Symptomatic, clinical and biomarker associations for mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients enriched for African Americans.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Initial reports on US COVID-19 showed different outcomes in different races. In this study we use a diverse large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients to determine predictors of mortality. METHODS: We analyzed data from hospitalized COVID-19 patients (n = 5852) between March 2020- August 2020 from 8 hospitals across the US. Demographics, comorbidities, symptoms and laboratory data were collected. RESULTS: The cohort contained 3,662 (61.7%) African Americans (AA), 286 (5%) American Latinx (LAT), 1,407 (23.9%), European Americans (EA), and 93 (1.5%) American Asians (AS). Survivors and non-survivors mean ages in years were 58 and 68 for AA, 58 and 77 for EA, 44 and 61 for LAT, and 51 and 63 for AS. Mortality rates for AA, LAT, EA and AS were 14.8, 7.3, 16.3 and 2.2%. Mortality increased among patients with the following characteristics: age, male gender, New York region, cardiac disease, COPD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, history of cancer, immunosuppression, elevated lymphocytes, CRP, ferritin, D-Dimer, creatinine, troponin, and procalcitonin. Use of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.001), shortness of breath (SOB) (p < 0.01), fatigue (p = 0.04), diarrhea (p = 0.02), and increased AST (p < 0.01), significantly correlated with death in multivariate analysis. Male sex and EA and AA race/ethnicity had higher frequency of death. Diarrhea was among the most common GI symptom amongst AAs (6.8%). When adjusting for comorbidities, significant variables among the demographics of study population were age (over 45 years old), male sex, EA, and patients hospitalized in New York. When adjusting for disease severity, significant variables were age over 65 years old, male sex, EA as well as having SOB, elevated CRP and D-dimer. Glucocorticoid usage was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 death in our cohort. CONCLUSION: Among this large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients enriched for African Americans, our study findings may reflect the extent of systemic organ involvement by SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent progression to multi-system organ failure. High mortality in AA in comparison with LAT is likely related to high frequency of comorbidities and older age among AA. Glucocorticoids should be used carefully considering the poor outcomes associated with it. Special focus in treating patients with elevated liver enzymes and other inflammatory biomarkers such as CRP, troponin, ferritin, procalcitonin, and D-dimer are required to prevent poor outcomes.

Clinical characteristics and predictors of mortality in African-Americans with COVID-19 from an inner-city community teaching hospital in New York.

There is limited data on the clinical presentation and predictors of mortality in the African-American (AA) patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) despite the disproportionately higher burden and mortality. The aim of this study is to report on the clinical characteristics and the predictors of mortality in hospitalized AA patients with COVID-19 infection. In this retrospective cohort review, we included all AA patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection admitted to an inner-city teaching community hospital in New York city. Demographics, clinical presentation, baseline co-morbidities, and laboratory data were compared between survivors and non-survivors. The predictors of mortality were assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Of the 408 (median age, 67 years) patients included, 276 (66.65%, median age 63 years) survived while 132 (33.35%, median age 71 years) died. The most common presenting symptoms were cough, myalgia, fever/chills, shortness of breath, and gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain), with a prevalence of 62.50%, 43.87%, 53.68%, and 27.21%, respectively. Age (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.08; P < .001), body mass index (OR, 1.07; CI, 1.04-1.11; P < .001), elevated serum ferritin (OR, 1.99; CI, 1.08-3.66; P < .02), C-reactive protein (OR, 2.42; CI, 1.36-4.33; P < .01), and D-dimers (OR, 3.79; CI, 2.21-6.50; P < .001) at the time of presentation were identified as the independent predictors of mortality. Cough, shortness of breath, fever/chills, gastrointestinal symptoms, and myalgia were the predominant presentation among AAs hospitalized with COVID-19 infection. Advanced age, higher body mass index, elevated serum ferritin, C-reactive protein, and D-dimers are independent predictors of mortality among hospitalized AAs with COVID-19 infection.

Outcomes of diverticulitis in patients with tobacco smoking: a propensity-matched analysis of nationwide inpatient sample.

