Recurrent Pleural Effusions Secondary to Pancreaticopleural Fistula: A Case Presentation.

Pleural effusion can be a complication of pancreatic diseases. Pancreaticopleural fistula (PPF) is a rare complication arising as a result of chronic pancreatitis that causes recurrent pleural effusions often resistant to thoracentesis. Diagnosis of PPF can be delayed, and presentation with respiratory symptoms related to pleural effusion is common. Elevated pleural fluid amylase and lipase levels are always helpful, but final diagnosis mostly requires demonstration of fistula on imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) serves as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. Here, we present a case of PPF leading to recurrent pleural effusions, treated with stent placement.

Trends in Racial and Gender Profiles of United States Academic Emergency Medicine Faculty: Cross-Sectional Survey From 2007 to 2018.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have reported existing disparities in academic medicine. The purpose of this study was to assess racial and gender disparity in academic emergency medicine (EM) faculty positions across the United States from 2007 to 2018. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to identify the racial and ethnic and gender distributions across academic ranks in EM. The secondary objective was to describe the racial and gender proportions across different tenure tracks and degrees. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Simple descriptive statistics and time series analysis were employed to assess the trends and relationship between race and gender across academic rank, type of degree, and tenure status. RESULTS: When averaged, 75% of all faculty members were White physicians and 67.5% were male. Asian faculty members showed an increased representation in the lower academic ranks and underrepresented minority groups demonstrated a small increase. Asian faculty members demonstrated a significantly increasing trend at the level of instructor (t = 0.02; p = 0.034; 95% CI 0.05-1.03). Female faculty members showed a significantly decreasing trend over the study period (t = -0.01; p < 0.001; 95% CI 0.68-0.75). White academic physicians and male faculty members made up most of all degree types and tenure categories. CONCLUSIONS: Despite an increase in proportional representation, the underrepresentation of female faculty members and those from minority groups persists in emergency medicine. Further studies are needed to identify and address the root causes of these differences.

Effect of iron supplementation in patients with heart failure and iron deficiency: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of oral and intravenous iron supplementation in reducing the risk of mortality and hospitalizations in HF patients with iron deficiency is not well-established. METHODS: A thorough literature search was conducted across 2 electronic databases (Medline and Cochrane Central) from inception through March 2021. RCTs assessing the impact of iron supplementation on clinical outcomes in iron deficient HF patients were considered for inclusion. Primary end-points included all-cause mortality and HF hospitalization. Evaluations were reported as odds ratios (ORs) or risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and analysis was performed using a random effects model. I2 index was used to assess heterogeneity. RESULTS: From the 2599 articles retrieved from initial search, 10 potentially relevant studies (n = 2187 patients) were included in the final analysis. Both oral (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.08-11.30; p = 0.951) and intravenous (OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.73-1.29; p = 0.840) iron supplementation did not significantly reduce all-cause mortality. However, intravenous iron supplementation significantly decreased the rates of overall (OR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.33-0.81; p = 0.004) and HF (OR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.22-0.80; p = 0.009) hospitalizations. In addition, intravenous ferric carboxymaltose therapy significantly reduced the time to first HF hospitalization or cardiovascular mortality (RR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.50-1.00; p = 0.048), but had no effect on time to first cardiovascular death (RR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.70-1.25; p = 0.655). CONCLUSION: Oral or intravenous iron supplementation did not reduce mortality in iron deficient HF patients. However, intravenous iron supplementation was associated with a significant decrease in overall and HF hospitalizations.

Pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome: a case report of a rare complication following Dengue-Chikungunya co-infection.

Pharyngeal-cervical-brachial (PCB) variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) is characterized by weakness in cervicobrachial and oropharyngeal region, together with areflexia of upper limbs. Being an uncommon variant, it is often misdiagnosed as other neurological conditions resembling GBS. Although most of the cases occur as a post-infectious complication, no reports describing its development following dengue-chikungunya co-infection have been documented. A young female presented with a progressive history of swallowing difficulty, bilateral arm weakness and neck weakness. Three weeks earlier, she was presented with clinical features corresponding to dengue and was symptomatically treated. Currently, hypotonia and decreased muscle strength were observed in both upper limbs and neck. Detailed investigation revealed the presence of Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies against dengue antigen (NS 1) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), confirming the possibility of previous dengue-chikungunya co-infection. Nerve conduction studies and electromyography of upper limbs pointed towards findings consistent with the early stages of acute motor demyelinating and possible axonal neuropathy. The detection of antiganglioside antibodies (anti-GT1a antibodies), confirmed the diagnosis of the pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of GBS. A five days treatment of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) along with physical rehabilitation was started which led to significant improvement and the patient was discharged after 15 days. PCB is an unfamiliar variant of GBS for many clinicians. Diagnosis can be made by a thorough history, clinical examination and investigations that can rule out other potential causes of cervicobrachial and oropharyngeal weakness. It also necessitates careful monitoring and followups after mono- and co-arboviral infections to prevent any debilitating neurological complications.

