Impact of frailty on outcomes and biliary drainage strategies in acute cholangitis: A retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: Acute cholangitis (AC) is a potentially fatal infection of the biliary tract characterized by varying degrees of severity, with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) serving as the primary drainage modality. Though frailty is linked to poor outcomes in general, its implications for AC patients remain unexplored.

Methods: Using the National Inpatient Sample Database 2017-2020, we identified adult AC hospitalizations, which were further stratified based on frailty.

Understanding the role of nutritional status on the outcomes of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Findings from a retrospective cohort analysis.

Background & Aims: Nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is a common cause of hospitalization worldwide. Malnutrition, on the other hand, varies in prevalence and closely correlates with age and comorbidities. Though malnutrition is linked to poor outcomes generally, its impact on NVUGIB patients remains unexplored.

Suboptimal use of inpatient palliative care consultation in alcoholic hepatitis hospitalizations may lead to higher readmissions.

Aims: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH), a clinical syndrome precipitated by chronic alcohol consumption, constitutes about 0.9 % of total admissions in the United States. It presents a wide severity spectrum, from mild disease to severe cases associated with high mortality.

Malnutrition Severity Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Alcoholic Hepatitis: Evidence from National Data.

Objective: Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) represents a severe manifestation of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) associated with a wide severity spectrum. ALD is linked to nutritional deficiencies, with the gravity of malnutrition escalating as alcohol abuse and ALD progress. This study aims to delve into the impact of malnutrition on the clinical trajectory of AH.

The Current Landscape of Clinical Trials for Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer: A State-of-the-Art Review.

Background: Pancreatic cancer remains a lethal malignancy with a 5-year survival rate below 6% and about 500,000 deaths annually worldwide. Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the most prevalent form, is commonly associated with diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, obesity, and smoking, mainly affecting individuals aged 60 to 80 years. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapeutic approaches in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Global Perspective on COVID-19 Therapies, Cardiovascular Outcomes, and Implications for Long COVID: A State-of-the-Art Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many therapies, of which many are repurposed and used for other diseases in the last decade such in Influenza and Ebola. We intend to provide a robust foundation for cardiovascular outcomes of the therapies to better understand the rationale for the clinical trials that were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to gain more clarity on the steps moving forward should the repurposing provide clinical benefit in pandemic situations. With this state-of-the-art review, we aim to improve the understanding of the cardiovascular involvement of the therapies prior to, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic to provide meaningful findings to the cardiovascular specialists and clinical trials for therapies, moving on from the period of pandemic urgency.

Impact of interhospital transfer status on outcomes of variceal and nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: insights from the National Inpatient Sample analysis, 2017 to 2020.

Background: Variceal and nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (VUGIB and NVUGIB, respectively) require prompt intervention. Existing studies offer limited insight into the impact of interhospital transfers on patients with VUGIB and NVUGIB.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using the US National Inpatient Sample database from 2017 to 2020.

Incidence, implications and predictors of abdominal compartment syndrome in acute pancreatitis: A nationwide analysis.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) often presents with varying severity, with a small fraction evolving into severe AP, and is associated with high mortality. Complications such as intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) are intricately associated with AP.

Objective: To assess the clinical implications and predictors of ACS in AP patients.

Nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding in COVID-19 patients: insights from the National Inpatient Sample.

Background: This retrospective study, conducted using the U.S. National Inpatient Sample (NIS), examines the outcomes and management of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) in COVID-19 patients and identifies predictive factors to enhance patient prognosis.

Impact of Concomitant Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura on COVID-19 Mortality and Morbidity: A Nationwide Inpatient Sample Analysis.

Utilizing the comprehensive Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) database, we examined the impact of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) on the outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), emphasizing the potential role of the ADAMTS13 enzyme in disease pathogenesis and evolution. We analyzed extensive data from the NIS database using STATA v.14.

Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Pancreatic Cancer: A Rare Association.

