Role of fecal microbiota transplant in management of hepatic encephalopathy: Current trends and future directions.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) offers a potential treatment avenue for hepatic encephalopathy (HE) by leveraging beneficial bacterial displacement to restore a balanced gut microbiome. The prevalence of HE varies with liver disease severity and comorbidities. HE pathogenesis involves ammonia toxicity, gut-brain communication disruption, and inflammation.

Opportunities and Challenges for a Histology-Agnostic Utilization of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan.

Purpose Of Review: This review delves into the prospects and challenges offered by a potential pan-histological utilization of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Recent Findings: The HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) T-DXd has shown broad activity across cancer types, with current indications for patients with biomarker-selected breast, gastric, and non-small-cell lung cancer and relevant activity observed in multiple histology-specific trials. Moreover, two recently reported phase 2 trials (DESTINY-Pantumor02 and HERALD) have supported the potential for a pan-cancer utilization of this ADC in patients with advanced cancers expressing HER2 or with HER2 amplifications.

Liver transplant in primary sclerosing cholangitis: Current trends and future directions.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic and progressive immune-mediated cholangiopathy causing biliary tree inflammation and scarring, leading to liver cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease. Diagnosis of PSC is challenging due to its nonspecific symptoms and overlap with other liver diseases. Despite the rising incidence of PSC, there is no proven medical therapy that can alter the natural history of the disease.

Recent national trends in outcomes and economic disparities among adult sickle cell disease-related admissions.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder caused secondary to a mutation in the hemoglobin beta subunit. There is sparse information regarding the trends in outcomes of SCD admissions in the past decade where rapid advances have been made in treatment. In this study, we wanted to analyze the trends and outcomes of SCD admissions in the United States from 2011 to 2019 and the influence of socio-economic status.

Erythromelalgia. Part I: Pathogenesis, clinical features, evaluation, and complications.

Erythromelalgia is a rare pain disorder that is underrecognized and difficult-to-treat. It is characterized by episodes of extremity erythema and pain that can be disabling; it may be genetic, related to an underlying systemic disease, or idiopathic. Considering the prominent cutaneous features characteristic of the condition, dermatologists can play an important role in early recognition and limitation of morbidity.

Erythromelalgia. Part II: Differential diagnoses and management.

The management of erythromelalgia is challenging and requires multidisciplinary effort. Patient education is crucial as unsafe self-administered cooling techniques can lead to significant morbidity, including acral necrosis, infection, and amputation. The goal of management is pain control, reduction of flare frequency, and prevention of complications.

Impact of end stage renal disease on the clinical outcomes of diabetics admitted for heart failure: Analysis of national inpatient sample.

Patients with diabetes and heart failure (HF) can have varying outcomes depending on whether they also have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). This study aimed to compare the outcomes of patients with diabetes and HF with and without ESRD. Data from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2016-2018 was analyzed to find hospitalizations for patients with HF as the main diagnosis and diabetes as a secondary diagnosis, with and without ESRD.

Impact of protein-energy malnutrition on outcomes of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma admitted for inpatient chemotherapy.

Background: Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a major factor contributing to morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. Empiric data are limited on the effect of PEM on the outcomes of patients receiving chemotherapy in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed using data from the National Inpatient Sample for 2016 to 2019.

Predictors of Mpox vaccine uptake among sexual and gender minority young adults living in Illinois: Unvaccinated vs. double vs. single dose vaccine recipients.

Introduction: The 2022 global outbreak of Monkeypox virus (Mpox), which has primarily spread through the sexual networks of sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals, has introduced new public health challenges. While an efficacious Mpox vaccine is in active circulation, few Mpox vaccine studies have examined its uptake among SGM groups. The aims of this study were to investigate (a) the prevalence of Mpox vaccine uptake among SGM and (b) the contextual, Mpox-disease specific, and Mpox-vaccine specific factors associated with Mpox vaccine among SGM.

Multiple Flesh-Colored Nodules: A Patient with Multiple Inactivated Melanocytic Tumors.