BACKGROUND: Recent data shows a significantly increased risk of diverticulosis among smokers. There is limited data on the association between tobacco smoking and diverticulitis. We aim to determine in-hospital outcomes, length of hospital stay, and resource utilization in a contemporary cohort of diverticulitis patients based on tobacco smoking status. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed by utilizing the National Inpatient Sample database (2016 and 2017) and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes to identify the patients with the principal diagnosis of diverticulitis and smoking. We assessed all-cause in-hospital mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay (LOS), and total costs between propensity-matched groups of tobacco smokers vs. nonsmokers with diverticulitis. RESULTS: We identified 442,273 diverticulitis patients, of whom 96,864 were tobacco smokers, and 345,409 were nonsmokers. Between the two groups, in-hospital mortality was not significant (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.38-2.6; P = 0.98). Tobacco smokers with diverticulitis have higher odds of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.4-3.8; P = 0.01), peritonitis (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.9-3.3; P = 0.00), intestinal obstruction (OR 1.6, 95% CI 2.8-7.6; P = 0.00), sepsis (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.05-4.4; P = 0.03), and shock requiring vasopressor (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2-2.2; P = 0.00). In tobacco smokers with complicated diverticulitis, there were higher odds of LGIB (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6; P = 0.00), sepsis (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.05-4.4; P = 0.03), and colectomy (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.2; P = 0.00). In-hospital mortality was not significant in smokers with complicated diverticulitis (OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.78-1.9; P = 0.3). CONCLUSIONS: In this propensity-matched analysis, there was no difference in in-hospital mortality between tobacco smokers vs. nonsmokers with diverticulitis. Smoking has been associated with an increased incidence of complications in diverticulitis with a higher length of hospital stay and resource utilization.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with worse outcomes in ischemic colitis: a nationwide retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic colitis (IC) occurs when the blood supply of the large intestine becomes compromised. Several cardiovascular conditions, such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and atrial fibrillation, are well-established risk factors for the development of IC. The effects of pulmonary conditions, namely chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), on IC have not been well studied. AIMS: Our aim was to elucidate if the presence of COPD worsened outcomes in patients with IC. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized with IC in 2016 was evaluated using the National Inpatient Sample database. Baseline demographic data, length of hospital stay (LOS), total hospital cost/charge, rates of colectomy, and in-hospital mortality were extracted from the database. Categorical variables were compared using the chi-square test and continuous variables were compared using the t-test. RESULTS: A total of 25,035 patients with IC were identified while 4482 of these patients also had COPD. We found that IC patients with COPD had a longer LOS (5.8 days vs 4.4 days; P<0.01), higher total hospital charge ($56,682 vs $42,365; P<0.01), higher total hospital cost ($13,603 vs $10,238; P<0.01), higher mortality rate (6.5% vs 3.1%; P<0.01), and higher colectomy rate (5.1% vs 3.7%; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of COPD portends poor outcomes in patients with IC. This was evidenced by increased risk of death and increased risk of undergoing colectomy. Given these findings, patients with COPD warrant closer observation. We advocate that COPD be considered as part of the risk assessment of patients with acute IC who need surgical intervention.

End-stage renal disease and lower gastrointestinal bleeding-A propensity-matched analysis of nationwide inpatient sample.

AIMS: We aim to determine the influence of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) on mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay and resource utilisation in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample database (2016 &2017) was used for data analysis using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes to identify the patients with the principal diagnosis of ESRD and LGIB. We assessed the all-cause in-hospital mortality, morbidity, predictors of mortality, length of hospital stay (LOS) and total costs between propensity-matched groups of ESRD patients with LGIB versus ESRD patients. RESULTS: We identified 2 187 954 ESRD patients, of whom 242 075 has LGIB, and 1 945 879 were ESRD patients. The in-hospital mortality was higher in ESRD with LGIB (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.5-2.2; P = .00). ESRD with LGIB has higher odds of mechanical ventilation (OR 1.4, 95% CI 6.4-16.4; P = .00), and shock requiring vasopressor (OR 1.2, 95% CI 4.9-5.4; P = .002). Advanced age (OR 1.02 CI 1.02-1.03 P = .00), anaemia (OR 1.04 CI 1.59-1.91 P = .006), acute coronary syndrome (OR 1.8 CI 1.6-2.1, P = .00), acute respiratory failure (OR 1.29 CI 2.0-2.6, P = .00), mechanical ventilation (OR 1.9, CI 3.5-4.4, P = .00) and sepsis (OR 1.5, CI 4.1-5.08, P = .00) were identified as predictors of mortality in ESRD with LGIB. Mean LOS (10.8 ± 14.9 vs 6.3 ± 8.5, P < .01) and mean total charges (37 054 $ vs 18 080 $, P < .01) were also higher. CONCLUSIONS: In this propensity-matched analysis, ESRD with LGIB was associated with higher odds of in-hospital mortality, mechanical ventilation and shock requiring vasopressor. Mean LOS and resource utilisation were also higher.

