Bowel Movement Frequency Is Not Linked With Cognitive Function in Cirrhosis.

The spectrum of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) ranges from overt HE (OHE) to cognitive impairment (ie, covert) HE (CHE).1 The first-line therapy is lactulose, which is titrated to achieve ~2-3 soft/loose daily bowel movements (BM). This metric is considered dogma for practitioners despite erratic results, GI adverse events, and poor tolerance in Western countries.1 There are logistic barriers for the widespread uptake of rifaximin, the second-line therapy. Moreover, although BM frequency-directed dose titration of lactulose is the usual practice, its impact on objective cognitive performance is unclear. Our aim is to determine the impact of BM frequency on cognition in patients with/without prior OHE.

Liver-Unrelated Comorbid Conditions Do Not Affect Cognitive Performance or Hepatic Encephalopathy Progression in Cirrhosis.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to determine the effect of comorbidities on covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) diagnosis and overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) development. METHODS: Cirrhotic outpatients underwent CHE testing and 2-year follow-up. Cox regression was performed for time to OHE. In total, 700 patients (60 years, 84% men, model for end-stage liver disease 11) and 33% prior OHE underwent testing and follow-up. RESULTS: Major comorbidities were hypertension (54%), diabetes (35%), and depression (29%). Common medications were proton pump inhibitor (49%), beta-blockers (32%), and opioids (21%). Approximately 90 (40%) prior-OHE patients developed recurrence 93 (30,206) days post-testing predicted only by liverrelated variables. DISCUSSION: Demographics, cirrhosis characteristics, and opioid use, but not other comorbid conditions, were associated with CHE diagnosis and OHE progression.

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding due to rectal Dieulafoy's lesion.

Dieulafoy's lesion is a relatively rare but serious cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. It usually involves the upper gastrointestinal tract. However, it has recently been reported in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract, including the rectum. Here, we report the case of a female patient who presented with fresh bleeding per rectum for 1 day with low hemoglobin level. Colonoscopy revealed an actively bleeding rectal Dieulafoy's lesion which was successfully treated with a clip. To our knowledge, there have been few reported cases of lower gastrointestinal bleeding caused by Dieulafoy's lesion in the rectum.

Acute Pancreatitis: An Atypical Presentation.

Acute pancreatitis is an important cause of acute upper abdominal pain. Because its clinical features are similar to a number of other acute illnesses, it is difficult to make a diagnosis only on the basis of symptoms and signs. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis is based on 2 of the following 3 criteria: (1) abdominal pain consistent with pancreatitis, (2) serum lipase and/or amylase ≥3 times the upper limit of normal, and (3) characteristic findings from abdominal imaging. The sensitivity and specificity of lipase in diagnosing acute pancreatitis are undisputed. However, normal lipase level should not exclude a pancreatitis diagnosis. In patients with atypical pancreatitis presentation, imaging is needed. We experienced two cases of acute pancreatitis associated with normal serum enzyme levels. Both patients were diagnosed based on clinical and radiological evidence. They were successfully treated with intravenous fluids and analgesics with clinical and laboratory improvement. The importance of this case series is the unlikely presentation of acute pancreatitis. We believe that more research is needed to determine the exact proportion of acute pancreatitis patients who first present with normal serum lipase, since similar cases have been seen in case reports.

Acute Gastric Volvulus and Atrial Fibrillation with RVR: A Coincidence or Association.

Gastric volvulus is a rare and life-threatening condition that involves the abnormal rotation of the stomach around its axis by more than 180°. The association between acute gastric volvulus and atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response is rare with only few cases that have been reported. Our patient was an 86-year-old female who presented with upper abdominal pain, distension, nausea, and shortness of breath. Clinical and laboratory workup revealed acute gastric volvulus with diaphragmatic hernia. On presentation, she was also in atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response. She was successfully treated by laparotomy with reduction of the gastric volvulus and repair of the diaphragmatic hernia, with significant improvement.

The yield of stool testing in hospital-onset diarrhea: Has evidence changed practice?

