Endoscopic balloon dilation management for benign duodenal stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Benign duodenal stenosis (BDS) is most commonly caused by peptic ulcer disease (PUD). Endoscopic balloon dilation (EBD) is the recommended initial management despite limited supporting literature. Our study investigated the etiologic spectrum of BDS and its response to endoscopic dilation. METHODS: We performed a cohort study of a prospectively maintained database of BDS at our large tertiary academic center between 2002 and 2018. All patients who underwent EBD were analyzed. Dilation was performed using through-the-scope balloons. Technical and clinical successes of initial and repeat EBD were compared. Descriptive statistics, univariate, and multivariate analysis were performed. RESULTS: The study included 86 patients with 54.7% female gender. Etiologies included 39 patients with PUD (45.3%), 19 patients with Crohn's disease (22.1%), 23 patients had idiopathic etiologies (26.7%), and 5 patients were listed as other etiologies (5.8%). Proximal stricture location (1st part of duodenum) occurred in 66% of females, whereas distal duodenal involvement was seen in 63.6% of males (p value 0.007). Usage of PPI was associated with 3.6 times higher clinical success rate (p value 0.04). Technical (97.4%) and clinical (77.8%) successes for index dilations in PUD were not significantly better than those of non-PUD patients (p values 0.99, 0.52). CONCLUSION: EBD has both a high technical and clinical success for BDS regardless of etiology and should be considered over initial surgical intervention due to low risk profile. Males tend to have more distal duodenal involvement, and PPI usage is an independent predictor for clinical success.

Long-term recurrence after endoscopic versus surgical ampullectomy of sporadic ampullary adenomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Ampullary adenomas are treated both surgically and endoscopically, however, data comparing both techniques are lacking. We aimed to compare long-term recurrence of benign sporadic adenomas after endoscopic (EA) and surgical ampullectomy (SA). METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of multiple databases (until December 29, 2020) was performed to identify studies reporting outcomes of EA or SA of benign sporadic ampullary adenomas. The outcome was recurrence rate at 1 year, 2-year, 3 year and 5 years after EA and SA. RESULTS: A total of 39 studies with 1753 patients (1468 EA [age 61.1 ± 4.0 years, size 16.1 ± 4.0 mm], 285 SA [mean age 61.6 ± 4.48 years, size 22.7 ± 5.4 mm]) were included in the analysis. At year 1, pooled recurrence rate of EA was 13.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.5-15.9], I2 = 31%) as compared to SA 14.1% (95% CI 9.5-20.3 I2 = 15.8%) (p = 0.82). Two (12.5%, [95% CI, 8.9-17.2] vs. 14.3 [95% CI, 9.1-21.6], p = 0.63), three (13.3%, [95% CI, 7.3-21.6] vs. 12.9 [95% CI, 7.3-21.6], p = 0.94) and 5 years (15.7%, [95% CI, 7.8-29.1] vs. 17.6% [95% CI, 6.2-40.8], p = 0.85) recurrence rate were comparable after EA and SA. On meta-regression, age, size of lesion or enbloc and complete resection were not significant predictors of recurrence. CONCLUSION: EA and SA of sporadic adenomas have similar recurrence rates at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years of follow up.

Mortality Trends, Outcomes, and Predictors of Portal Vein Thrombosis in Acute Pancreatitis Patients: A Propensity-Matched National Study.

BACKGROUND: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a rare complication of acute pancreatitis (AP) and might be associated with worse outcomes. We aimed to study trends, outcomes, and predictors of PVT in AP patients. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample database was utilized to identify the adult patients (≥ 18 years) with primary diagnosis of AP from 2004 to 2013 using International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision. Patients with and without PVT were entered into propensity matching model based on baseline variables. Outcomes were compared between both groups and predictors of PVT in AP were identified. RESULTS: Among the total of 2,389,337 AP cases, 7046 (0.3%) had associated PVT. The overall mortality of AP decreased throughout the study period (p trend ≤ 0.0001), whereas mortality of AP with PVT remained stable (1-5.7%, p trend = 0.3). After propensity matching, AP patients with PVT patients had significantly higher in-hospital mortality (3.3% vs. 1.2%), AKI (13.4% vs. 7.7%), shock (6.9% vs. 2.5%), and need for mechanical ventilation (9.2% vs. 2.5%) along with mean higher cost of hospitalization and length of stay (p < 0.001 for all). Lower age (Odd ratio [OR] 0.99), female (OR 0.75), and gallstone pancreatitis (OR 0.79) were negative predictors, whereas alcoholic pancreatitis (OR 1.51), cirrhosis (OR 2.19), CCI > 2 (OR 1.81), and chronic pancreatitis (OR 2.28) were positive predictors of PVT (p < 0.001 for all) in AP patients. CONCLUSION: PVT in AP is associated with significantly higher risk of death, AKI, shock, and need for mechanical ventilation. Chronic and alcoholic pancreatitis is associated with higher risk of PVT in AP.

