discharge data from the NIS between 2016 and 2019. We identified adult patients with chronic liver disease who underwent a liver transplant using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for differences in race, gender, socioeconomic status, and comorbidities among those who received a liver transplant. Results A total of 24,595 liver transplants were performed over the study period. Female gender was independently associated with decreased transplant rates (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.83, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78-0.89, P < 0.001). Compared to White patients, Black patients had decreased transplant rates (AOR 0.86, 95% CI, 0.75-0.99, P = 0.034), as did Native Americans (AOR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.97, P = 0.035). Hispanics and Asian Americans had increased rates of liver transplantation (AOR 1.16, 95% CI 1.02-1.32, P = 0.022, and 1.36, 95% CI 1.11-1.67, P = 0.003; respectively). The increase in income quartile was associated with an incremental increase in transplant rates. Additionally, patients with private insurance had much higher transplant rates compared to those with Medicare (AOR 2.50, 95% CI 2.31-2.70, P < 0.001) while patients without insurance had the lowest rates of transplantation (AOR 0.18, 95% CI 0.12-0.28, P < 0.001). Conclusions Our analysis demonstrates that race, gender, and other social determinants of health have significant impacts on the likelihood of receiving a liver transplant. Our study, on a national level, confirms previously described disparities in receiving liver transplantation. Patient-level studies are needed to better understand how these variables translate into differing liver transplantation rates.

Effect of Hospital Teaching Status on Mortality and Procedural Complications of Percutaneous Paracentesis in the United States: A Four-Year Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample.

Objectives Numerous previous studies investigated the impact of medical training settings on outcomes of hospitalized patients. However, the impact of teaching hospital status on outcomes of percutaneous paracentesis, to the best of our knowledge, has never been studied before. Methods Hospitalized patients who underwent percutaneous paracentesis were identified from the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2019 across the United States (US) teaching and non-teaching hospitals. Outcomes studied were differences in risk of mortality, postprocedural outcomes, and healthcare resource utilization. Multivariate logistic analysis was performed using STATA software (StataCorp LLC, College Station, Texas, US) and results were adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics and comorbidities. Results Inpatient mortality rates were significantly higher in patients undergoing paracentesis at US teaching hospitals (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.29, 95%CI 1.23-1.35, p<0.001) compared to non-teaching hospitals. Similarly, higher risk of procedural complications including hemoperitoneum (aOR 1.90, 95%CI 1.65-2.20, p<0.001), hollow viscus perforation (aOR 1.97, 95%CI 1.54-2.51, p<0.001), and vessel injury/laceration (aOR 15.3, 95%CI 2.12-110.2, p=0.007) were noticed in the study group when compared to controls. Furthermore, hospital teaching status was associated with prolonged mean length of stay (9.33 days vs 7.42 days, adjusted mean difference (aMD) 1.81, 95%CI 1.68-1.94, p<0.001) and increased charge of care ($106,014 vs $80,493, aMD $24,926, 95%CI $21,617-$28,235, p <0.001) Conclusion Hospitalized patients undergoing paracentesis in US teaching hospitals have an increased risk of mortality, postprocedural complications, prolonged length of stay, and increased charge of care when compared to non-teaching hospitals.

Mediastinal Mass Caused by Granulomatous Reaction to Foreign Plant Material Following a Spontaneous Esophageal Rupture.

The discovery of a mediastinal mass presents a wide array of differential diagnoses which largely depends on the boundaries of the mass and its contents. Both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the chest can determine radiologic compartmentalization to aid in diagnosis. Tissue biopsy for pathology, however, is necessary for final diagnosis. The establishment of a diagnosis should not be delayed, as mediastinal mass may be due to serious causes such as malignancy or infection. Here, we present a rare case of a 72-year-old male with a mediastinal mass that formed as a complication of traumatic esophageal perforation during cardiac arrest. Pathology revealed foreign plant material with granuloma formation secondary to food residue as the etiology of the mass.