A 22-year-old man without previously known skin disease presented with multiple asymptomatic, skin-brown to red-brown papules on the head and neck for 1 year (Figure 1). The diagnoses considered included benign intradermal or compound nevi, atypical nevi, and neurofibromas. Shave biopsies of three lesions revealed intradermal melanocytic lesions comprising large epithelioid melanocytes flanked by small banal melanocytes (Figure 2).

Radial nerve transection after ballistic humeral shaft fractures: A retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Radial nerve palsy following fracture of the humeral shaft is common. However, the incidence of nerve transection in the setting of ballistic trauma is unknown. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence of radial nerve transection after ballistic fracture of the humerus.

Rates and predictors of 30-day hospital readmissions in adults for drug-induced acute pancreatitis: A retrospective study from the United States National Readmission Database.

Background And Aim: Drug-induced acute pancreatitis (DIAP) linked to several medications is a diagnosis of exclusion and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, contributing to the US healthcare cost burden. Existing studies on DIAP focus on the drug classes that can cause acute pancreatitis. Hence, our retrospective study aims to determine the rates and predictors for 30-day readmissions (30-DR) in patients with index hospitalization for DIAP.

Association of hyponatremia with clinical outcomes in patients admitted with acute pulmonary embolism.

Background: Hyponatremia is associated with negative prognosis in several conditions like Congestive heart failure and acute MI (Myocardial Infarction), but its impact on the outcomes in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) is not well studied. We aimed to study the association of hyponatremia in patients hospitalized with PE.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was designed using data obtained from the 2016 to 2019 combined National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database.

Systemic lupus erythematous readmissions have reduced: a 9-year longitudinal study of the nationwide readmission database.

Background: Longitudinal data on the trends in systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) readmissions are limited. We aimed to study trends in 30-day readmissions of patients admitted for SLE flares and all SLE hospitalizations in the USA from 2010 to 2018.

Materials And Methods: Data were obtained from the nationwide readmission database (NRD).

Patients admitted on weekends have higher in-hospital mortality than those admitted on weekdays: Analysis of national inpatient sample.

Introduction: Since the 1999 Institute of Medicine report, hospitals have implemented a myriad of measures to protect patients from medical errors. At this point, looking beyond errors may bring additional safety benefits. This study aims to analyze predictors of in-hospital death regardless of underlying diagnoses in an effort to identify additional targets for improvement.

Effect of Operative Time on Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Versus Open Pancreatoduodenectomy.

Objective: To evaluate how operative time interacts with outcomes among different approaches to pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Minimally invasive PDs (MIPD), which include laparoscopic (LPD) and robotic (RPD) approaches, are increasingly performed in the USA. MIPD are generally associated with longer operative times (OT) compared to open PD (OPD).

A rare case of left dominant pulmonary edema in acute mitral regurgitation.

Unilateral pulmonary edema (UPE) due to cardiac causes is an unusual clinical finding and typically emerges on the right side. UPE poses a diagnostic challenge due to difficulty distinguishing infiltrative pneumonia from cardiogenic edema on chest imaging. Consequently, corrective clinical management is significantly delayed in UPE compared to bilateral cardiogenic pulmonary edema.

Pre-endoscopy Symptoms and Age, But Not Esophageal Biopsy Number Are Associated With Post-endoscopy Adverse Events.

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a frequently utilized investigative tool in the management of gastrointestinal conditions in children. Biopsies obtained during EGD may pose risk for post-operative adverse events (AEs), and further understanding of risk is imperative to provide informed consent to families and safe patient care. In particular, the impact of biopsy number and location on the development of AEs has not been studied in pediatric patients.

Association of esophagitis with acute esophageal necrosis.

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) is a clinical rarity and its pathogenesis is poorly understood. It usually presents as upper gastrointestinal bleeding and is associated with poor outcomes. We report a case of a 53-year-old man with diabetes and cirrhosis who presented with diabetic ketoacidosis and had an upper gastrointestinal bleed during the hospital stay from AEN associated with esophagitis.

Longitudinal trends of systemic lupus erythematous hospitalizations in the United States: a two-decade population-based study.

Background: Longitudinal data are limited on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) hospitalizations. We aim to study longitudinal trends of SLE hospitalizations in the last 2 decades in the United States (U.S).