The Epidemiology of Annular Pancreas in the United States: A Population-based Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Annular pancreas is a rare congenital condition where the second part of the duodenum is encircled by pancreatic tissue. There is a scarcity of data on its natural history therefore, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiology of annular pancreas and identify underlying associations using a large database. METHODS: A multi-institutional database (Explorys) was surveyed. A cohort of patients with a Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms diagnosis of "MRI, CT, EUS and/or ERCP" between April 2015 and April 2020 was identified. Subsequently a cohort of patients with history of "annular pancreas" was identified. RESULTS: There were a total of 40,075,980 individuals in the database with 6,162,600 (15.38%) who had an magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and/or endoscopic ultrasound. There were 210 (3.4/100,000) had a diagnosis of annular pancreas. When compared with the control group, patients with annular pancreas were more likely to have a history of alcohol use, smoking, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, gastritis, duodenitis, jaundice, and gastrointestinal outlet obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study evaluating the epidemiology of annular pancreas. We found the estimated prevalence rate of annular pancreas to be 3.4/100,000 in those who had abdominal imaging. Annular pancreas was more likely to be diagnosed in patients with symptoms pertaining to acute or chronic pancreatitis, biliary, and gastric outlet obstruction.

Thirty-Day Readmission After Bariatric Surgery: Causes, Effects on Outcomes, and Predictors.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery (BSx) is one of the most common surgical procedures in North America. Readmissions may be associated with a high burden to the healthcare system. METHODS: Retrospective study of the 2016 National Readmission Database of adult patients readmitted within 30 days after an index admission for BSx. Outcomes were: 30-day readmission rate, mortality, healthcare-related utilization resources, and independent predictors of readmission. Comparison groups were index admission, readmitted, and non-readmitted patients. RESULTS: A total of 161,141 patients underwent BSx. The 30-day readmission rate was 3.3%. Main causes for readmission were dehydration, acute kidney injury, venous thromboembolism events, and sepsis. Readmitted patients were more likely to develop shock (0.5% vs. 0.1%; P < 0.01) with no differences in mechanical ventilation (1.9% vs. 2.0%; P = 0.83) during index admission compared to non-readmitted patients. Readmission was associated with higher in-hospital mortality rate (1.5% vs. 0.1%; P < 0.01) and prolonged length of stay (4.6 vs. 2.4 days; P < 0.01). The total in-hospital economic burden of readmission was $234 million in total charges and $58.7 million in total costs. Independent predictors of readmission were: Charlson comorbidity index of ≥ 3, longer length of stay, admission to larger bed size hospitals, discharge to nursing home, and acute kidney injury. Medicaid, private insurance, BMI of 30-39 kg/m2, and 40-44 kg/m2 were associated with lower odds for readmission. CONCLUSION: Readmissions after BSx are associated with higher in-hospital mortality rate and pose a high healthcare burden. We identified risk factors that can be targeted to decrease readmissions after BSx, healthcare burden, and patient morbidity and mortality.

Pancreatic manifestations in rheumatoid arthritis: a national population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: RA is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent joint inflammation. Extra-articular manifestations of RA can involve different organs including the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Using a large database, we sought to describe the epidemiology of pancreas involvement in RA. METHODS: We queried a multicentre database (Explorys Inc, Cleveland, OH, USA), an aggregate of electronic health record data from 26 major integrated US healthcare systems in the US from 1999 to 2019. After excluding patients younger than 18, a cohort of individuals with Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT) diagnosis of RA was identified. Within this cohort, patients who developed a SNOMED-CT diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (AP), chronic pancreatitis (CP) and primary pancreatic cancer (PaCa) after at least 30 days of RA diagnosis were identified. Statistical analysis for multivariate model was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 25, IBM Corp) to adjust for several factors. RESULTS: Of the 56 183 720 individuals in the database, 518 280 patients had a diagnosis of RA (0.92%). Using a multivariate regression model, patients with RA were more likely to develop AP [odds ratio (OR): 2.51; 95% CI: 2.41, 2.60], CP (OR: 2.97; 95% CI: 2.70, 3.26) and PaC (OR: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.52, 2.10). CONCLUSION: In this large database, we found a modest increased risk of AP and CP among patients with RA after adjusting for the common causes of pancreatitis. Further studies are required to better understand this association and the effect of medications used for RA.