Hypoglycemia Is Associated With Worse Outcomes in Patients With Cholangitis Despite Undergoing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography.

Background Hypoglycemia has been associated with poorer outcomes in hospitalized patients undergoing surgical interventions. In cholangitis, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is often a critical adjunct to surgery, capable of diagnosing and treating various biliary and pancreatic pathologies. While technically less invasive than surgery, the effect of hypoglycemia on clinical outcomes of patients with cholangitis undergoing ERCP has not been elucidated. Methodology Data were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2016 to 2019. Using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes, patients diagnosed with cholangitis and underwent ERCP were identified. Baseline demographic data, comorbidities, in-hospital mortality, hospital charges, and hospital length of stay (LOS) were extracted and compared based on the presence or absence of hypoglycemia. Statistical analysis was done using t-test and chi-square analyses. A multivariate analysis for the mortality odds ratio (OR) was calculated to adjust for possible confounders. Results A total of 256,540 patients with cholangitis who underwent ERCP were identified, and 2,810 of them had hypoglycemia during their hospitalization. The mean age of the hypoglycemia group was 64.41 years. Most patients were females (54%) and whites (57%). More patients in the hypoglycemia group had a history of alcoholism and congestive heart failure (CHF). Hypoglycemia was associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality (OR = 6.71, confidence interval (CI) = 5.49-8.2; p < 0.0001). In addition to hypoglycemia, age >65 years, non-white race, and CHF were independently associated with higher mortality. Moreover, patients with hypoglycemia had higher total hospital charges ($87,147 vs. $133,400; p < 0.0001) and a significant increase in the LOS (9.7 vs. 6.7 days; p < 0.0001). Conclusions Previous studies in the surgical literature have linked hypoglycemia to increased incidence of atrial fibrillation, usage of mechanical ventilation, and application of circulatory support. Hypoglycemia may also affect the metabolism of the heart, leading to myocardial ischemia and malignant arrhythmias. However, it is unclear if hypoglycemia represents a proxy for the severity of patient illness as septic shock and renal insufficiency are common etiologies that may strongly impact mortality. Therefore, careful glycemic control during hospitalization should be practiced as hypoglycemia serves as a poor prognostic indicator that should not be overlooked.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Gastritis Associated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Scoping Review.

Among immune-related adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, immune-mediated gastritis (IMG) has been rarely described in the literature and has not yet been well characterized. This scoping review aimed to characterize IMG in terms of precipitating agents, clinical presentations, and prognosis. After the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews, we searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for all peer-reviewed articles using keywords including "gastritis," "immune checkpoint inhibitor," and "immune-related adverse event" from their inception to December 28, 2021. Twenty-two articles, including 5 observational studies and 17 case reports and case series, were included. Nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and combination therapy with those and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 inhibitor (ipilimumab) were commonly used in those with IMG. 59.8% had epigastric pain, and 50% had erosive gastritis. 87.5% had Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade 3 gastritis, and 91.2% received corticosteroids. Recurrence was noted in 16.7%, and only 1 expiration was noted. 4.3% had positive helicobacter pylori and cytomegalovirus from the gastric specimen. Similar to immune-related colitis, patients with IMG may have a favorable prognosis with a better response to immune checkpoint inhibitors if treated appropriately. The diagnosis of IMG is made by exclusion, and a thorough workup is necessary to rule out concurrent helicobacter pylori and cytomegalovirus involvement. Further studies are critical for a better understanding of this complication.