Trends and Inpatient Outcomes of Primary Heart Failure Hospitalizations with a Concurrent Diagnosis of Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (from The National Inpatient Sample Database from 2004 to 2014).

Heart failure (HF) and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are considered significant causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Concurrent presentation of HF with AECOPD can pose a diagnostic challenge due to an overlap in symptomatology. We queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to assess outcomes of HF hospitalizations with a secondary diagnosis of AECOPD. We performed a retrospective analysis of discharge data from the Healthcare Cost Utilization Project NIS between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2014, with a primary diagnosis of HF with and without a secondary diagnosis of AECOPD. Data was abstracted from the NIS using International Classification of Disease 9 codes. Primary outcomes included mortality, length of stay, and inflation-adjusted cost of stay. During 2004-2014, a total of (n = 10,392,628) HF hospitalizations were identified without a secondary diagnosis of AECOPD while (n = 989,713) HF hospitalizations were identified with a secondary diagnosis of AECOPD. We identified higher mortality (3.25% vs 3.56%, p <0.001), length of stay (5.2 vs 6.1 days, p <0.001) and inflation-adjusted cost of stay (12,562 vs 13,072 USD, p <0.001) in HF hospitalizations with AECOPD when compared to HF without AECOPD from 2004 to 2014. We presented AECOPD as an independent predictor of mortality in patients admitted for HF. In conclusion, further interdisciplinary collaboration between pulmonologists and cardiologists is needed for the identification and stratification of patients who present with concurrent HF and COPD for better outcomes.

Disparity in Leadership in Neurosurgical Societies: A Global Breakdown.

OBJECTIVE: Gender disparity in academic and organizational settings has been the topic of numerous studies and they have tried to extract its causes using H-index as the prime metric. The primary objective of our study was to assess gender disparity in leadership positions in neurosurgical societies worldwide. A second objective was to evaluate scholarly output among neurosurgeons in neurosurgical societies worldwide, utilizing H-index as a predominant metric. METHODS: The World Federation of Neurosurgeons database was used to gather details on the neurosurgical societies present worldwide. Online data present for leadership positions were extracted from each of the respective societies. Neurosurgeons holding leadership positions were arranged according to their academic and hierarchical ranks. The Scopus database was used to calculate H-index along with other bibliometric variables. RESULTS: H-index was statistically significant between both genders, with male neurosurgeons having significantly higher H-index than female neurosurgeons. A positive correlation was also found between H-index and academic ranks of neurosurgeons. However, no statistical significance was found between H-index and executive committee positions. Female neurosurgeons held 29% executive committee positions globally. CONCLUSIONS: A paucity of female neurosurgeons was seen in leadership positions in neurosurgical societies worldwide. Significant disparity present in research productivity between genders is a highlighted statistic further discussed in this study, considering variables such as H-index among others. The increase in female neurosurgeons to neurosurgical organizational echelons can be achieved by enhancing institutionalized support, setting up networking platforms, and identifying mentorship opportunities for prospective leaders.

Efficacy of serum blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and electrolytes in the diagnosis and mortality risk assessment of patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Although blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr) and electrolytes are not the mainstay of diagnosis in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients but they may have a role in providing a more detailed view of the complications and mortality rates. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of these parameters in the diagnosis and mortality risk-assessment of patients with ACS. METHODOLOGY: A total of 200 patients with ACS were recruited in this prospective study. The relationship of serum BUN, Cr and electrolytes with cardiac enzymes, Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) and mortality was assessed during a 6-months follow-up. Statistical test like multivariate linear regression and binary logistic regression analysis were applied. RESULTS: On multivariate linear regression analysis, serum potassium (K) (Unstandardized Coefficient B=-3.77; p=0.04) showed significant negative association with Creatine Kinease and serum BUN (Unstandardized Coefficient B=0.52; p=0.001) showed significant positive association with Troponin I. The patients with GRACE>105 had significantly higher levels of serum BUN and Cr. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that area under curve (AUC) of BUN (0.7) was higher than AUC of Cr (0.5). Multiple adjusted model showed that patients with BUN>32.5mg/dl were almost 20 times more likely to be associated with mortality as compared to reference group. CONCLUSION: In addition to cardiac enzymes, K along with BUN and Cr may serve as important aid in diagnosis of ACS. BUN and Cr may also serve as important tools in mortality-risk assessment of ACS patients.