INTRODUCTION: Aside from examination for Clostridium difficile, the yield of stool testing in hospital-onset diarrhea is poor. Clinical practice guidelines discourage overzealous stool testing in patients with diarrhea that develops after the third hospital day. However, the adoption of this recommendation into clinical practice is limited. Furthermore, the effect of microbiology laboratory improvements on hospital-onset diarrhea testing is largely unknown. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a university-affiliated community-hospital and included all adult inpatients who developed diarrhea after hospitalization. RESULTS: 132 adult patients (53% female) developed diarrhea after hospitalization in 2013. The cohort's mean age was 55.6 years. 46.2% of patients developed diarrhea in the first 3 days of hospitalization. Testing for parasites was negative in all examined 67 samples. Testing for C. difficile was positive in 13 cases (10.8%) out of 120 tested samples. Testing for other pathogens was positive in 1 sample (Campylobacter) out of 129 samples. Stool samples tested in the first 3 days of hospitalization were more likely to be positive (64.3 vs 35.7%, p = 0.1). Change in management was reported in 9 out of 14 patients (64.3%) with positive stool testing compared with 31 out of 118 patients (26.3%) with negative stool testing, p = 0.01. CONCLUSION: Despite improvements in stool samples' testing, the yield continues to be low, especially in hospital-onset diarrhea past the third hospital day. Physicians' embracement of the '3-day rule' continues to be poor.

A 47-year-old stem cell transplant recipient with fever, cough and chest pain.

Infections and malignancies are among the most serious complications that follow organ or stem cell transplantation. They may have a mild course, and nonspecific and overlapping manifestations. The present article describes a case of symptomatic nodular pulmonary disease that complicated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. It was diagnosed to be post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, a potential sequela of immunosuppression and a very difficult entity to treat in profoundly immunosuppressed patients.

Diabetic ketoacidosis as first presentation of latent autoimmune diabetes in adult.

A 54-year-old white female with hypothyroidism presented with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. She was found to have diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and admitted to our hospital for treatment. Laboratory workup revealed positive antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies and subsequently she was diagnosed with latent onset autoimmune diabetes in adult (LADA). She was successfully treated with insulin with clinical and laboratory improvement. Diagnosis of LADA has been based on three criteria as given by The Immunology of Diabetes Society: (1) adult age of onset (>30 years of age); (2) presence of at least one circulating autoantibody (GADA/ICA/IAA/IA-2); and (3) initial insulin independence for the first six months. The importance of this case is the unlikely presentation of LADA. We believe that more research is needed to determine the exact proportion of LADA patients who first present with DKA, since similar cases have only been seen in case reports. Adult patients who are obese and have high blood sugar may deserve screening for LADA, especially in the presence of other autoimmune diseases. Those patients once diagnosed with LADA need extensive diabetic education including potentially serious events such as diabetic ketoacidosis.

Review and practice guidelines for celiac disease in 2014.

Celiac disease, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is defined as a state of heightened immunologic responsiveness to ingested gluten (from wheat, barley, or rye) in genetically susceptible individuals. Ingestion of the offending proteins leads to inflammation and intestinal mucosal damage, which may result in a spectrum of gastrointestinal symptoms, nutritional abnormalities, and systemic complications ranging from anemia and osteoporosis to secondary autoimmunity and malignancy. The genetic influence in the pathogenesis of celiac disease is indicated by its familial occurrence. Celiac disease does not develop unless a person has alleles that encode for human leukocyte antigen DQ2 or DQ8 proteins. The clinical picture of celiac disease has changed considerably during the past 30 years. Diarrhea, which was the presenting symptom in > 90% of celiac disease patients before 1981, is now the chief complaint in < 40%. In contrast, the increased frequency of atypical celiac disease presentations, including anemia and bone disease, is revealed by the widespread availability of serologic testing. An association between celiac disease and autoimmune disorders, such as type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, and Sjögren's syndrome, has been well documented. The tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin antibody and the endomysial immunoglobulin antibody are the most sensitive and specific serologic tests, respectively, for identifying individuals who need to undergo an intestinal biopsy. If the suspicion of celiac disease is high, intestinal biopsy should be pursued even if serologic tests are negative. The gold standard for the diagnosis of celiac disease is a small bowel biopsy showing villous atrophy. The treatment for celiac disease is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD). Despite the proven benefits of the GFD, it can be exceedingly difficult to completely avoid gluten-containing foods, and adherence to a GFD is estimated to be only 45% to 80%.

Autoimmune hepatitis with multiple sclerosis and graves disease: coincidence or association?

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a generally progressive, chronic hepatitis of unknown cause that occurs in children and adults of all ages. It is associated with a variety of autoimmune conditions like thyroid disorders (Hashimoto and Graves disease), celiac disease and multiple sclerosis (MS). We report the case of a 61-year-old woman with MS (untreated) and a history of Graves disease who presented with fatigue and right upper quadrant abdominal pain. She was admitted to our hospital for evaluation. Clinical and laboratory workup revealed AIH. She was successfully treated with prednisone and azathioprine, with complete clinical and laboratory improvement. However, to our knowledge there have been only a few reports of a possible association between AIH and untreated MS.