Predictors and Outcomes of Palliative Care Consultations for Patients With Liver Disease: Results of a Cohort Study of 75 Million Medical Records.

Liver transplant is the only cure for cirrhosis. We studied the impact of palliative care on patient care by conducting a population-based cohort study. We queried the Explorys database (IBM, New York) database for a diagnosis of 'cirrhosis' followed by 'palliative care consultation' and collected demographic and clinical data.

Early Onset Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder Presenting with Diarrhea Post-orthotopic Liver Transplant Treated Successfully with Single Rituximab Agent.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a rare complication seen in hematologic stem cell (HSC) and solid organ transplantation that results from immune suppressant medications needed to prevent allograft rejection. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been implicated in a majority of these cases, specifically with B-cell-predominant lymphomas. We present a 57-year-old female who underwent an orthotopic liver transplant and presented with diarrhea and weight loss.

Febrile Neutropenia with Thrombocytopenia after Infliximab Induction in a Patient with Ulcerative Colitis.

A 34-year-old female with left-sided ulcerative colitis (UC) developed severe febrile neutropenia/thrombocytopenia soon after infliximab induction therapy. There was no other plausible cause of the cell line abnormalities other than an accurate temporal association with infliximab administration. Supportive care, broad-spectrum antibiotic, and single dose of filgrastim was given on day 5 of admission due to persistently low absolute neutrophil count and fevers.

Long-Term Follow-Up of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Treatment of Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection in a Dual Solid Organ Transplant Recipient.

Clostridium difficile infection is one of the most frequent causes of healthcare-associated infections, and its rates are also increasing in the community. Mounting evidence suggests that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) may be effective; however, as there is paucity of data regarding the use of FMT in patients with solid organ transplants, we present a case of successful FMT in a patient with dual solid organ transplant.

Hepatitis C variability, patterns of resistance, and impact on therapy.

Hepatitis C (HCV), a leading cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, is the most common indication for liver transplantation in the United States. Although annual incidence of infection has declined since the 1980s, aging of the currently infected population is expected to result in an increase in HCV burden. HCV is prone to develop resistance to antiviral drugs, and despite considerable efforts to understand the virus for effective treatments, our knowledge remains incomplete.