Domestic Cylinder Blasts: A Neglected Torpedo.

High-pressure cylinders are used to store liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). An instant and swift explosion of these cylinders can result in serious burn injuries. This current research was conducted to study the epidemiological characteristics of LPG-related burns to highlight a major public health issue. Analysis was conducted on patients with LPG-related burns over a span of 10 years admitted to our center between January 2011 and December 2020. The data recorded included demographic features, site of burn, %TBSA, associated injuries, and outcomes. The variable data were documented for every patient in a Microsoft Excel file and analyzed by IBM SPSS version 25.0. Over the span of 10 years, 678 patients were affected by LPG-related accidents. The peak incidence was seen in 2019 when there was a surge to 18.03%. The patient's age ranged from 1 to 79 years, with a median of 40.86 ± 15.27 years. Of the 678 patients, 52.50% were males and 47.50% were females. The majority (57.96%) of patients had a total BSA of >60% and 86.72% were diagnosed with inhalation injury. The majority of burns (84.66%) occurred at home. The mean hospital stay was 24.5 days. The total mortality rate was 59.58%. This study concludes that LPG cylinder blast is a preventable cause that can be minimized by making people aware of its safe use and by arranging awareness programs at every national level.

Dermatologists' awareness of and screening practices for hepatitis B virus infection before initiating tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor therapy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess dermatologists' awareness of available guidelines and drug package insert information on the screening for and management of hepatitis B (HBV) infection in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor (TNF-αI) drug therapies for dermatological disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to a random, nationwide sample of physician members of the American Academy of Dermatology. Each participating physician answered 8 questions regarding his or her awareness of the risk of HBV reactivation. RESULTS: More than half of the dermatologists surveyed (52%) were aware of guidelines regarding TNF-αI use in dermatological disorders. Dermatologists who were aware of the guidelines performed universal screening 81% of the time versus 3% of those who were unaware. Approximately 30% of the dermatologists were aware of drug manufacturers' package insert warnings for risk of HBV reactivation with TNF-αIs. Screening in their high-risk patients was highly variable because >90% performed screening in patients with a history of hepatitis or with elevated liver-associated enzymes. Most (73%) screened appropriately with HB surface antigen. One case of HBV reactivation was observed with infliximab use for psoriasis treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Based on this survey, improving education among dermatologists regarding the risks of HBV reactivation and its prevention for patients receiving TNF-αI seems warranted. More specific consensus guidelines are recommended to achieve universal screening as the standard of care in these patients.

Hepatotoxicity of agents used in the management of inflammatory bowel disease.

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at risk for hepatobiliary disease and toxicity, and the diagnosis of drug-induced liver disease in patients being treated for IBD can represent a clinical challenge. There are a number of disease states associated with IBD, which are primary sclerosing cholangitis, cholangiocarcinoma and autoimmune hepatitis. There is a wide spectrum of hepatic injury that can occur from the agents used to treat IBD, such as acute or chronic hepatic injury directly attributable to the drugs used to treat IBD (e.g. sulfasalazine, mesalamine, thiopurines, methotrexate, TNF antagonists, quinolone antibiotics); liver toxicity from drugs used to treat complications of immunomodulators and TNF antagonists (e.g. isoniazid for treatment of reactivation tuberculosis), and exacerbation of underlying chronic viral hepatitis with infliximab and other TNF antagonists. Thiopurines are also associated with the development of hepatic vascular lesions, such as nodular regenerative hyperplasia and peliosis hepatic. In addition, biologics can be associated with the reactivation of underlying chronic viral hepatitis, mandating universal screening prior to initiation of TNF-alpha antagonist therapy.

Oncologists and hepatitis B: a survey to determine current level of awareness and practice of antiviral prophylaxis to prevent reactivation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The risk of chronic hepatitis B virus reactivation under the influence of chemotherapy or immunosuppression is being increasingly recognized. However, many oncologists either have not observed this complication or are not aware of current recommendations for hepatitis B prophylaxis. Our aims were to determine the awareness of the reactivation risk and to understand the screening and prevention practices among oncologists. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was administered to oncologists in the Washington, D.C., area. RESULTS: Responses from 131 practitioners to the 10 questions were received. Nearly 80% of respondents were aware of reactivation, but only 30% had seen a case and only 56% were aware of prophylactic therapy. Fourteen percent of oncologists screened all patients, whereas 86% screened selectively based on risk factors. Most (76%) would use prophylaxis in a patient with active hepatitis B virus, but only about half would treat chronic carriers or those with resolved infection. Regarding choice of prophylaxis, nearly half (48%) were unsure of which agent to use. CONCLUSIONS: Improving awareness of hepatitis B virus reactivation and antiviral prophylaxis in the oncology community seems warranted.

A case of granulomatous rosacea: sorting granulomatous rosacea from other granulomatous diseases that affect the face.