Clinicopathological characteristics of gastric IgG4-related disease: Systematic scoping review.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Gastric IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) can mimic malignancy, submucosal tumors (SMT), and ulcers, leading to over-triage and unnecessary medical interventions such as gastrectomy. The variability in the clinicopathological presentation of IgG4-related disease is not yet well defined, posing a diagnostic challenge. METHODS: Following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews, we searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for all peer-reviewed articles using keywords including "gastritis," "stomach," "gastrointestinal stromal tumor," and "IgG4-RD" from their inception to December 28, 2021. RESULTS: Thirty-nine articles, including 2 observational studies and 42 cases, were included in the systematic review. While bottom-heavy lymphoplasmacytic mucosal infiltration is a characteristic finding of gastric IgG4-RD, it was only present in less than half of the patients in the observational studies. Patients with gastric IgG4-RD were more likely to be diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), gastric cancer, or peptic ulcer disease and their clinical course involved resection (51.3%) or even gastrectomy. Diagnosis of gastric IgG4-RD was most frequently made by post-operative pathological analysis. CONCLUSION: This systematic review summarizes the current understanding of the characteristics of gastric IgG4-RD. Increased awareness of gastric IgG4-RD as a differential diagnosis of gastric SMT or ulcers among clinicians is crucial in order to reduce unnecessary high-risk, invasive interventions.

The Impact of Cirrhosis on Outcomes of Patients Admitted With Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Nationwide Study.

Introduction Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is the most common acute hyperglycemic emergency in people with diabetes mellitus (DM). Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic inflammation that is followed by hepatic fibrosis. It has been noted that cirrhosis is associated with an increased risk of developing type II DM due to altered glucose homeostasis. The prognostic value of DM in cirrhotic patients has been studied before and was found to be associated with lower survival. However, the risk of mortality and adverse events in cirrhotic patients admitted with DKA needs further evaluation. The aim of this study is to compare outcomes in patients with cirrhosis admitted to the hospital with DKA compared to non-cirrhotic patients. Methods The data for this study were extracted from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2016-2019. The NIS was queried for all patients who had a discharge diagnosis of DKA. Patients with cirrhosis were identified and subclassified into compensated and decompensated cirrhosis using the International Classification of Diseases 10th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes. Patients without cirrhosis were the control group. ICD-10-CM codes that have been validated for cirrhosis were utilized. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were hospital charges, length of stay (LOS), and in-hospital complications, including shock, mechanical ventilation, and acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring dialysis. Results We included 1,098,875 hospitalizations with a discharge diagnosis of DKA. Overall, 9,190 patients had compensated cirrhosis and 4,355 had decompensated cirrhosis. Cirrhotic patients had overall worse outcomes compared to non-cirrhotics. Decompensated cirrhotics had the highest mortality (11.26%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.36% to 13.49%) compared to compensated cirrhotics (3.54%; 95% CI: 2.79% to 4.48%) and non-cirrhotics (2.15%; 95% CI: 1.89% to 2.43%). Similarly, decompensated cirrhotics also had the highest LOS, total charges, and in-hospital complications among the groups. On multivariate analysis, decompensated cirrhosis, rather than compensated cirrhosis, was an independent predictor of higher mortality (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.81 to 2.92), LOS (regression coefficient: +1.82 days; 95% CI: +1.19 to +2.44 days), hospital charges (regression coefficient: +$28,497; 95% CI: +$18,107 to +$38,887), shock (AOR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.68 to 3.18), mechanical ventilation (AOR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.58 to 2.29), and AKI requiring dialysis (AOR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.68 to 3.18). Conclusion This study showed that patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis who were admitted with DKA had the worst in-hospital outcomes. Additionally, only decompensated cirrhosis was an independent predictor of worse outcomes. Decompensated cirrhotics who develop DKA should be approached with more caution with a probable lower threshold for intensive care unit admission for a higher level management.

Aberrant Right Subclavian Artery Causing Dysphagia: A Case Report of Dysphagia Lusoria.

Dysphagia lusoria is a rare condition, with a prevalence of less than 1%, that occurs through secondary compression of the esophagus posteriorly by an aberrant right subclavian artery. It commonly presents with dysphagia to solids. Management is usually done with dietary modification; however, more severe and intractable cases may require surgical intervention. We describe this rare vascular anomaly in a 54-year-old female presenting with mechanical dysphagia.

