Sodium polystyrene sulfonate (SPS), a cation-exchange resin, has been a mainstay in long-term hyperkalemia management but is associated with significant gastrointestinal complications, particularly when used with sorbitol. The deposition of SPS crystals within the intestinal mucosa has been suggested to precipitate ischemia, necrosis, and ulcerations, ultimately leading to bowel perforation. This case report details a striking instance of massive bowel perforation subsequent to SPS administration, with accompanying findings of disseminated crystals in distant organs and tissues upon autopsy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Clin Lab Sci
March 2024
Objective: There has been no significant improvement in remission rate in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) despite several new drugs being introduced in the past two decades. Post-treatment biopsies sometimes show histologic healing in some areas of the intestine while other areas within the same intestine continue to show active inflammation. The aim of this short descriptive study was to determine whether heterogeneous treatment response in IBD may be caused by heterogeneous expression of treatment targets within the same intestine.
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