Autoimmune pancreatitis in an Asian-dominant American population.

Autoimmune pancreatitis is a rare type of chronic pancreatitis that occurs predominantly in males and was first described in the Asian population. The following study seeks to characterize autoimmune pancreatitis in Hawai'i's Asian-dominant population through a retrospective review of 65 pancreaticoduodenectomy cases performed between 2000 and 2010. Three of the 65 pancreaticoduodenectomies were diagnosed with autoimmune pancreatitis, and 3 additional cases were diagnosed prior to surgery.

Splenorenal shunt: an ideal procedure in the Pacific.

Hypothesis: Splenorenal shunt, an accepted treatment to prevent recurrent variceal bleeding, is an ideal procedure for patients with psychosocial issues or limited access to tertiary medical centers.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 34 patients (32 distal splenorenal shunts and 2 central splenorenal shunts) treated from January 1, 1995, through December 31, 2001, for demographic data, substance abuse status, psychosocial factors, previous treatments, Child class, length of hospital stay, operative transfusions, complications, and outcome.

Results: Of the 34 patients, 17 were from surrounding Pacific islands (as many as 3800 miles away from Honolulu, Hawaii).

Organ donation in Hawaii: impact of the final rule.

Background: In an effort to increase organ donation, the Department of Health and Human Services issued the Final Rule in 1998. The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) later required hospitals to notify organ procurement organizations (OPO) of all deaths and imminent deaths in order to remain eligible for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. We set out to determine the impact of the Final Rule on organ donation in Hawaii.