FOLFOXIRI in Pregnant Women with Colorectal Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) in pregnancy is rare and often presents at a late stage due to the masking of signs by pregnancy. A typical chemotherapeutic regimen for stage III and IV CRC comprised 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin. The treatment of CRC during pregnancy is complicated owing to the potential risk of teratogenicity with chemotherapy, especially in the first trimester. Data suggest that the administration of chemotherapy beyond the first trimester may be relatively safe. Previous reports have shown success with the use of FOLFOX (folinic acid, 5-FU, oxaliplatin) and FOLFIRI (folinic acid, 5-FU, irinotecan) during pregnancy. Moreover, neoadjuvant FOLFOXIRI (folinic acid, 5-FU, oxaliplatin, irinotecan) resulted in improved outcomes when compared to standard preoperative chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic CRC. The use of FOLFOXIRI in pregnancy is not currently documented, and therefore, the outcomes of using this chemotherapeutic regimen are unclear. The aim of this case report was to demonstrate the use of FOLFOXIRI in pregnancy. A retrospective chart review was performed to assess the clinical course and fetal outcome of 2 patients presented in this case report. FOLFOXIRI was initiated in two pregnant women with nonmetastatic and metastatic CRC, resulting in successful delivery of healthy infants. FOLFOXIRI is an effective chemotherapy regimen for the treatment of advanced CRC and may be used during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Congestive Heart Failure Is Associated With Worse Outcomes in Patients With Ischemic Colitis: A Nationwide Study.

INTRODUCTION: Ischemic colitis (IC) results from compromised blood flow to the colon. Risk factors include atrial fibrillation (A.Fib), peripheral artery disease (PAD), coronary artery disease (CAD), and congestive heart failure (CHF). However, few studies compared the mortality rate and colectomy between patients with IC with CHF and IC alone. OBJECTIVE: We aim to investigate the possibility of worse outcomes in patients with IC and CHF compared to IC alone. METHODOLOGY: Using the National Inpatient Sample database from 2016 to 2019, we obtained baseline demographic data, total hospital charge, rate of colectomy, length of hospital stay (LOS), and in-hospital mortality. Data were compared using a t-test and chi-squared. Odds ratios for comorbidities including A.Fib, CAD, PAD, end-stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and cirrhosis were calculated. RESULTS: 106,705 patients with IC were identified, among which 15,220 patients also had CHF. IC patients with CHF had a longer LOS (6.6 days vs 4.4 days; P<0.0001), higher total hospital charge ($71,359 vs $45,176; P<0.0001), higher mortality rate (8.5% vs 2.9%; P<0.0001), and higher colectomy rate (9.2% vs 5.9%; P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: CHF is associated with poor outcomes in patients with IC. Our study showed an increased risk of mortality and colectomy compared to patients with IC alone. The findings suggest it may be warranted to have a heightened clinical suspicion of IC in patients with CHF who present with bleeding per rectum.

Spontaneous Rupture of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: New Insights.