Prognostic value of blood count parameters in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that complete blood count (CBC) parameters can effectively predict long-term mortality and re-infarction rates in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, the role of these parameters in predicting short term mortality has not been studied extensively. The main objective of this study was to determine whether CBC parameters can predict 30-days mortality and the incidence of major adverse cardiac event (MACE) in ACS patients. METHODOLOGY: A total of 297 patients with ACS were recruited in this prospective study. The relationship of baseline white blood cell (WBC) to mean platelet volume ratio (WMR) with MACE and mortality was assessed during a 30-days follow up. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A [WMR<1000] and Group B [WMR>1000]. Multivariate COX regression was performed to calculate hazard ratios (HR). RESULTS: WMR had the highest area under receiver operating characteristics curve and highest discriminative ability amongst all CBC parameters in predicting mortality. Patients in Group B had a higher mortality rate (p<0.001) than patients in Group A. WBC count (p=0.02), platelet count (p=0.04), WMR (p=0.008), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (p<0.001) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (p=0.03) were significantly higher in the MACE-positive group as compared to MACE-negative. In multivariate cox regression analysis, WMR>1000 (HR=2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3-6.5, p=0.01) was found to be strongest biochemical marker in predicting mortality. CONCLUSION: WMR is an easily accessible and an inexpensive indicator, which may be used as a prognostic marker in patients with ACS.

Efficacy of Hematological and Coagulation Parameters in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background : The diagnosis and management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have improved significantly over the past few decades; however, the recognition of myocardial ischemia still proves to be a dilemma for cardiologists. The aim of this study was to determine the role of hematological and coagulation parameters in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with ACS. Methods: This prospective study recruited 250 patients with ACS and 250 healthy controls. The diagnostic role of hematological and coagulation parameters was assessed by comparing the patients with ACS with the control group. The relationships between these parameters and mortality were determined by dividing the patients into 2 groups: Group A (discharged) and Group B (patients who died within 30 days of follow-up). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to calculate the hazard ratio (HR). Results: The mean age of the patients was 55.14±10.71 years, and 65.2% of them were male. Prothrombin time (P<0.001), activated partial thromboplastin time (P<0.001), mean platelet volume (MPV) (P<0.001), white blood cell (WBC) count (P<0.001), and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) (P<0.001) were significantly higher in the case group than in the control group. WBC count (P<0.001), RDW (P<0.001), and MPV (P<0.001) were significantly higher in the controls than in the case group. The Cox regression model showed that RDW above 16.55% (HR=6.8), MPV greater than 11.25 fL (HR=2.6), and WBC higher than 10.55×103/µL (HR=6.3) were the independent predictors of mortality. Conclusion: In addition to being the independent predictors of short-term mortality, RDW, WBC, and MPV when used together with the coagulation profile may aid in the diagnosis of ACS in patients presenting with chest pain.

Prevalence of Conventional Risk Factors and Evaluation of Baseline Indices Among Young and Elderly Patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, manifesting in a variety of clinical spectrums such as an asymptomatic disease or acute coronary syndrome. It has become highly prevalent in Southeast Asia, including Pakistan. There has been little work done on the prevalence of traditional risk factors in different age groups and genders and there is a dire need to gauge the importance of baseline indices in CAD patients. AIM: To determine the prevalence of conventional risk factors and evaluate the variations in lipid profiles, electrolyte levels and haematological indices among patients with CAD in different age groups and gender. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan from January to June 2016, among patients with CAD. We recorded the presence of conventional risk factors and baseline indices within the first 24 hours of admission. Continuous variables were compared using Independent t-test or Mann-Whitney test and categorical variables were compared using chi-square or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The most frequent risk factor was dyslipidemia (91.2%), followed by hypertension (70.4%), diabetes (51.2%), family history of CAD (40.0%) and smoking (29.2%). Total of 98.4% of patients had at least one risk factor. Diabetes and hypertension were found to be common in females; whereas, smoking was predominantly present in males. Diabetes and dyslipidemia were mostly encountered in elderly patients. The most frequent lipid alteration was low levels of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL). Cholesterol and HDL levels were found to be higher in females than males. Elderly patients had lower levels of HDL and higher levels of Cholesterol. The levels of haematological indices were found to be higher in males and younger patients. The median levels of serum sodium and potassium were found to be higher in elderly patients. CONCLUSION: Our study findings corroborate with the findings from previous studies regarding the significance of risk factors in causing cardiovascular pathology. Medical interventions and dietary control to improve body's lipid status would be indispensable in the prevention of CAD. Deranged electrolyte levels necessitate correction of body electrolyte parameters as an adjunct in prevention strategies.