Safety and efficacy of endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty for obesity management in new bariatric endoscopy programs: a multicenter international study.

Background: Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an incisionless procedure that reduces the size of the gastric cavity. In prior studies, it has been proven to be a safe and effective treatment for obesity. In this study, we performed a collaborative study to evaluate the effectiveness of ESG among new endobariatric programs.

Occult Patient Intervention Leading to Misleading Histopathology.

Patients with skin conditions may apply or consume a wide variety of "remedies" with a similarly wide range of effects that may alter the clinical and/or dermatologic presentations of the lesion. Dermatologists or other clinicians should probe for this and carefully document such treatment, as well as any treatment administered by a health care professional or any other person. The dermatopathologist, however, cannot assume that this has been done or done successfully, and therefore must be on constant alert to recognize the effects of such "remedies.

Targeting Small Bowel Receptors to Treat Constipation and Diarrhea.

Background: The options for the treatment of diarrhea and constipation are evolving as emerging therapies target small bowel receptors. The goal of this review is to discuss small bowel receptors involved in intestinal absorption, secretion, and motility. The review highlights therapies already approved or currently being studied for the modulation of these receptors.

Evaluation of internet-based patient education materials from internal medicine subspecialty organizations: will patients understand them?

The majority of Americans use the Internet daily, if not more often, and many search online for health information to better understand a diagnosis they have been given or to research treatment options. The average American reads at an eighth-grade level. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the readability of online patient education materials on the websites of 14 professional organizations representing the major internal medicine subspecialties.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in alcoholic hepatitis: Hepatic encephalopathy a common theme.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a neuro-radiologic diagnosis that has become more widely recognized and reported over the past few decades. As such, there are a number of known risk factors that contribute to the development of this syndrome, including volatile blood pressures, renal failure, cytotoxic drugs, autoimmune disorders, pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia. This report documents the first reported case of PRES in a patient with severe alcoholic hepatitis with hepatic encephalopathy and delves into a molecular pathophysiology of the syndrome.

A quantitative readability analysis of patient education resources from gastroenterology society websites.

Background And Aims: The lay public frequently access and rely on online information as a source of their medical knowledge. Many medical societies are unaware of national patient education material guidelines and subsequently fail to meet them. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the readability of patient education materials within the medical field of gastroenterology.

Assessment of Online Patient Education Materials from Major Dermatologic Associations.

Patients increasingly use the internet to find medical information regarding their conditions and treatments. Physicians often supplement visits with written education materials. Online patient education materials from major dermatologic associations should be written at appropriate reading levels to optimize utility for patients.

Colorectal cancer screening patient education materials-how effective is online health information?

Purpose: Patients screened for colorectal cancer (CRC) frequently turn to the Internet to improve their understanding of tests used for detection, including colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood test (FOBT), and CT colonography. It was of interest to determine the quality and readability levels of online health information.

Methods: The screening tools were googled, and the top 20 results of each test were analyzed for readability, accessibility, usability, and reliability.

Constipation in Elderly Patients with Noncancer Pain: Focus on Opioid-Induced Constipation.

Constipation is a common and often debilitating condition in the elderly, which may be caused by underlying disease conditions, structural abnormalities in the bowel, and a variety of medications such as anticholinergics, antidepressants, and opiates. In this review, we focus on opioid-induced constipation (OIC), which is often underrecognized and undertreated in the elderly. When opioid therapy is initiated, healthcare providers are encouraged to evaluate risk factors for the development of constipation as part of a thorough patient history.

Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Elderly.

A substantial and growing proportion of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are elderly, and these patients require tailored treatment strategies. However, significant challenges exist in the management of this population due to the paucity of data. Establishing the initial diagnosis and assessing the etiology of future symptoms and flares can be challenging as several other prevalent diseases can masquerade as IBD, such as ischemic colitis, diverticular disease, and infectious colitis.

The impact of fellowship training on scholarly productivity in academic dermatology.

An increasing number of dermatology residents are pursuing postresidency fellowships to augment their knowledge in dermatology subspecialties. The purpose of this study was to determine whether fellowship training affects the scholarly impact of academic dermatologists, as measured by the h-index. A secondary objective was to compare scholarly productivity among different dermatology subspecialties.

Analysis of online patient education materials in pediatric ophthalmology.

Background: Patients increasingly consult online resources for healthcare information. The American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that online education resources be written between a 3rd- and 7th-grade level. This study assesses whether online health information abides by these guidelines.

Refractory Epistaxis due to Severe Factor V Deficiency with Inhibitor.

Factor V deficiency secondary to inhibitors is extremely rare and can be caused by a wide collection of exposures such as bovine thrombin and beta lactamase antibiotics. The management of factor V deficiency with inhibitor is a condition treated based on case reports due to the rarity of this condition. We describe a complicated case of an elderly patient with severe factor V deficiency with high inhibitor titer refractory to FEIBA (anti-inhibitor coagulation complex) treated with NovoSeven concurrently with cyclosporine immunosuppression and Rituxan.

A rare case of sinus of valsalva-right atrial fistula secondary to an abscess perforation from underlying aortic valve endocarditis.

Sinus of Valsalva-right atrial fistulas are abnormal connections between the aorta and the right atrium, and present challenging surgical conditions. An extremely rare etiology of aorto-right atrial fistula is infective endocarditis. This case report presents a 21 year old Caucasian female patient who had native aortic valve Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis complicated by sinus of Valsalva abscess perforation associated with an acute heart block, an aorto-right atrial fistula, severe heart failure, and cardiogenic shock.