Background: Meckel's diverticulum is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract, resulting from incomplete obliteration of the omphalomesenteric duct in early fetal development. The diverticulum frequently contains ectopic gastrointestinal epithelial tissue, most commonly gastric or pancreatic. Adenocarcinoma can arise from either of these epithelia but is extremely rare, with less than 50 cases reported in the world literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of healthcare-associated infections and can have devastating morbidity and mortality. Traditional treatment algorithms involve intravenous metronidazole and enteric metronidazole or vancomycin. Fidaxomicin (Dificid) targets "switch regions" within RNA polymerases and effectively kills clostridium difficile bacteria and is typically administered orally primarily or through a naso/oro-gastric conduit.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNontraumatic symptomatic hypotension in all patients requires prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment for optimum outcome. The female population specifically has an expanded differential diagnosis that should be considered when these patients present with hemodynamic collapse. While the most common causes of hypotension in pregnant patients are dehydration, ruptured ectopic pregnancy, and placental and uterine abnormalities, less common nonobstetrical etiologies such as hepatic rupture and ruptured abdominal and visceral artery aneurysms should also be considered.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 54-year-old man with an inferior vena cava filter in situ presented to the emergency department (ED) by emergency medical services, with acute onset of severe abdominal, lower back, and leg pain. He had fallen from a ladder 3 days before admission. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a large retroperitoneal hematoma and evidence of occlusive thrombus in the inferior vena cava, extending beyond the inferior vena cava filter.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 53-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with ischemic colitis and underwent a subtotal colectomy. She developed acute renal failure, severe hyperbilirubinemia, and intense pruritus resistant to medical treatment. Extracorporeal albumin dialysis using a Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System (MARS; Gambro Co, Lund, Sweden) has been used to treat liver failure and reduce total serum bilirubin (SB) levels.
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