Presenting characteristics, comorbidities, and outcomes of patients coinfected with COVID-19 and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the USA.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading at a rapid pace, and the World Health Organization declared it as pandemic on 11 March 2020. Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an "atypical" bacterial pathogen commonly known to cause respiratory illness in humans. The coinfection from SARS-CoV-2 and mycoplasma pneumonia is rarely reported in the literature to the best of our knowledge. We present a study in which 6 of 350 patients confirmed with COVID-19 were also diagnosed with M. pneumoniae infection. In this study, we described the clinical characteristics of patients with coinfection. Common symptoms at the onset of illness included fever (six [100%] patients); five (83.3%) patients had a cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The other symptoms were myalgia (66.6%), gastrointestinal symptoms (33.3%-50%), and altered mental status (16.7%). The laboratory parameters include lymphopenia, elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-6, serum ferritin, and D-dimer in all six (100%) patients. The chest X-ray at presentation showed bilateral infiltrates in all the patients (100%). We also described electrocardiogram findings, complications, and treatment during hospitalization in detail. One patient died during the hospital course.

Outcomes of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment of Psychiatric Patients with Comorbid Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

BACKGROUND: The highest burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is seen in patients with psychiatric disorders who have been excluded from traditional treatments with Interferon due to treatment-emergent neuropsychiatric adverse effects. The goal of this study is to determine the tolerability, treatment retention, and efficacy of direct-acting antivirals with psychiatric disorders and comorbid substance use disorders in real-life settings. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort observational study of HCV patients treated with direct-acting antivirals between January 2016 and December 2018. Patients were stratified and sub-stratified based on their psychiatric diagnosis and substance use. The primary assessment was the sustained virologic response at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12). RESULTS: Among the 291 patients analyzed, patients with psychiatric diagnosis and non-psychiatric patients made up 51.2% (n = 149) and 48.8% (n = 142) respectively. Majority of the patients included in the study were African-Americans (68.7%, n = 200). Overall, 95.3% (142/149) and 94.4% (134/142) of psychiatric and non-psychiatric patients, respectively, achieved SVR12 and treatment response was similar between the groups (p = 0.72). Among psychiatric patients, only the prior treatment status was identified as a predictor of treatment response (OR 0.153, 95% CI 0.03-0.79; p = 0.05). No statistical difference was observed among the patients with SVR12 based on their primary psychiatric diagnoses or by comorbid substance abuse. CONCLUSION: The results of our study show that direct-acting antiviral treatments are well tolerated in psychiatric patients, and an overwhelming majority of patients achieved SVR12. Our study highlights the need to integrate HCV screening with treatment linkage in psychiatry and primary care practice.

Outcomes of Clostridioides difficile in Patients with Vitamin D Deficiency: A Propensity-Matched National Inpatient Sample Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine in-hospital outcomes, length of hospital stay, and resource utilization in a contemporary cohort of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and vitamin D deficiency (VDD). METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample database for 2016 and 2017 was used for data analysis using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification/Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-CM/PCS) codes to identify the patients with the principal diagnosis of CDI and VDD. We assessed the all-cause in-hospital mortality, morbidity, length of hospital stay (LOS), and total costs between propensity-matched groups of CDI without VDD versus CDI with VDD. RESULTS: We identified 202,234 patients with CDI, 4515 of whom were patients with VDD and 197,719 of whom were without VDD. After propensity matching, there was no difference in the in-hospital mortality between the two groups (odds ratio [OR] 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-4.3; P = 0.90). CDI with VDD has a higher odds of sepsis (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-1.9; P = 0.0), and peritonitis (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.4-3.8; P = 0.01). Mean LOS (5.9 ± 1.8 vs 5.4 ± 2, P < 0.01) and mean total charges ($11,500 vs $9971, P < 0.04) were higher in CDI with VDD. The factors affecting the LOS were acute coronary syndrome (P = 0.04), mechanical ventilation (P = 0.03), obesity (P = 0.004), acute kidney injury (P = 0.04), and sepsis (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort in a propensity-matched analysis, VDD does not increase the in-hospital mortality in CDI. VDD increases the odds of complications with a higher LOS and resource utilization. These findings may be clinically relevant to guide clinicians to routinely monitor vitamin D status and supplement in patients at risk of CDI.