Viral-Attributed Acute Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review.

Infectious etiologies are rare cause of acute pancreatitis (AP). We sought to investigate the frequency of viral-attributed AP (VIAP) and describe its natural course and clinical features. Comprehensive review of PubMed and EMBASE in English until December 31, 2019, was performed. AP diagnosis and severity were defined per the Revised Atlanta Classification. Viral infections were diagnosed by serology and/or histology. A diagnosis of viral infection, with a concurrent AP diagnosis, a temporal resolution of both entities, and the attempt to exclude the most common etiologies of AP defined VIAP. Two independent reviewers reviewed eligible publications. Bias risk was assessed with the Murad tool. A total of 209 cases identified in 128 publications met inclusion criteria. Mean age was 38.9 ± 1.28 years. Male-to-female ratio was 2.2:1, and 28% of patients were immunocompromised. Viral hepatitis (A, B, C, D and E) was the most common virus and accounted for 34.4% of cases, followed by coxsackie and echoviruses (14.8%), hemorrhagic fever viruses (12.4%), CMV (12.0%), VZV (10.5%), mumps and measles (3.8%), primary HIV infection (3.8%), HSV (1.9%), EBV (1.9%), and the remainder of cases (2.9%) attributed to adenovirus, influenza H1N1, and multiple viruses. Severity of AP was: 43.1% mild, 11.7% moderately severe, 32.4% severe. Death occurred in 42 (20.1%) patients. A significant portion of VIAP patients were immunocompromised (28.0%) and accounted for 71.4% of mortality cases. Mortality was higher than that reported for AP from other etiologies in the literature.

Thirty-Day Readmission Among Patients with Alcoholic Acute Pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Alcoholic acute pancreatitis (AAP) comprises the second most common cause of acute pancreatitis in the USA, and there is lack of data regarding 30-day specific readmission causes and predictors. We aim to identify 30-day readmission rate, causes, and predictors of readmission. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of the 2016 National Readmission Database of adult patients readmitted within 30 days after an index admission for AAP. RESULTS: Totally, 76,609 AAP patients were discharged from the hospital in 2016. The 30-day readmission rate was 12%. The main cause of readmission was another episode of AAP. Readmission was not associated with higher mortality (1.3% vs. 1.2%; P = 0.21) or prolonged length of stay (5.2 vs. 5.0 days; P = 0.06). The total health care economic burden was $354 million in charges and $90 million in costs. Independent predictors of readmission were having Medicaid insurance, a Charlson comorbidity index score ≥ 3, use of total parenteral nutrition, opioid abuse disorder, prior pancreatic cyst, chronic alcoholic pancreatitis, and other chronic pancreatitis. Obesity was associated with lower odds of readmission. CONCLUSION: Readmission rate for AAP is high and its primary cause are recurrent episodes of AAP. Alcohol and substance abuse pose a high burden on our health care system. Public health strategies should be targeted to provide alcohol abuse disorder rehabilitation and cessation resources to alleviate the burden on readmission, the health care system and to improve patient outcomes.

