Idiopathic Chylothorax During Pregnancy: A Case Report.

The diagnosis of chylothorax during pregnancy is rare and is generally triggered during labor. The study of pleural fluid and imaging studies can facilitate diagnosis, even though determining its etiology can be complicated. This case involves a young pregnant woman presenting with disabling dyspnea and chest pain due to pleural effusion.

A comparative study of immunotherapy as second-line treatment and beyond in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma.

Background: Immunotherapy has demonstrated an improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as second-line treatment and subsequent lines compared with chemotherapy.

Materials & Methods: This was a retrospective review among eight medical centers comprising 100 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of non-small-cell lung carcinoma, in their second-line treatment or beyond with immune checkpoints inhibitors treatment. The current study aimed to analyze effectiveness of immunotherapy in second-line treatment or further in the Mexican population, using PFS rate, OS rate and the best objective response to treatment by RECIST 1.

Favorable Sustained Virologic Response Rates Using Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapies at a Large Safety-Net Hospital.

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of DAA in a safety-net population.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study including patients who received at least one dose of DAA for chronic HCV infection.

Retrospective analysis of long-term outcome 10 years after liver transplantation for Wilson disease: experience over three decades.

We evaluated long-term outcomes for patients with Wilson disease (WD) after liver transplantation (LT) and searched for risk factors for poor survival. Retrospective analysis of UNOS/OPTN data identified 156 pediatric and 515 adult cases of LT for WD between 1987 and 2016. Comparison cases were 10 442 pediatric and 104 874 adult non-WD transplant recipients.

Anatomical description of anaesthetic spread after deep erector spinae block at L-4.

Introduction: Thoracic erector spinae plane (ESP) block is now used for postoperative analgesia. However, although reports of lumbar ESP have been published, the anesthetic spread and mechanism of action of this technique remains unclear. We describe the lumbar ESP block technique and evaluate the spread of 20ml of solution administered at the level of the transverse process of L4 in a cadaver model.

L4 erector spinal plane block after lumbar spine arthrodesi: A case-series.

Introduction: Thoracic erector spinae plane block is now performed in many different surgical procedures, including lumbar spinal fusion. We evaluated the analgesic effect of lumbar ESP performed at L4 after lumbar spinal fusion surgery.

Methods And Case Series: Eight patients scheduled for lumbar spinal fusion were included in the case series.

Interferon-based hepatitis C therapy in a safety net hospital: access, efficacy, and safety.

Aims: This study assesses the efficacy, accessibility, and safety of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in a safety net hospital population.

Methods: Patients at Denver Health receiving pegylated interferon for HCV infection between 2008 and 2012 were included in this retrospective study. Sociodemographic, biochemical, and virologic data were collected on each patient.

Early weight changes after liver transplantation significantly impact patient and graft survival.

Background And Aim: Associations between pre-liver transplantation (pre-LT) BMI and post-LT survival are well described; however, there are few data assessing the associations between the commonly observed post-LT BMI changes and survival. We investigated the impact of early post-LT BMI change on post-LT patient and graft survival.

Methods: Using United Network for Organ Sharing data, we identified 2968 adult primary LT recipients who were not overweight pre-LT (BMI >16 to ≤25 kg/m), and who had BMI recorded at 2 years post-LT.

Post-transplant survival is improved for hepatitis C recipients who are RNA negative at time of liver transplantation.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection recurs universally in patients who are viremic at liver transplantation and likely accounts for the diminished post-transplant graft and patient survival. We evaluated whether undetectable HCV RNA pretransplant improves graft and patient survival after transplantation. Cases, defined by HCV listing diagnosis and positive HCV antibody, were selected from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database and further grouped as HCV RNA-positive (n = 4978) or negative (n = 445) based upon pretransplant testing.

Risk of waitlist mortality in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and bacterial cholangitis.

Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are at increased risk for bacterial cholangitis because of biliary strictures and bile stasis. A subset of PSC patients suffer from repeated episodes of bacterial cholangitis, which can lead to frequent hospitalizations and impaired quality of life. Although waitlist candidates with PSC and bacterial cholangitis frequently receive exception points and/or are referred for living donor transplantation, the impact of bacterial cholangitis on waitlist mortality is unknown.

Extruded films of blended chitosan, low density polyethylene and ethylene acrylic acid.

The obtaining of chitosan extruded films was possible by using low density polyethylene (LDPE) as a matrix polymer and ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer as an adhesive, in order to ensure adhesion in the interphase of the immiscible polymers. The obtained blend films were resistant; however, a reduction in the mechanical resistance was observed as chitosan concentration increased. The thermal stability of the films showed a certain grade of interaction between polymers as seen in FTIR spectra.

Lymphocytosis as a predictor of poor response to treatment of hepatitis C.

Background/aims: Identification of factors predicting response to therapy is critical in the management of hepatitis C. This study assessed significance of lymphocytosis as a predictor of sustained virological response (SVR).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of lymphocytosis and its correlation with virologic response was performed in 110 subjects with chronic HCV infection, who underwent interferon based therapy.