Patterns of Vitamin D Deficiency in a Community Outpatient Psychiatric Practice: a Real-World Evaluation of Treatment Gaps.

Vitamin D is traditionally recognized for its role in bone mineralization but recent observations suggest additional pertinent functions in neuronal biology. The present study examines the rate and pattern of Vitamin D deficiency in the outpatient mental health clinic of a community teaching hospital as well as the vitamin D supplementation practices of outpatient psychiatrists. Participants include 148 consecutive psychiatric outpatients. Individuals with conditions that alter the metabolism of vitamin D were excluded from the study as are those who may be taking medications that influence Vitamin D metabolism. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 25th edition, statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The majority of patients in the study were between 41 and 65 years old (n = 91, 61.5%), African American (n = 120, 81.1%) and female (n = 80, 54.1%). The median level is 23.7 ng/ml. As defined by the Endocrine Society's Clinical Practice Guidelines, 68.2% of the population had insufficient and deficient Vitamin D levels (32.4% and 35.8% respectively), 62.4% of whom were not prescribed any Vitamin D supplementation and of this untreated group, 84% were African Americans. No clinical or demographic characteristics showed any statistical difference in both the "treated" and "not treated groups". Logistic regression did not reveal any significant predictors for Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency remains a significant issue among patients with psychiatric disorders. Our findings show gaps in Vitamin D deficiency treatment and recommend that future studies examine physician prescription practices in light of the racial disparity in Vitamin D deficiency treatment oberved in this study.

Real-world study of hepatitis C treatment with direct-acting antivirals in patients with drug abuse and opioid agonist therapy.

Background: Limited data exist evaluating the treatment outcomes with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in patients with drug use in the community setting. We aim to assess the treatment response of DAAs in this subset of patients with or without the opioid agonist therapy (OAT). Methods: All the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients treated with DAAs were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were stratified into two groups by the presence or absence of abusing alcohol, cocaine and heroin. All the patients who were assigned to the abuser group had positive urine toxicology with one of the drugs during the DAA treatment. The primary assessment was the sustained virologic response (SVR12) at 12 weeks post-treatment (SVR12). Results: Among the 314 patients, 152, 128 and 58 were patients with drug use, non-drug use and receiving OAT. Among the patients with injectable or non-injectable drug use treatment, completion rate was 99% (151/152) and SVR12 was 93.4%. Among the patients with no drug use treatment, completion rate was 95% (122/128) and SVR12 was 88.3%. Among patients receiving OAT alone, SVR12 was 100%, and in patients with OAT + other drug use, SVR12 was 96.5%. None of the patients included in this study discontinued the treatment due to adverse events associated with treatment medications. Conclusions: In this community-based study, DAAs are safe, effective with high overall SVR12 in patients with active drug use (injectable and non-injectable) and OAT enrolled patients. These results support the removal of drug use as a barrier to DAA therapy.

African Americans Possessed High Prevalence of Comorbidities and Frequent Abdominal Symptoms, and Comprised A Disproportionate Share of Covid-19 Mortality among 9,873 Us- Hospitalized Patients Early in the Pandemic.