Background: Spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a potentially fatal complication and the third leading cause of death in patients with HCC after tumor progression and liver failure. Previous studies suggested that improved HCC surveillance has decreased the incidence of rupture. This study aims to characterize patients with ruptured HCC over time and identify predictors of rupture. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively collected database of 1451 HCC patients to identify cases with rupture and predictors of rupture. Data were divided into three 9-year eras to compare and trend patient/tumor characteristics and rupture. Results: Fifty-seven patients (3.9%) presented with spontaneous HCC rupture and the following characteristics: mean age 62.6 years, 73.7% males, 41% cirrhosis, and mean tumor size of 8.0 cm. On multivariate analyses, predictors of rupture included obesity, tumor >5 cm, and single tumors, whereas the presence of cirrhosis was a negative predictor for rupture.Across three eras, there were changes in disease etiology and decreases in tumor size, and more HCCs were found with surveillance. However, more patients were noncirrhotic, and the incidence of spontaneous rupture was unchanged over time. Conclusion: Despite improved early detection of HCC over time, the incidence of rupture has been unchanged. The persistent incidence of rupture may possibly be attributed to increasing proportion of fatty liver-related HCC patients who lack traditional risk factors for surveillance and may not have cirrhosis. Better identification of fatty liver disease and determining which patients need HCC surveillance may be needed in the future to prevent spontaneous rupture.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Decompensated Cirrhosis Patients Admitted to Hospitals With Acute Pulmonary Embolisms: A Nationwide Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Cirrhosis is a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Recent studies suggested that cirrhosis is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which disproves the old belief that chronic liver disease coagulopathy is considered protective against VTE. We conducted a retrospective study which is to our knowledge the first of its kind to assess clinical characteristics and outcomes of decompensated cirrhosis (DC) patients admitted with acute pulmonary embolism (APE). METHODOLOGY: We used the National Inpatient Sample database for the years 2016-2019. All adults admitted to the hospitals with a primary diagnosis of APE were included. Patients less than 18 years old, missing race, gender, or age were excluded. Patients were divided into two groups, either having DC or not. A multivariate logistic regression model was built by using only variables associated with the outcome of interest on univariable regression analysis at P < 0.05. RESULTS: 142 million discharges were included in the NIS database between the years 2016 and 2019, of which 1,294,039 met the study inclusion criteria, 6,200 patients (0.5%) had DC. For adult patients admitted to the hospitals with APE, odds of inpatient all-cause mortality were higher in the DC group than in patients without DC; OR of 1.996 (95% CI, 1.691-2.356, P-value < 0.000). Also, vasopressor use, mechanical ventilation, and cardiac arrest were more likely to occur in the DC group, OR of 1.506 (95% CI, 1.254-1.809, P-value < 0.000), OR of 1.479 (95% CI, 1.026-2.132, P-value 0.036), OR of 1.362 (95% CI, 1.050-1.767, P-value 0.020), respectively. In addition, DC patients tend to have higher total hospital charges and longer hospital length of stay, coefficient of 14521 (95% CI, 6752-22289, P-value < 0.000), and a coefficient of 1.399 (95% CI, 0.848-1.950, P-value < 0.000), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that DC is a powerful predictor of worse hospital outcomes in patients admitted with APE. An imbalance between clotting factors and natural anticoagulants produced by the liver is believed to be the primary etiology of thrombosis in patients with DC. The burden of APE can be much more catastrophic in cirrhotic than in non-cirrhotic patients; therefore, those patients require closer monitoring and more aggressive treatment.

Pre-Diagnosis Aspirin Use Has No Effect on Overall Survival in Patients With Colorectal Cancer: A Study of a Multi-Racial Population.

Introduction Aspirin has been associated with a reduction in mortality in patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC). A possible mechanism for this is related to the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint pathway. Aspirin may have a synergistic effect with PD-1 inhibitors via inhibition of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production, which can reverse the ability of tumor cells to evade the immune system. This appears to be strongest in cancers that express PI3 kinase (PI3K) signaling activity, which aspirin downregulates. However, the benefit of pre-diagnosis aspirin use on CRC overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival is still controversial, and most studies have been performed in racially homogenous populations. Our study examines the effect of pre-diagnosis aspirin therapy on OS in a racially diverse group of patients with CRC. Methods This is a retrospective chart review of 782 patients diagnosed with CRC from January 2007 to December 2020. Kaplan-Meier curve was created to study the association of aspirin exposure compared to no exposure on OS. In addition, univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were done to investigate potential predictors of survival. Results Of the 782 patients with CRC, 55.1% were males, 22.2% whites, 58.5% Asians, and 17.7% Pacific-Islanders. Moreover, 38.4% of the patients had a history of aspirin use, 79% of them used it for more than one year. There were more patients with hypertension (HTN), hyperlipidemia (HLD), diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic kidney disease (CKD) among those with a history of aspirin use. There was no difference in one, three, and five-year OS among aspirin users compared to non-users, p-value = 0.63. Age, grade, and stage were potential predictors of worsened OS. However, treatment with chemotherapy and CKD were potential predictors of worsened OS on univariate analysis only. No significant association was noticed with gender, tumor location, or other associated comorbidities. Conclusion The effect of pre-diagnosis aspirin use on CRC survival is not clear. In this retrospective analysis of a racially diverse population of CRC patients, we found that aspirin use was not associated with improved OS. Therefore, physicians should be careful about using aspirin as adjuvant therapy in CRC patients until high-quality prospective data are available, given the potential associated complications.

