Pneumatosis Intestinalis Following Surgical Gastrostomy Tube Placement in a Patient With Glottic Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report.

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a rare medical and post-surgical sequela of multiple different etiologies which can be either benign or life-threatening. Various mechanisms have been proposed to explain the occurrence of PI; however, the pathophysiology is dependent on the suspected cause. The condition is largely categorized into two broad groups: idiopathic PI, which remains relatively uncommon, and secondary PI. The latter often surfaces as a result of a wide array of both gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal illnesses. These encompass vascular compromise, bowel mucosal disruption, gastrointestinal dysmotility, as well as infectious and immunological etiologies. Management ranges from conservative medical strategies to emergent surgical intervention. We present the first case to our knowledge of spontaneous PI developing within five days of a surgical gastrostomy tube (SGT) placement in a 79-year-old female with glottic squamous cell carcinoma which unfortunately proved fatal. The purpose of this case report is to highlight a rare fatal complication of a common surgical procedure and the necessity of initiating interdisciplinary management quickly to determine the best treatment course.

Dual Cardiac Arrests Leading to Hypercoagulability and Extensive Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis: A Hematological Case Report.

Upper extremity (UE) deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a rare yet significant complication that can occur following cardiac arrest (CA). CA initiates a prothrombotic state via various processes, including stasis, endothelial damage, and an impaired balance between thrombogenesis and fibrinolysis, which may contribute to UE DVT formation. Inadequate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the field may further exacerbate blood stasis and clot formation. This case report describes an 80-year-old male with a history of bladder cancer who experienced two cardiac arrest events and subsequently developed an extensive left UE DVT. Despite treatment with a heparin drip and other supportive measures, the patient's condition deteriorated, and he passed away on the tenth day of hospitalization. This case is the first to describe UE DVT post-CA. It underscores the importance of recognizing and proactively managing hypercoagulable states post-CA, which can lead to significant DVTs in atypical locations that may evolve into life-threatening conditions.

Sacral nerve stimulation effect on colonic motility in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat refractory constipation in children. While its efficacy in improving symptoms has been studied, its effect on colonic motor function remains unclear. This case series explores SNS's impact on colonic motor function in pediatric patients with idiopathic constipation, using high-resolution colonic manometry (HRCM). METHODS: Four pediatric patients with chronic idiopathic constipation underwent SNS placement for intractable symptoms and were subsequently evaluated via HRCM. Clinical characteristics, comorbidities, treatment regimens, and outcomes were reviewed. HRCM was conducted during the SNS-off and SNS-on phases. The motility index (MI) was measured during the SNS-off (fasting and postprandial) and SNS-on phases. RESULTS: Four pediatric patients aged 8 to 21 years met the inclusion criteria. In three patients, SNS-induced high-amplitude propagating contractions (HAPCs) were noted, and in one patient, low-amplitude propagating contractions (LAPCs) were noted. In one patient, propagating contractions were induced only when SNS was turned on. MI changes with SNS-on were variable among different patients with an increase in MI in two patients after turning SNS on and a decrease in the other two compared with baseline. Adverse effects following SNS placement remained minimal across all cases. CONCLUSION: This case series is the first to report SNS effects on colonic motility evaluated by HRCM in pediatrics. We demonstrate that propagating colonic contractions are promptly induced when SNS is turned on. Although the initial effects of SNS on colonic motility were observable, additional investigation is necessary to comprehend the fundamental mechanisms and long-term effectiveness of SNS in pediatric patients.

