African Americans Have Better Outcomes for Five Common Gastrointestinal Diagnoses in Hospitals With More Racially Diverse Patients.

Objectives: We sought to characterize the relationship between hospital inpatient racial diversity and outcomes for African-American patients including rates of major complications or mortality during hospitalization for five common gastrointestinal diagnoses.

Methods: Using the 2012 National Inpatient Sample database, hospital inpatient racial diversity was defined as the percentage of African-American patients discharged from each hospital. Logistic regression was used to predict major complication rates or death, long length of stay, and high total charges.

Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Utilization of Colorectal Stents for the Treatment of Malignant Bowel Obstruction.

Background: Colorectal stents are increasingly employed as a bridge to surgery or for palliative relief of malignant large bowel obstruction.

Aim: To explore determinants of inpatient colorectal stent utilization (CRSU).

Methods: An analysis of the 2012 National Inpatient Sample was performed.

Determinants of Palliative Care Utilization Among Patients Hospitalized With Metastatic Gastrointestinal Malignancies.

Background: Gastrointestinal tract cancers account for a significant proportion of the national cancer burden.

Aim: We sought to explore patient- and hospital-level determinants of palliative care utilization among patients hospitalized with metastatic gastrointestinal tract cancers using a national database.

Methods: An analysis of the 2012 National Inpatient Sample was performed.

Melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in inflammatory bowel disease patients following tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor monotherapy and in combination with thiopurines: analysis of the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System.

Background And Aims: Reports have shown an increased risk of melanoma skin cancer (MSC) with exposure to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) with thiopurine exposure in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) we sought to evaluate the odds of developing MSC and NMSC for patients on TNF-α inhibitors as monotherapy and in combination therapy with thiopurines and/or steroids.

Methods: The FAERS was queried for reports between January 2003 and June 2012.

Assessing the likelihood of new-onset inflammatory bowel disease following tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

The association between inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and the onset of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unclear. We sought to evaluate this association by analyzing adverse events (AEs) reported to the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) with a standardized scoring tool for drug-induced AEs. A search of the FAERS for RA or JRA (January 2003-December 2011) reported with adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, etanercept, golimumab, or infliximab was performed.

Effect of tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors on drug-induced pancreatitis in inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Mesalamine and thiopurines (6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine) have been shown to increase the risk of developing acute pancreatitis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors have been shown to protect against pancreatitis in animal models.

Objective: To determine the risk of pancreatitis when comparing thiopurine monotherapy, mesalamine monotherapy, and thiopurine and mesalamine dual therapy to identical treatments but with the addition of a TNF-α inhibitor.

Infectious complications of TNF-α inhibitor monotherapy versus combination therapy with immunomodulators in inflammatory bowel disease: analysis of the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System.

Background & Aim: Incremental increase in the risk of serious infections with combinations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors and immunomodulators compared to monotherapy with these agents in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is unclear. Our aim was to analyze whether there is such an incremental increase in the odds of serious infections.

Methods: The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (2003 - June 2011) was queried for 'Primary Suspect' reports of various infections with TNF-α inhibitors, systemic corticosteroids and immunomodulators with usage indication of IBD.

Hospitalizations for vaccine preventable pneumonias in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a 6-year analysis of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Background: Pneumonias are among the most common causes of hospitalization among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Guidelines published in 2004 advocate vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza virus. We sought to examine trends in hospitalizations for vaccine preventable pneumonias among IBD patients since the availability of published guidelines, and to identify whether Haemophilus influenzae is a causative organism for pneumonia hospitalizations among IBD patients.

Alleged isotretinoin-associated inflammatory bowel disease: disproportionate reporting by attorneys to the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System.

Background: Some studies have purported to link isotretinoin prescribed for acne with the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Objective: We sought to identify existence of disproportionate attorney-initiated reporting of isotretinoin-associated IBD in the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

Methods: A total of 3,338,835 cases (2003-2011) were downloaded from the FAERS.

Ischaemic colitis in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving tumour necrosis factor-α inhibitors: an analysis of reports to the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.

Background: Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors are immunosuppressants, approved for the treatment and maintenance of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Immunosuppression has been shown to induce ischaemic colitis (IC) in an animal model; however, a relationship between TNF inhibitors and IC has rarely been reported in the published literature.

Objective: The aim of this study was to better characterize the association between TNF-α inhibitors with IC in RA patients, by analysing adverse event reports submitted to the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) and the published literature.

Ischemic colitis with type I interferons used in the treatment of hepatitis C and multiple sclerosis: an evaluation from the food and drug administration adverse event reporting system and review of the literature.

Objective: To better characterize the association between type I interferons and ischemic colitis (IC) in patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and multiple sclerosis (MS), by analyzing reports submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) and the published literature.

Data Sources: A total of 2,562,390 reports of adverse events between January 2003 and June 2011 were downloaded from the FDA AERS. A literature review was performed on PubMed (January 1966-August 2012) using the MeSH terms interferon or interferon alfa or interferon beta and ischemic colitis separated by the Boolean operator "and" between the first 3 terms and the last term.

Simulated comparison of topical and oral formulations of 5-aminosalicylate for the treatment of ulcerative colitis.

Background: 5-Aminosalicylate (5-ASA) formulations are approved for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). Determination of the colonic pharmacokinetics of 5-ASA is challenging. A dynamic model of 5-ASA colonic amounts after oral delayed-release 5-ASA (Asacol), oral extended delayed-release 5-ASA (Lialda), 5-ASA enema (Rowasa), foam and suppositories (Canasa) was developed to determine the colonic kinetics of these agents.

Wheel running can accelerate or delay extinction of conditioned place preference for cocaine in male C57BL/6J mice, depending on timing of wheel access.

Aerobic exercise may represent a useful intervention for drug abuse in predisposed individuals. Exercise increases plasticity in the brain that could be used to reverse learned drug associations. Previous studies have reported that exposing mice to a complex environment including running wheels after drug conditioning abolishes conditioned place preference (CPP) for cocaine, whereas running can enhance CPP when administered before conditioning.