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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.6103.].
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Introduction Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) influences patients' general health, daily and social functioning, and physical and emotional activities. It strongly affects the health-related quality of life with frequent interruptions during sleep, work, and social activities. GERD is defined as a condition that develops when the reflux of stomach contents causes troublesome symptoms and/or complications. GERD symptoms are a major concern for many patients, as they cause a disturbance in physical, social and emotional health. In this study, we determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with GERD with and without chest pain. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a total of 258 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of GERD were included in this study. Of 258 participants, 112 had concerns about chest pain. Clinical presentations and comorbid disorders were evaluated by a previously validated gastroesophageal reflux symptom questionnaire. Depressive and anxious symptoms were assessed using a Hospital Anxiety/Depression Scale. Results A total of 107 (41.4%) participants had depression, 89 (34.4%) participants had anxiety, and 70 (27.13%) had both depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety were significantly higher in patients with GERD and chest pain. Conclusion Anxiety and depression were significantly higher in patients with GERD, particularly those who also reported concerns of chest pain. Measures should be taken to reduce the stress and anxiety of GERD patients to cope with their daily life activities and improve their quality of life.
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Introduction Even though the liver is the main targeted organ in hepatitis C, the manifestations of the disease are not limited to hepatic involvement. Other tissue types are often involved as well. Hepatitis C has dermatological and mucocutaneous manifestations. Methods This study was conducted from May 2016 to April 2017 in the gastroenterology unit of Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, Sukkur, Sindh, Pakistan. All participants with a clinical diagnosis of hepatitis C with cutaneous manifestations were included in the study after securing informed consent. Demographic data and detailed cutaneous examination results with full morphological descriptions were recorded in patient-completed questionnaires. Results Of the 212 participants, 141 (66.6%) were males and 71 (33.4%) were females. The mean age was 32 (±9) years (range: 17-58 years). The most common cutaneous manifestation was pruritus (33.96%), followed by lichen planus (LP) (23.5%). Conclusion Physicians should try to recognize extrahepatic manifestations of a hepatitis C infection as it may help in early diagnosis efforts. While managing hepatitis C, we recommend a multidisciplinary approach to tackle cutaneous and other extrahepatic manifestations.
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INTRODUCTION: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is one of the most common and grave emergencies encountered by the emergency medicine doctors. The aim of this study is to assess the endoscopic findings in patients presenting with acute UGIB. METHODS: This is a retrospective study which included all endoscopy records of the Department of Gastroenterology, Ghulam Mohammad Maher Hospital, Sukkur from 1st January 2017 till 30th June 2018. RESULTS: There were 100 males (49.3%) and 103 females (50.7%) who underwent endoscopy in the study duration. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of the participants was 41.03 ± 14.94 years. Esophageal varices were found in 65% cases. There were more men (68%) with varices than women (32%). Almost 10% patients were with gastric erosions, 9% had antral gastritis, 6.4% had pangastritis, and peptic ulcer disease was found in 5.8% cases. CONCLUSION: Variceal bleeding is the most common endoscopic finding in the patients with UGIB. Other lesser common causes include erosions of the gastric and esophageal mucosa.