Introduction: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is a life-threatening and relatively rare condition that usually presents as a multisystem febrile illness. It is associated with excessive activation of the immune system and hypercytokinemia, leading to an unregulated aggregation of macrophages and lymphocytes. Here, we present the first likely case of HLH with metastatic pancreatic carcinoma being the underlying etiology.

Emerging from the shadows: A rare case of gastrointestinal AL amyloidosis presenting as hematemesis.

We document a unique presentation of light chain (AL) amyloidosis in a 62-year-old man exhibiting as acute hematemesis and chronic abdominal discomfort. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy disclosed marked thickening of gastric and duodenal folds, gastroduodenal nodularity, and friable ulcerations. Biopsy confirmed amyloidosis.

Clinical Research in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia in Pakistan; A Systematic Review.

: Significant advances have been made in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) since the turn of the new millennium. However, most clinical trials were done in developed countries where minority ethnicities were underrepresented. : To gauge the quality of research in CLL being done in Pakistan, we conducted a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Clinicaltrials.

Predictive biomarkers for colorectal cancer: a state-of-the-art systematic review.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) poses a substantial health burden, with early detection paramount for improved prognosis. This study aims to evaluate potential CRC biomarkers and detection techniques.

Materials And Methods: This systematic review, reported in adherence to PRISMA Statement 2020 guidelines, collates the latest research on potential biomarkers and detection/prognosis methods for CRC, spanning the last decade.

Poor hospitalization outcomes in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant with hospital acquired influenza infection.

Introduction: Although hospital-acquired influenza infection (HAII) is a known complication among immunocompromised patients, the data in the setting of hospitalization for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) are scarce.

Methods: A retrospective study using the National Inpatient sample database was done to determine the impact of HAII on hospitalization outcomes among patients admitted for allo-HSCT.

Results: The data for 77 103 allo-HSCT weighted hospitalizations were collected between 2002 and 2019.

Efficacy and Safety of Recombinant Thrombomodulin for the Prophylaxis of Veno-Occlusive Complication in Allogeneiccit Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), also termed as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), is a lethal complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Various factors put patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT at an increased risk for VOD. Thrombomodulin (TM) is an important factor which has a wide range of effects, including anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, and protective effect, on endothelial cells.

Tricuspid Valve Endocarditis: A Disguise In Multifocal Septic Arthritis.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare cause of multifocal septic arthritis. We report a patient who presented with oligo-articular septic arthritis as a complication of tricuspid valve endocarditis, a rare condition. A 69-year-old female presented to the emergency department with complaints of fever, myalgia, right shoulder, and right knee pain.

Kawasaki Disease-Like Features in 10 Pediatric COVID-19 Cases: A Retrospective Study.

Children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), usually present with symptoms of mild upper respiratory tract infection without developing any significant complications. However, this observation has been rendered incautious by hundreds of clinical cases from around the world that have depicted a less benign multisystem inflammatory illness mimicking Kawasaki disease in COVID-positive pediatric patients. Our study aimed at retrospectively reviewing the different features of Kawasaki disease-like illness in children suffering from COVID-19, including the complications, laboratory investigations, treatment strategies used during their hospital stay, and outcomes.

A Systematic Review of Transfusion-Transmissible Infections Among Blood Donors and Associated Safety Challenges in Pakistan.

The blood transfusion (BT) system in Pakistan is fragmented, demand-driven and depends on weakly regulated transfusion practices. There is a considerable possibility that transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) are contributing to the current epidemic of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) (affecting 7.4% of the general population) in the country.

Social Stigmatization of Drug Abusers in a Developing Country: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction:  Stigma is a label that differentiates a person from others and associates them with unenviable attributes. There are various forms of stigma: enacted stigma, perceived stigma, and self-stigma manifesting as stereotyping and harboring negative thoughts about the stigmatized group. Stigmatization of the drug abuser leads to effects such as low self-esteem, depression, and personality changes in the stigmatized.