Hepatic abscess induced by foreign body: case report and literature review.

Hepatic abscess due to perforation of the gastrointestinal tract caused by ingested foreign bodies is uncommon. Pre-operative diagnosis is difficult as patients are often unaware of the foreign body ingestion and symptoms and imagiology are usually non-specific. The authors report a case of 62-year-old woman who was admitted with fever and abdominal pain. Further investigation revealed hepatic abscess, without resolution despite antibiotic therapy. A liver abscess resulting from perforation and intra-hepatic migration of a bone coming from the pilorum was diagnosed by surgery. The literature concerning foreign body-induced perforation of the gastrointestinal tract complicated by liver abscess is reviewed.

C-reactive protein may influence decisively the prescription of prophylactic antibiotics in acute pancreatitis: a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Prescription of prophylactic antibiotics in acute pancreatitis (AP) is controversial. We aimed to identify the patients' characteristics that may prompt clinicians to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics in AP. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study included 299 consecutive patients with AP from a Portuguese hospital in 2009 to 2010. Logistic regression was used to study the association of patients' characteristics with prescription of prophylactic antibiotics in AP. RESULTS: Persistent organ failure developed in 7% of patients (9/136). The median C-reactive protein at 48 hours after hospital admission was 154 mg/L (interquartile range, 55-271 mg/L). Bedside Index for Severity in AP score greater than or equal to 3 occurred in 14% of patients (42/299). Pancreatic necrosis was diagnosed in 21% of the patients (35/169). Computerized Tomography Severity Index score greater than 3 occurred in 23% of patients (38/169). In-hospital mortality rate was 4% (10/299). Prophylactic antibiotics were prescribed to 14% of patients (42/299). After adjusting for persistent organ failure and Computerized Tomography Severity Index score greater than 3, C-reactive protein at 48 hours after hospital admission greater than or equal to 150 mg/L was significantly associated with higher likelihood of receiving prophylactic antibiotics (odds ratio, 12.2). Prophylactic antibiotics did not improve in-hospital mortality rate (P = 0.637). CONCLUSIONS: C-reactive protein was the most influential in prescribing prophylactic antibiotics in AP. Clinicians may need better tools to support the decision to prescribe prophylactic antibiotics in AP.

C-Reactive Protein at 24 Hours after Hospital Admission may have Relevant Prognostic Accuracy in Acute Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: C-reactive protein (CRP) and Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) have been used in early risk assessment of patients with AP. OBJECTIVES: We evaluated prognostic accuracy of CRP at 24 hours after hospital admission (CRP24) for in-hospital mortality (IM) in AP individually and with BISAP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 134 patients with AP from a Portuguese hospital in 2009-2010. Prognostic accuracy assessment used area under receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). RESULTS: Thirteen percent of patients had severe AP, 26% developed pancreatic necrosis, and 7% died during index hospital stay. AUCs for CRP24 and BISAP individually were 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65-0.95) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.59-0.95), respectively. No patients with CRP24 <60 mg/l died (P = 0.027; negative predictive value 100% (95% CI 92.3-100%)). AUC for BISAP plus CRP24 was 0.81 (95% CI 0.65-0.97). Change in NRInonevents (42.4%; 95% CI, 24.9-59.9%) resulted in positive overall NRI (31.3%; 95% CI, -36.4% to 98.9%), but IDInonevents was negligible (0.004; 95% CI, -0.007 to 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: CRP24 revealed good prognostic accuracy for IM in AP; its main role may be the selection of lowest risk patients.