The Risk of Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis in Celiac Disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic immune-mediated enteropathy that is precipitated by dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals. A few studies reported a higher incidence of pancreatitis in the CD population. Using a large US database, we sought to describe the epidemiology, risk, and outcomes of acute pancreatitis (AP) and chronic pancreatitis (CP) in CD patients. METHODS: We queried a multiple health system data analytics and research platform (Explorys Inc, Cleveland, OH, USA). A cohort of patients with a diagnosis of CD was identified. Subsequently, individuals who developed a new diagnosis of AP and CP after at least 30 days of being diagnosed with CD were identified. A multivariate regression model was performed to adjust for multiple confounding factors. RESULTS: Of the 72,965,940 individuals in the database, 133,400 (0.18%), 362,050 (0.50%), and 95,190 (0.13%) had CD, AP, and CP, respectively. New diagnosis of AP and CP after at least 30 days of CD diagnosis was 1.06%, 0.52%, respectively, compared to non-CD patients with 0.49% for AP and 0.13% for CP, P < .0001. In multivariate regression analysis, patients with CD were at higher risk of developing AP [OR 2.66; 95% CI 2.55-2.77] and CP [OR 2.18; 95% CI 2.04-2.34]. Idiopathic AP was the most common etiology among CD patients [OR 1.54; 95% CI 1.34-1.77]. CONCLUSIONS: In this largest US population database and after adjusting for several confounders, patients with CD were at increased risk of developing AP and CP. Celiac disease patients had worse outcomes and higher medical burden compared to non-CD patients. Recurrent abdominal pain that suggests pancreatic etiology, idiopathic pancreatitis, or elevation of pancreatic enzymes should warrant investigation for CD as a potential cause of pancreatic disease.

Clinical Outcomes of Acute Pancreatitis in Patients with Cirrhosis According to Liver Disease Severity Scores.

BACKGROUND: Literature on acute pancreatitis (AP) outcomes in patients with cirrhosis is limited. We aim to investigate the mortality and morbidity of AP in patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study, and propensity score matching was done to match cirrhotic with non-cirrhotic patients on a 1:2 basis. Outcomes included inpatient mortality, organs failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and length of hospital stay. We performed subgroup analysis of cirrhotics according to Child-Pugh and MELD scores. Multivariable logistic regression models were tested. RESULTS: From 819 AP patients, cirrhosis prevalence was 4.9% (40). There was no significant difference between cirrhotics and non-cirrhotics for inpatient mortality (7.5% vs. 1.3%, p = 0.1), severe AP (17.5% vs. 7.5%), shock (7.9% vs. 3%), respiratory failure (10% vs. 3.8%), need for intensive care unit (15% vs. 6.3%), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) on admission (22.5% vs. 32.5%), and SIRS on day 2 (25% vs. 15%). Cirrhotics had similar rates of pancreatic necrosis, ileus, BISAP score, Marshall score, admission hematocrit, BUN, and hospital length of stay. Finally, cirrhotics who had severe AP, required ICU, and/or die in-hospital appeared to have more severe liver diseases (Child-C, higher MELD score > 17) and had lower AP severity scores (BISAP < 3, Marshall scores < 2). CONCLUSION: In our study, cirrhotics hospitalized with AP had similar morbidity and mortality when compared to non-cirrhotics.

Infectious causes of acute pancreatitis: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Infectious etiologies of acute pancreatitis (AP) are rare and include viruses, bacteria, mycobacteria, parasites, and fungi. We aimed to conduct a comprehensive review on infectious etiologies of AP analyzing the frequency, clinical features, and outcomes of individuals presenting with this condition. METHODS: Eligible articles reporting on AP attributed to infectious etiologies were included. A comprehensive literature search of PubMed from time of inception and until September 6,2019 was performed using all relevant MeSH (medical subject heading) keywords. Articles were assessed for eligibility and independently reviewed by two reviewers for clinical features of AP, local complications, and mortality. Methodological quality of included studies was evaluated using the Murad tool. RESULTS: A total of 212 articles were included, of which 168 (79.2%) were at high risk of bias. 320 cases of AP were identified. Viruses were the leading etiology of infection attributed AP (65.3%) followed by helminths (19.1%), and bacteria (12.5%). Protozoa, mycobacteria, and fungi accounted for the remaining 3.1% of cases. Mean age was 40.5 ± 18.4 years and M:F ratio was 1.94:1. Mortality occurred in 50 patients. Mortality rate was higher in the virus attributed AP patients than AP from other infectious etiologies (21.8% vs. 7.0%, p < 0.0005). INTERPRETATION: Literature quality on infection attributed AP is limited. Virus attributed AP appears to carry a higher mortality than other etiologies of infection attributed AP.