Background and aim: Identifying clinical characteristics and outcomes of different ethnicities in the US may inform treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Aim of this study is to identify predictors of mortality among US races/ethnicities. Design Setting and participants: We retrospectively analyzed de-identified data from 9,873 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized at 15 US hospital centers in 11 states (March 2020-November 2020). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was to identify predictors of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Results: Among the 9,873 patients, there were 64.1% African Americans (AA), 19.8% Caucasians, 10.4% Hispanics, and 5.7% Asians, with 50.7% female. Males showed higher in-hospital mortality (20.9% vs. 15.3%, p=0.001). Non- survivors were significantly older (67 vs. 61 years) than survivors. Patients in New York had the highest in-hospital mortality (OR=3.54 (3.03 - 4.14)). AA patients possessed higher prevalence of comorbidities, had longer hospital stay, higher ICU admission rates, increased requirement for mechanical ventilation and higher in-hospital mortality compared to other races/ethnicities. Gastrointestinal symptoms (GI), particularly diarrhea, were more common among minority patients. Among GI symptoms and laboratory findings, abdominal pain (5.3%, p=0.03), elevated AST (n=2653, 50.2%, p=<0.001, OR=2.18), bilirubin (n=577, 12.9%, p=0.01) and low albumin levels (n=361, 19.1%, p=0.03) were associated with mortality. Multivariate analysis (adjusted for age, sex, race, geographic location) indicates that patients with asthma, COPD, cardiac disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, immunocompromised status, shortness of breath and cough possess higher odds of in-hospital mortality. Among laboratory parameters, patients with lymphocytopenia (OR2=2.50), lymphocytosis (OR2=1.41), and elevations of serum CRP (OR2=4.19), CPK (OR2=1.43), LDH (OR2=2.10), troponin (OR2=2.91), ferritin (OR2=1.88), AST (OR2=2.18), D-dimer (OR2=2.75) are more prone to death. Patients on glucocorticoids (OR2=1.49) and mechanical ventilation (OR2=9.78) have higher in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that older age, male sex, AA race, and hospitalization in New York were associated with higher in-hospital mortality rates from COVID-19 in early pandemic stages. Other predictors of mortality included the presence of comorbidities, shortness of breath, cough elevated serum inflammatory markers, altered lymphocyte count, elevated AST, and low serum albumin. AA patients comprised a disproportionate share of COVID-19 death in the US during 2020 relative to other races/ethnicities.

Intestinal Reactive Amyloid A (AA) Amyloidosis in a Patient With Multiple Myeloma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Amyloidosis is a rare group of disorders characterized by the extracellular deposition of misfolded protein aggregates that interfere with the function of the tissue affected. In some patients, the presenting symptom of monoclonal gammopathies, such as multiple myeloma, can be a gastrointestinal bleed with a further report of amyloidosis in gastrointestinal samples. In all the cases the pathology report is read as AL (light chain) amyloidosis. We present a case of a 57-year-old male patient with no medical history who debuted with gastrointestinal bleeding. A colonoscopy revealed a colonic ulcer with a pathologic diagnosis of amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis. Further investigation led to the finding of multiple myeloma (MM) with no evidence of systemic amyloidosis. Although there is little evidence in the literature of the association or even causative relationship between multiple myeloma and AA amyloidosis, our case highlights the importance of searching for an underlying monoclonal gammopathy like MM in a patient with a confirmed diagnosis of AA amyloidosis.

Outcomes of Acute Mesenteric Ischemia in Patients With COVID-19: A Nationwide Database Study.

Introduction Initially regarded as primarily a respiratory illness, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has since been recognized as a complex disease affecting multiple systems. A COVID-19 infection can cause a hypercoagulable state leading to thrombotic complications in various systems. Acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI) has been reported as a rare complication of COVID-19, carrying a significant mortality rate. Although some risk factors for AMI in COVID-19 patients have been identified, there is a lack of large-scale studies examining outcomes and predictors of mortality. This study aims to assess the outcomes and identify predictors of mortality in a larger cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with AMI, utilizing a retrospective analysis of the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database. Methods Data from the 2020 NIS database were retrospectively analyzed. Patients aged 18 years and older, with a principal diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes. The population was divided into mesenteric ischemia with COVID-19 and mesenteric ischemia without COVID-19. Patient demographics, comorbidities, hospital characteristics, and outcomes such as mortality, length of stay, and costs were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of mortality. Results Among the 18,185 patients with acute mesenteric ischemia in 2020, 2.1% (n=370) had AMI with COVID-19 while 97.9% (n=17,810) had AMI only. In comparison to those without COVID-19, patients with AMI and COVID-19 had significantly higher in-hospital mortality. They also had higher odds of acute kidney injury, coronary artery disease, and ICU admission. Increasing age and white race were identified as predictors of mortality. Patients with COVID-19 had longer hospital stays and higher total costs compared to those without COVID-19. Discussion In this retrospective analysis of the NIS database, COVID-19 infection was associated with higher mortality in patients with AMI. Additionally, COVID-19 patients with AMI experienced increased odds of complications and higher resource utilization. Advanced age and white race were identified as predictors of mortality. These findings emphasize the importance of early recognition and management of AMI in COVID-19 patients, especially in high-risk populations.

Chicken Bone Ingestion Leads to Aortoesophageal Fistula With Catastrophic Bleeding.