Unusual Presentation of a Hepatic Neuroendocrine Tumor With Elevated CEA and CA 19-9: A Case Report.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are rare malignancies, which may have unique presentations. The diagnostic process predominantly relies on immunohistochemical analysis. While tumor markers are extensively utilized in diagnosing and monitoring GI malignancies, their specific role in NETs has not been fully explored. This case describes an 83-year-old male presenting with jaundice and general weakness. Diagnostic imaging through MRI and CT angiography (CTA) revealed a nodular texture on the liver's surface suggesting cirrhosis. The presence of elevated tumor markers, specifically carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9), raised suspicions of malignancy. A subsequent liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of small-cell high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma accompanied by reactive fibrosis. As per our knowledge, this case is the first recorded instance of a liver neuroendocrine tumor (NET) exhibiting elevated levels of both CEA and CA 19-9, with no abnormalities detected in the gallbladder, biliary tree, and bowel in the MRI with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and CTA. This is an atypical presentation of a liver NET, mimicking cirrhotic liver morphology, and underscores the potential diagnostic relevance of tumor markers CEA and CA 19-9 in such cases.

Unveiling the Unexpected: Why Doctors Should Look beyond the Lungs when Predicting COVID-19 Mortality.

INTRODUCTION: The main objective of this study was to identify the best combination of admission day parameters for predicting COVID-19 mortality in hospitalized patients. Furthermore, we sought to compare the predictive capacity of pulmonary parameters to that of renal parameters for mortality from COVID-19. METHODS: In this retrospective study, all patients admitted to a tertiary hospital between September 1st, 2020, and December 31st, 2020, who were clinically symptomatic and tested positive for COVID-19, were included. We gathered extensive data on patient admissions, including laboratory results, comorbidities, chest X-ray (CXR) images, and SpO2 levels, to determine their role in predicting mortality. Experienced radiologists evaluated the CXR images and assigned a score from 0 to 18 based on the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia. Further, we categorized patients into two independent groups based on their renal function using the RIFLE and KDIGO criteria to define the acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) groups. The first group ("AKI&CKD") was subdivided into six subgroups: normal renal function (A); CKD grade 2+3a (B); AKI-DROP (C); CKD grade 3b (D); AKI-RISE (E); and grade 4 + 5 CKD (F). The second group was based only on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at the admission, and thus it was divided into four grades: grade 1, grade 2+3a, grade 3b, and grade 4 + 5. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 619 patients. Patients who died during hospitalization had a significantly higher mean radiological score compared to those who survived, with a p value <0.01. Moreover, we observed that the risk for mortality was significantly increased as renal function deteriorated, as evidenced by the AKI&CKD and eGFR groups (p < 0.001 for each group). Regarding mortality prediction, the area under the curve (AUC) for renal parameters (AKI&CKD group, eGFR group, and age) was found to be superior to that of pulmonary parameters (age, radiological score, SpO2, CRP, and D-dimer) with an AUC of 0.8068 versus 0.7667. However, when renal and pulmonary parameters were combined, the AUC increased to 0.8813. Optimal parameter combinations for predicting mortality from COVID-19 were identified for three medical settings: Emergency Medical Service (EMS), the Emergency Department, and the Internal Medicine Floor. The AUC for these settings was 0.7874, 0.8614, and 0.8813, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that selected renal parameters are superior to pulmonary parameters in predicting COVID-19 mortality for patients requiring hospitalization. When combining both renal and pulmonary factors, the predictive ability of mortality significantly improved. Additionally, we identified the optimal combination of factors for mortality prediction in three distinct settings: EMS, Emergency Department, and Internal Medicine Floor.

Cross-Sectional Study of the Prevalence of Cobalamin Deficiency and Vitamin B12 Supplementation Habits among Vegetarian and Vegan Children in the Czech Republic.

