Juxta-papillary duodenal diverticula are associated with pyogenic liver abscesses: a case control study.

Background: Juxta-papillary duodenal diverticulum (JPDD) has been associated with obstructive jaundice and ascending cholangitis. Potential mechanisms include periampullary colonization of pathogenic bacteria and mechanical obstruction. However, the relation of JPDD with pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) has not been reported.

A Case of Unresolved and Worsening Retroperitoneal Abscess.

Retroperitoneal abscess is a rare condition which is difficult to diagnose and treat because of its insidious onset. Herein, we present a case of retroperitoneal abscess secondary to a perforation that occurred during an ERCP. A 54-year-old female patient was admitted to an outside hospital with gallstone pancreatitis and underwent ERCP with sphincterotomy followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Association between serum vitamin D levels and gastric cancer: A retrospective chart analysis.

Aim: To determine whether there is an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma associated with vitamin D deficiency (VDd).

Methods: A retrospective case control study was performed of all patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma between 2005 and 2015. After we excluded the patients without a documented vitamin D level, 49 patients were included in our study.

ASGE guidelines result in cost-saving in the management of choledocholithiasis.

Background: The goal of this study was to determine whether utilization of the ASGE guidelines for the evaluation of bile duct stones (BDS) would result in fewer imaging studies and in turn lead to a lower healthcare expenditure.

Methods: This was a retrospective study set in an urban Teaching Hospital. Patients undergoing evaluation for BDS and who had their gallbladders in situ were included in the study.

Factors predicting early discharge and mortality in post-percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy patients.

Background: The aim of our study was to ascertain factors that favor early discharge and predict mortality in post-percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) patients.

Methods: Successive patients who underwent successful PEG placement during a 10-year period in a single New York City hospital were included in the study. Data was retrospectively extracted from hospital electronic medical records.

Treatment of gastroparesis: an update.

Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder of gastric motility that is characterized by delayed emptying of either solids or liquids from the stomach in the absence of any mechanical obstruction. Nausea, vomiting, early satiety and bloating are some of the manifestations of gastroparesis. Idiopathic, diabetes mellitus and postsurgical states account for the majority of cases.

Do corporate chains affect quality of care in nursing homes? The role of corporate standardization.

Background: Chain-owned nursing homes have become the predominant type of provider in the United States, but little is known about their management structures. Prior research has found that chain ownership has significant effects on health outcomes, but why that is the case is not well understood.

Purpose: This study examines the effects of corporate-mandated standardization and corporate-sponsored training in administrative and clinical processes on the total number of deficiencies reported for a facility and on the percentage of residents with pressure ulcers for chain-owned facilities in Michigan and North Carolina.