Granulomatous rosacea is a variant of rosacea that may present similar to other granulomatous diseases. We present the case of a 45-year-old woman with a 2-year history of facial erythema with multiple papules and pustules on the cheeks, chin, and glabella. The patient responded to minocycline, resulting in healing 6 months without residual scarring. This patient's clinical and histological presentation and treatment outcome are to our assessment consistent with granulomatous rosacea. However, other clinically and histologically related entities will be discussed. These entities include, but are not limited to, perioral dermatitis, granulomatous periorificial dermatitis, lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei, facial afro-caribbean eruption syndrome, and sarcoidosis.

Rheumatologists' awareness of and screening practices for hepatitis B virus infection prior to initiating immunomodulatory therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the degree of awareness of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) guidelines and package insert information on the screening for and management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection by rheumatologists in patients receiving immunomodulation drug therapies. METHOD: A questionnaire survey was administered to a nationwide sample of 1,000 members of the ACR. Each participating physician answered questions regarding their awareness of the risk of HBV reactivation, familiarity with published guidelines regarding HBV reactivation, their decision process in screening patients for HBV, knowledge of antiviral treatments for HBV, personal experience with HBV reactivation, and preferred approach to prophylaxis and subsequent monitoring of those patients. RESULTS: Responses were highly variable with regard to awareness, screening, and treatment options. The overall response rate was 15.3%. Of those surveyed, 7.4% had seen HBV reactivation. Depending on the agent, 19-53% were aware of manufacturers' warnings for HBV reactivation within drug package inserts. Nearly three-quarters (72%) would screen for HBV reactivation regardless of the presence/absence of manufacturers' warnings. Only 69% reported performing universal screening prior to initiating therapy with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The majority (81%) would defer to a gastroenterologist/hepatologist to determine prophylactic therapy for HBV. Only 22% had managed patients who were given prophylaxis against HBV reactivation while receiving immunosuppressants. CONCLUSION: Based on this survey, improving education among rheumatologists regarding the risks of HBV reactivation and its prevention for patients receiving immunosuppressants seems warranted. More specific consensus guidelines are recommended to achieve universal screening as the standard of care in these patients, especially with the increasing prevalence of HBV infection estimated in the US.

Reasons why patients infected with chronic hepatitis C virus choose to defer treatment: do they alter their decision with time?

This study was designed to determine the percentage of treatment-naïve patients infected with chronic hepatitis C virus who make an informed choice to forego (defer) treatment with pegylated interferon regimens in the absence of any medical, psychosocial, or other contraindications, and to reassess their decision by using a questionnaire at least 1 year later. Patient charts dating from 2001 were retrieved and retrospectively analyzed for the following data: patient age, gender, race, hepatitis C viral load, genotype, liver biopsy results, hepatic imaging results, peak alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, comorbid conditions, source of infection, estimated duration of infection, and reasons given by the patient for declining pegylated interferon-based treatment at the time of their consultation. A questionnaire survey sought to determine their satisfaction with their initial decision. Of 446 patient charts reviewed, 280 patients were treatment-naïve and were judged to have no contraindications to receiving interferon-based therapy. Of these, 115 (41%) opted to defer treatment and are the subject of this analysis. Women declining therapy outnumbered men by approximately 3 to 2. Middle-aged patients (45-55 years) were most likely to choose expectant therapy compared with older or younger individuals. The proportion of African American patients who deferred therapy (48%) was higher than non-African American patients (36.6%). More than 90% of the patients choosing to be followed were genotype 1. Peak ALT values were normal in 37% and <2X upper limits of normal (ULN) in another 40%. The estimated duration of chronic hepatitis C infection was >16 years in approximately three-quarters of individuals. The most common source of their infection was intravenous drug use followed by transfusion-related. The most common reason for opting not to receive treatment, given by nearly two-thirds of patients, was the asymptomatic nature of their infection coupled with their concern about side effects of the medications. Approximately 10% had unfavorable social situations, including a lack of support or health insurance, that precluded receiving therapy (despite the availability of indigent care programs offered by the pharmaceutical manufacturers). Only five patients (4.3%) cited doubts about efficacy as the main reason that they did not want to be treated. The questionnaire survey at 1 year found that 79% of the patients confirmed their ongoing satisfaction with their initial decision to decline treatment, and another 10.6% indicated that they were still "moderately satisfied" with their decision and unlikely to change it in the near-future. Only six patients (7%) voiced their current dissatisfaction with expectant management and expressed the desire to have a follow-up discussion about treatment options. Of the remaining three patients (3.5%), two had already started treatment and one was deceased (of non-liver-related causes). A significant proportion of patients infected with hepatitis C virus who are otherwise eligible for therapy opt to defer treatment (41% overall in our series, with African American patients deferring in a higher proportion than non-African American patients). Nearly all of our patients were genotype 1 with clinically and histologically mild hepatitis of reasonably long duration. Our questionnaire survey found that most remained satisfied with their decision to defer treatment at the present time. Few patients cited a perceived low rate of efficacy of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy as the principal reason that they chose not to initiate treatment.