Drug-induced acute pancreatitis: Prevalence, Causative agents, and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: We sought to study the causative drugs, prevalence and outcomes of drug-induced acute pancreatitis (DIAP). METHODS: Retrospective study of DIAP patients at a tertiary teaching hospital. The diagnosis and severity of pancreatitis were determined based on the Revised Atlanta Classification. The cases were further subclassified using the Badalov et al., 2008 classification, and Naranjo score to evaluate and determine the odds of drug-related adverse reaction as a causative factor for AP. RESULTS: Out of 841 AP patients, a total of 31 patients (3.6%) with DIAP were included. The mean age was 52.9 years, 51.6% were male. The most common causative drugs are listed in Table 3. Most cases were mild in severity (87%), moderate AP occurred in 2 patients (6.5%) and severe AP in 2 patients (6.5%). 19.3% had systemic inflammatory response syndrome at presentation, but it persisted beyond 48 h in only 9.6%. 9.6% developed acute kidney injury. One patient with valproate induced DIAP had pancreatic necrosis, splenic vein thrombus, and sub occlusive superior mesenteric vein thrombus on abdominal imaging. Three patients had recurrent AP, and two (6.5%) of them eventually developed chronic pancreatitis. Notably, none of our patients developed complications such as shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, bacteremia, or death. 1 patient had an acute peripancreatic fluid collection on initial imaging and another patient developed a pseudocyst on follow up imaging. None of them required drainage. CONCLUSION: Our study showed a prevalence of DIAP of (3.6%) and hydrochlorothiazide, azathioprine, and doxycycline were the most common culprit drugs.

Clinical outcomes of acute pancreatitis in patients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: AP outcomes in cirrhotic patients have not yet been studied. We aim to investigate the outcomes of cirrhotics patients with acute pancreatitis. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database (2003-2013) was queried for patients with a discharge diagnosis of AP and liver cirrhosis. Cirrhosis was further classified as compensated and decompensated using the validated Baveno IV criteria. Primary outcome was inpatient mortality. The analysis was adjusted for age, gender, race, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), median income quartile, and hospital characteristics. RESULTS: Over 2.8 million patients with acute pancreatitis were analyzed. Cirrhosis prevalence was 2.8% (80,093). Both compensated and decompensated cirrhosis subjects had significantly higher mortality. Highest odds ratios (OR) were: inpatient mortality (OR 3.4, P < 0.001), Shock (OR 1.5, P = 0.02), Ileus (OR: 1.3, p = 0.02, ARDS (OR 1.2, p = 0.03), upper endoscopy performed (OR 2.0, p < 0.001), blood transfusions (OR 3.1, p < 0.001), gastrointestinal bleed (OR 5.5, p < 0.001), sepsis (OR 1.3, p = 0.005), portal vein thrombosis (PVT) (OR 7.2, p < 0.001), acute cholecystitis (OR 1.3, p < 0.001). Interestingly, cirrhosis patients had lower hospital length of stay, (OR 0.16, p < 0.001), AKI (OR 0.93, p = 0.06), myocardial infarction (OR 0.31, p < 0.001), SIRS (OR 0.62, p < 0.001), parenteral nutrition requirement (OR 0.84, p = 0.002). Decompensated cirrhosis had higher inflation-adjusted hospital charges (+$3896.60; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: AP patients with cirrhosis have higher inpatient mortality, but it is unlikely to be due to AP severity as patients had lower incidence of SIRS and AKI. Higher mortality is possibly related to complications of cirrhosis and portal hypertension itself such as GI bleed, shock, PVT, AC and sepsis.

The utility of intracystic glucose levels in differentiating mucinous from non-mucinous pancreatic cysts.

BACKGROUND: Differentiating benign non-mucinous from potentially malignant mucinous pancreatic cysts is still a challenge. This study aims to improve this distinction with cyst fluid analysis. METHODS: A cohort study of pancreatic cyst undergoing EUS/FNA was performed from a prospectively maintained database between 2014 and 2018 was performed. RESULTS: 113 patients were analyzed (40 non-mucinous and 73 mucinous). For differentiating mucinous from non-mucinous cyst: intracyst glucose ≤41 mg/dl had a sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 92%; positive predictive value (PPV) of 96 and negative predictive value (NPV) of 86. Glucose ≤21 mg/dl had a sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 97%, PPV of 98 and NPV of 81. CEA ≥192 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 92%; PPV of 92 and NPV of 50. Glucose ≤21 mg/dl or CEA ≥192 ng/mL combined had a sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 92%, PPV of 96 and NPV of 87 (Fig. 1, Table 1). CONCLUSION: Intra-cyst glucose levels (≤41 mg/dl) outperforms classic CEA testing for differentiation of mucinous from non-mucinous pancreatic cysts. It was found to be an excellent diagnostic test with an AUC of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.81, 0.97).