INTRODUÇÃO: A proteína-C reativa (CRP) e o Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) têm sido usados na avaliação de risco precoce de doentes com pancreatite aguda (AP). OBJECTIVOS: Nós avaliámos o valor prognóstico da CRP às 24 horas após a admissão hospitalar (CRP24) na mortalidade intrahospitalar (IM) na AP, individualmente e com o BISAP. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Este estudo coorte retrospetivo incluiu 134 doentes com AP de um hospital português em 2009­2010. A acuidade prognóstica foi avaliada usando a área debaixo da receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), o continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI), e o integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). RESULTADOS: Treze por cento dos doentes tiveram AP grave, 26% desenvolveram necrose pancreática, e 7% morreram durante a hospitalização índice. As AUCs da CRP24 e do BISAP individualmente foram 0,80 (intervalo de confiança (IC) 95%, 0,65­0,95) e 0,77 (IC 95%, 0,59­0,95), respectivamente. Nenhum doente com CRP24 <60 mg/l morreu (P = 0,027; valor predictivo negativo 100% (IC 95%, 92,3­100%)). A AUC para o BISAP mais a CRP24 foi 0,81 (IC 95%, 0,65­0,97). A mudança no NRI-não-eventos (42,4%; IC 95%, 24,9­59,9%) resultou num NRI-total positivo (31,3%; IC 95%, −36,4 a 98,9%), mas num IDI-não-eventos negligenciável (0,004; IC 95%, −0,007 a 0,014). CONCLUSÕES: A CRP24 revelou um valor prognóstico bom para a mortalidade intrahospitalar na AP; o seu papel principal poderá ser a selecção dos doentes de menor risco.

IL23R polymorphisms influence phenotype and response to therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify the clinical and genetic [IL23 receptor (IL23R) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)] predictors of response to therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 174 patients with ulcerative colitis, 99 women and 75 men, were included. The mean age of the patients was 47±15 years and the mean disease duration was 11±9 years. The number of patients classified as responders (R) or nonresponders (NR) to several therapies was as follows: 110 R and 53 NR to mesalazine (5-ASA), 28 R and 20 NR to azathioprine (AZT), 18 R and 7 NR to infliximab. Clinical and demographic variables were recorded. A total of four SNPs were studied: IL23R G1142A, C2370A, G43045A, and G9T. Genotyping was performed by real-time PCR using Taqman probes. RESULTS: Older patients were more prone to respond to 5-ASA (P=0.004), whereas those with pancolitis were less likely to respond to such therapies (P=0.002). Patients with extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) were less likely to respond to 5-ASA (P=0.001), AZT (P=0.03), and corticosteroids (P=0.06). Carriers of the mutant allele for IL23R SNPs had a significantly higher probability of developing EIMs (P<0.05), a higher probability of being refractory to 5-ASA (P<0.03), but a higher likelihood of responding to AZT (P=0.05). A significant synergism was observed between IL23R C2370A and EIMs with respect to nonresponse to 5-ASA (P=0.03). CONCLUSION: Besides extent of disease and age at disease onset, the presence of EIMs may be a marker of refractoriness to 5-ASA, corticosteroids, and AZT. IL23R SNPs are associated both with EIMs and with nonresponse to 5-ASA and corticosteroids.

C-reactive protein prognostic accuracy in acute pancreatitis: timing of measurement and cutoff points.

OBJECTIVES: C-reactive protein (CRP) has been used widely in the early risk assessment of patients with acute pancreatitis. This study evaluated the prognostic accuracy of CRP for severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), pancreatic necrosis (PNec), and in-hospital mortality (IM) in terms of the best timing for CRP measurement and the optimal CRP cutoff points. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective cohort study including 379 patients consecutively admitted with acute pancreatitis. CRP determinations at hospital admission, 24, 48, and 72 h after hospital admission were collected. Discriminative and predictive abilities of CRP for SAP, PNec, and IM were assessed by the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, respectively. To determine the optimal CRP cutoff points for SAP, PNec, and IM, the minimum P-value approach was used. RESULTS: In total, 11% of patients had SAP, 20% developed PNec, and 4.2% died. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curves of CRP at 48 h after hospital admission for SAP, PNec, and IM were 0.81 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72-0.90], 0.77 (95% CI 0.68-0.87), and 0.79 (95% CI 0.67-0.91), respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test P-values of CRP at 48 h after hospital admission for SAP, PNec, and IM were 0.82, 0.47, and 0.24, respectively. The optimal CRP at 48 h after hospital admission cutoff points for SAP, PNec, and IM derived were 190, 190, and 170 mg/l, respectively. CONCLUSION: CRP at 48 h after hospital admission showed a good prognostic accuracy for SAP, PNec, and IM, better than CRP measured at any other timing. The optimal CRP at 48 h after hospital admission cutoff points for SAP, PNec, and IM varied from 170 to 190 mg/l.