The Relationship Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in Inpatient Settings: A Nationwide Study.

INTRODUCTION: Several studies identified a link between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). GERD is a condition in which acid reflux from the stomach to the esophagus causes troublesome symptoms. On the other hand, OSA is defined as a sleep-related breathing disorder in which airflow significantly decreases or ceases due to upper airway obstruction, leading to arousal from sleep. OSA was found to be associated with GERD. In this study, we aim to study the characteristics and concurrent risk factors associated with GERD and OSA in a large population-based study. METHODS: Patients with the diagnosis of GERD were extracted from the National Inpatient Database (NIS) for the years 2016 to 2019. Patients' age, gender, race, and hospital information, including region and bed size, were extracted and considered as baseline characteristics. The comorbidities included are hypertension (HTN), atrial fibrillation (AFib), congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension (PHTN), obesity, and smoking. Patients younger than 18 years old were excluded from this study.  Results: Out of 22,677,620 patients with the diagnosis of GERD, 12.21% had a concurrent diagnosis of OSA (compared to 4.79% in patients without GERD, p-value <0.001). The mean age of patients with GERD and OSA was 64.47 years vs 65.42 years in patients without OSA (p-value <0.001). The GERD and OSA group had almost identical gender distribution compared to the GERD only group, as it was predominantly female patients. The white and black races were slightly more prevalent in the GERD and OSA group compared to the GERD only group. Regarding comorbidities, the prevalence of obesity was more clear in the GERD and OSA group. It was noted that the group of patients who carry a diagnosis of GERD and OSA have more prevalence of diabetes (DM), hypertension (HTN), obesity, atrial fibrillation (Afib), congestive heart failure (CHF), and pulmonary hypertension (PHTN). Patients with GERD and OSA were 21% less likely to be older than 65 years rather than younger (95% CI: 0.79-0.8, p-value <0.001), 35% less likely to be females (95% CI: 0.65-0.65, p-value <0.001), and 22% less likely to be non-white (95% CI: 0.77-0.8, p-value <0.001). Obesity was found to be the strongest association with this population, followed by PHTN, CHF, DM, HTN, Afib, and lastly smoking. CONCLUSION:  Patients with GERD and OSA were found more likely to be female, white, living in the southern part of the United States, obese, diabetes mellitus type 2, and being active smokers.

Post-Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Pancreatitis: What We Already Know.

Acute pancreatitis is the most common serious complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) resulting in significant morbidity and occasional mortality. Post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) has been recognized since ERCP was first performed, and many studies have shown a consistent risk that must be balanced against the many benefits of this procedure. This review will discuss the pathogenesis, epidemiology, potential risk factors, and clinical presentation of PEP. Moreover, it will discuss in detail the most recent updates of PEP prevention and management.

A Rare Case of Gastric Outlet Obstruction With Severe Reflux Esophagitis Due to a Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Balloon Displacement.

In patients with a functional gastrointestinal (GI) tract, enteral feeding is preferred over parenteral feeding as it has fewer complications and a relatively lower cost. Nasogastric and nasoenteric feeding tubes are available options but when long-term enteral feeding is desired, a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube is more convenient. PEG tube can be associated with multiple complications; however, its displacement which causes gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is a rare one. Here we present a case of an 81-year-old woman with dementia who presented with upper GI bleeding and was found to have GOO causing reflux esophagitis due to PEG tube displacement.