Vegetarian (VG) and vegan (VN) diets in childhood are of growing interest due to their perceived health and environmental benefits. Concerns remain due to the possible disruption of healthy growth and development of children because of the scarcity of evidence-based studies. Among the nutrients of special concern is vitamin B12. Therefore, the Czech Vegan Children Study (CAROTS) decided to examine the relationship between B12 metabolism parameters and B12 intake through diet and supplementation. We analyzed laboratory parameters within n = 79 VG, n = 69 VN, and n = 52 omnivores (OM) children (0−18 years old). There were no significant differences in levels of holotranscobalamin (aB12), folate, homocysteine (hcys), or mean corpuscular volume. However, there was a significant difference in levels of cyanocobalamin (B12) (p = 0.018), even though we identified only n = 1 VG and n = 2 VN children as B12 deficient. On the other hand, we identified n = 35 VG, n = 28 VN, and n = 9 OM children with vitamin B12 hypervitaminosis (p = 0.004). This finding was related to a high prevalence of over-supplementation in the group (mean dose for VG 178.19 ± 238.5 µg per day; VN 278.35 ± 394.63 µg per day). Additionally, we found a significant (p < 0.05) difference between B12, aB12, and hcys levels of supplemented vs. non-supplemented VG/VN children. This can show that the intake of vitamin B12 via diet in the VG group might not be sufficient. Secondly, we analyzed a relation between supplement use in pregnancy and breastfeeding and its impact on vitamin B12 levels of children aged 0−3 years. Out of n = 46 mothers, only n = 3 (e.g., 6.5%) were not supplemented at all. We have not identified any clinical manifestation of B12 deficiency and only n = 1 child with low serum cobalamin, a child who did not receive vitamin B12 supplementation and whose mother took only low doses of vitamin B12 (25/µg/day).To conclude, we did not observe any life-threatening or severe consequences of laboratory-stated vitamin B12 deficiency; thus, our group was well supplemented. On the other hand, we have identified many subjects with vitamin B12 hypervitaminosis of unknown impact on their health. Further research and new guidelines for B12 supplementation among VG and VN children are needed.

Can Renal Parameters Predict the Mortality of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients?

INTRODUCTION: Our study aimed to analyze whether renal parameters can predict mortality from COVID-19 disease in hospitalized patients. METHODS: This retrospective cohort includes all adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 disease who were consecutively admitted to the tertiary hospital during the 4-month period (September 1 to December 31, 2020). We analyzed their basic laboratory values, urinalysis, comorbidities, length of hospitalization, and survival. The RIFLE and KDIGO criteria were used for AKI and CKD grading, respectively. To display renal function evolution and the severity of renal damage, we subdivided patients further into 6 groups as follows: group 1 (normal renal function), group 2 (CKD grades 2 + 3a), group 3 (AKI-DROP defined as whose s-Cr level dropped by >33.3% during the hospitalization), group 4 (CKD 3b), group 5 (CKD 4 + 5), and group 6 (AKI-RISE defined as whose s-Cr level was elevated by ≥50% within 7 days or by ≥26.5 µmol/L within 48 h during hospitalization). Then, we used eGFR on admission independently of renal damage to check whether it can predict mortality. Only 4 groups were used: group I - normal renal function (eGFR > 1.5 mL/s), group II - mild renal involvement (eGFR 0.75-1.5), group III - moderate (eGFR 0.5-0.75), and group IV - severe (GFR <0.5). RESULTS: A total of 680 patients were included in our cohort; among them, 244 patients displayed normal renal function, 207 patients fulfilled AKI, and 229 patients suffered from CKD. In total, a significantly higher mortality rate was found in the AKI and the CKD groups versus normal renal function - 37.2% and 32.3% versus 9.4%, respectively (p < 0.001). In addition, the groups 1-6 divided by severity of renal damage reported mortality of 9.4%, 21.2%, 24.1%, 48.7%, 62.8%, and 55.1%, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean hospitalization duration of alive patients with normal renal findings was 9.5 days, while it was 12.1 days in patients with any renal damage (p < 0.001). When all patients were compared according to eGFR on admission, the mortality was as follows: group I (normal) 9.8%, group II (mild) 22.1%, group III (moderate) 40.9%, and group IV (severe) 50.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). It was a significantly better mortality predictor than CRP on admission (AUC 0.7053 vs. 0.6053). CONCLUSIONS: Mortality in patients with abnormal renal function was 3 times higher compared to patients with normal renal function. Also, patients with renal damage had a worse and longer hospitalization course. Lastly, eGFR on admission, independently of renal damage type, was an excellent tool for predicting mortality. Further, the change in s-Cr levels during hospitalization reflected the mortality prognosis.