Aortoesophageal fistula (AEF) is an uncommon, but potentially fatal cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Aortoesophageal fistulas caused by foreign body ingestion are rare but devastating. The classic clinical triad of AEF consists of mid-thoracic pain or dysphagia, a herald episode of hematemesis, followed by fatal exsanguination after a symptom-free period (Chiari's triad). Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the preferred diagnostic tool for identifying AEF and is substantially more sensitive than upper endoscopy for detecting AEF. Endoscopy can detect AEF as it might show pulsatile blood, pulsatile mass, hematoma, or adherent blood clot in the esophagus, or a deep esophageal tear. However, endoscopy has a low sensitivity and may delay definitive treatment. Several management options for AEF have been suggested; however, the definitive treatment is surgery performed on the thoracic aorta and esophagus, including esophagectomy, surgical replacement of the thoracic aorta, thoracic endovascular aortic repair, or omental flap. We report a case of a 63-year-old man who presented with hematemesis 2 weeks after chicken bone ingestion.

Non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia associated with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor: Case report and review of the literature.

Non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia is an uncommon paraneoplastic phenomenon commonly associated with tumors of mesenchymal origin like gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). It causes the release of insulin-like growth factor type II. GIST are frequently asymptomatic but can present with vague symptoms such as gastrointestinal bleeding, gastric pain, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting. We present an interesting case of A 62-year-old male with GIST tumor admitted for refractory hypoglycemia found to have non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia which is a relatively uncommon cause of hypoglycemia.

Clinical Characteristics and Predictors of Mortality in Obese African-Americans with COVID-19: a Single-Center Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to add to the body of evidence linking obesity as an established risk factor for COVID-19 infection and also look at predictors of mortality for COVID-19 in the African-Americans (AA) population. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection was done in a community hospital in New York City. The cohort was divided into two groups, with the non-obese group having a BMI < 30 kg/m2 and the obese group with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Clinical predictors of mortality were assessed using multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: Among the 469 (AA) patients included in the study, 56.3% (n = 264) had a BMI < 30 kg/m2 and 43.7% (n = 205) had a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Most common comorbidities were hypertension (n = 304, 64.8%), diabetes (n = 200, 42.6%), and dyslipidemia (n = 74, 15.8%). Cough, fever/chills, and shortness of breath had a higher percentage of occurring in the obese group (67.8 vs. 55.7%, p = 0.008; 58.0 vs. 46.2%, p = 0.011; 72.2 vs. 59.8%, p = 0.005, respectively). In-hospital mortality (41.5 vs. 25.4%, p < 0.001) and mechanical ventilation rates (34.6 vs. 22.7%, p = 0.004) were also greater for the obese group. Advanced age (p = 0.034), elevated sodium levels (p = 0.04), and elevated levels of AST (0.012) were associated with an increase in likelihood of in-hospital mortality in obese group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that having a BMI that is ≥ 30 kg/m2 is a significant risk factor in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. These results highlight the need for caution when managing obese individuals.

Pancreatic Heterotopia at the Gastroesophageal Junction: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Pancreatic heterotopia is characterized by the presence of pancreatic tissue in a location outside of its typical anatomical position. Symptoms of pancreatic heterotopia vary based on the location of the ectopic tissue. It is commonly asymptomatic and often diagnosed incidentally during routine endoscopy. Clinically significant pancreatic heterotopia is often secondary to inflammation, bleeding, obstruction, and malignant transformation. The most common location of heterotopic pancreas is within 5 cm of the pylorus usually on the greater curvature. Involvement of the gastroesophageal junction is extremely rare. In this report, we describe the case of a 57-year-old woman who was diagnosed with ectopic pancreatic tissue at the gastroesophageal junction by esophagogastroduodenoscopy after presenting with symptoms of dyspepsia.

Hepatic Dystrophic Calcification Secondary to Transarterial Chemoembolization: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy usually treated with surgery. Patients who are not suitable for surgery undergo transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) which involves injecting anti-cancer drugs and embolizing agents into the hepatic artery. Although it is a relatively safe procedure with minor side effects, TACE can rarely cause dystrophic calcification in the liver. We report a case of a 58-year-old female who presented with right-sided chest pain. The patient had been previously treated for HCC with a TACE procedure. A chest x-ray revealed hepatic calcification which was likely secondary to the prior TACE. This case study emphasizes the significance of considering TACE as a potential cause of hepatic dystrophic calcification.