Hybrid Percutaneous-Endoscopic Removal (HPER) of Cholelithiasis.

Acute cholecystitis (AC) affects over 20 million Americans annually, leading to annual costs exceeding USD 6 billion. Optimal treatment is early cholecystectomy. However, patients deemed high surgical risk undergo percutaneous cholecystostomy tube (PCT) placement as a bridge to surgery or more commonly as a definitive therapy. We hereby describe our experience with a new procedure named "Hybrid Percutaneous Endoscopic Removal (HPER) of cholelithiasis" that is meant for patients with chronic indwelling PCT. This procedure is an effective alternative to EUS-guided gallbladder drainage in high-risk patients. It does not require special expertise or technology and is simply performed by placing a fully covered metal stent conduit through the existing mature percutaneous tract allowing the endoscopic removal of gallstones through this conduit. This procedure can prevent the recurrence of gallstone-related complications as well as chronic PCT-related costs and adverse events. In our video, we present a case series and long-term follow-up of patients who underwent HPER as an alternative definitive therapy for calculous AC.

How to Become a Competitive Applicant for Gastroenterology Fellowship: Tips and Tricks for Success Part II.

In recent years, gastroenterology has become one of the most competitive subspecialties included in the internal medicine fellowship match, which increases the stressful nature of an already potentially nerve-wracking process for the trainee. Though each applicant has unique strengths and thus the process is somewhat individualized, there are some basic principles that can render an applicant more competitive for a gastroenterology fellowship. These include establishing mentorship, achieving scholarly work, building your resume, honing interpersonal and networking skills, and writing a well-planned application. The goal of this article is to outline some basic principles that will help improve the competitiveness of an applicant, and also highlight some practical tips and tricks for applicants with diverse backgrounds, such as international medical graduates, minority applicants, and women in medicine.

How to Become a Competitive Applicant for Gastroenterology Fellowship: Tips and Tricks for Success Part I.

In recent years, gastroenterology has become one of the most competitive subspecialties included in the internal medicine fellowship match, which increases the stressful nature of an already potentially nerve-wracking process for the trainee. Though each applicant has unique strengths and thus the process is somewhat individualized, there are some basic principles that can render an applicant more competitive for a gastroenterology fellowship. These include establishing mentorship, achieving scholarly work, building your resume, honing interpersonal and networking skills, and a writing a well-planned application. The goal of this article is to outline some basic principles that will help improve the competitiveness of an applicant, and also highlight some practical tips and tricks for applicants with diverse backgrounds, such as international medical graduates, minority applicants, and women in medicine.

Is There an Effect of Cannabis Consumption on Acute Pancreatitis?

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Twenty-percentage of acute pancreatitis (AP) cases is labeled as idiopathic. Cannabis remains the most frequently used illicit drug in the world. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of cannabis use among all patients with a first episode of AP, particularly in those labeled as idiopathic etiology, and determine any effect on AP severity. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of all consecutive patients admitted with a first episode of AP at a large tertiary referral hospital from 01/2013 through 12/2014. AP was identified by ICD9 code, or lipase ≥ 3 times the upper limit of normal and abdominal pain consistent with AP. Cannabis users (CU) were identified via history or urine toxicology. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty patients were included. 54% were men, with a mean age of 48 years (range 17-89 years). Forty-eight patients (10%) were identified as CU. After adjusting for admission SIRS, age, and gender, cannabis use was not found to be an independent risk factor for persistent SIRS, AKI, ARDS, pancreatic necrosis, mortality, ICU admission, length of stay, in-hospital infections, nor recurrent AP. Of note, AKI was least common among non-CU compared to CU (OR 0.4; p = 0.02; CI 0.2-0.9) and non-CU had a higher admission BISAP score (≥ 2) compared to CU (OR 2.5; p = 0.009; CI 1.2-4.9). CONCLUSION: This is the largest study to date examining cannabis use in AP. Cannabis use was found across almost all etiologies of AP with a prevalence of 10% (48 cases), and in 9% (9 cases) of so-called idiopathic AP cases in this cohort, which could account as an association for approximately 2% of all AP cases. Cannabis use did not independently impact AP severity or mortality.