Tissierella praeacuta Bacteremia Associated With Acute on Chronic Osteomyelitis: A Case Report.

Tissierella praeacuta is a rare gram-variable bacillus that naturally occurs in the environment and is pathogenic in humans with chronic infections. We report the case of a 45-year-old man with a history of chronic osteomyelitis of the left tibia and recurrent bacteremia secondary to intravenous drug use (IVDU). He had previously received multiple partially completed courses of antibiotics over the past one year. Blood cultures demonstrated polymicrobial infection, including T. praeacuta and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus managed with parenteral beta-lactams, and the subsequent first surveillance cultures remained sterile. Medical literature on human infections with T. praeacuta is limited due to its rare occurrence. Most cases have reported sensitivity to beta-lactam antibiotics, making them an antibiotic of choice. T. praeacuta infections should prompt a search for additional underlying infectious foci and treatment of any additional co-infecting microbes.

Amiodarone-Induced Nystagmus and Ataxia: Case Report and Systematic Review of Case Reports.

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic drug with a significant adverse effect profile, including neurotoxicity. While ataxia, neuropathy, and tremors are more commonly seen forms of amiodarone neurotoxicity, very few cases of nystagmus are reported. We report the case of an 86-year-old man who presented with abrupt-onset ataxia, dizziness, and inability to ambulate, 10 days after initiating amiodarone for atrial fibrillation. His examination revealed gaze-evoked nystagmus along with features of cerebellar dysfunction. After excluding other etiologies, amiodarone was stopped. His nystagmus resolved, and his ataxia improved within 48 h of stopping amiodarone. Due to the rarity of this drug-induced adverse effect, we performed a systematic review of available case reports in the literature (PubMed and Scopus) using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and presented our findings. Nystagmus is a rarely reported adverse effect of amiodarone, which can occur within days to months of starting the medication. Treatment includes stopping the drug and monitoring for resolution of nystagmus.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome Presenting as Painful Weakness and Edema of the Legs: A Case Report.

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune inflammatory polyneuropathy, which can be challenging to diagnose due to variability in the initial presenting features. Pain, flaccid paresis, motor sensory disturbance, hyporeflexia, and autonomic dysfunction are the typical manifestations, although atypical features, such as ataxia, neck stiffness, dysphagia, ophthalmoplegia, bulbar palsy, and isolated upper limb weakness, may be seen. It may also progress to fatal respiratory depression. As such, timely diagnosis and treatment are essential. We present the case of a 41-year-old man who presented with a four-day history of acute-onset bilateral lower extremity swelling, decreased motor strength, diffuse muscle pain, hyporeflexia, and absent vibratory sensation. After admission, symptoms worsened, and the patient developed new-onset swallowing difficulty and urinary retention. Neurological examination findings of hyporeflexia and flaccid paralysis, along with normal thyroid function, and the absence of cord compression on spinal MRI pointed toward the diagnosis of GBS. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) and concentric electromyography (EMG) confirmed the diagnosis. The patient was treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) and eventually discharged to a rehabilitation facility after a 12-day hospital stay. Later, the patient developed contractures and chronic pain consistent with post-GBS syndrome, for which we referred him for pain management and physical therapy. A rapidly progressive weakness with autonomic dysfunction should prompt suspicion of GBS and should be treated with intravenous immunoglobulins or plasma exchange without further delay.

Length of stay overestimates severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis: Is it time to revise the consensus definition?

INTRODUCTION: Length of stay (LOS) is an important determinant of the severity of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) in the consensus definition. The aim of our study was to evaluate and compare severity of PEP based on the revised Atlanta classification (RAC) and the consensus definition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1/2000 and 12/2011, all adult patients admitted with suspicion of PEP after outpatient ERCP were evaluated. PEP was defined using the RAC, but the severity of PEP was defined using both revised Atlanta and consensus definitions. RESULTS: A total of 341 patients (mean age 49 years and 75 % females) were diagnosed with PEP. The consensus definition classified 57 %, 37 %, and 8 % of patients with mild, moderate, and severe PEP, respectively. The RAC diagnosed 94 %, 6 %, and 0 % with mild, moderate, and severe acute pancreatitis, respectively. Of the patients diagnosed with moderate-severe PEP by consensus definition, only 12.5 % had clinical parameters of pancreatitis severity, such as acute fluid collection(s), pancreatic necrosis, transient organ failure and/or required percutaneous or surgical drainage, while 87.5 % were classified only based on a LOS ≥ 4 days. The most common reason for increased LOS was persistent post-procedural abdominal pain in 47 % of patients, followed by other reasons not related to pancreatitis in 17 %. CONCLUSION: The consensus definition overestimates the rates of severe PEP when compared to the RAC. The majority of PEP patients classified as moderate-severe PEP have extended LOS, due to post-procedural abdominal pain rather than complications of PEP.

Persistent SIRS and acute fluid collections are associated with increased CT scanning in acute interstitial pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: The use of computed tomography (CT) in acute pancreatitis (AP) continues to increase in parallel with the increasing use of diagnostic imaging in clinical medicine. AIM: To determine the factors associated with obtaining >1 CT scan in acute interstitial pancreatitis (AIP). METHODS: Demographic and clinical data of all adult patients admitted between 1/2010 and 1/2015 with AP (AP) were evaluated. Only patients with a CT severity index (CTSI) ≤ 3 on a CT obtained within 48 h of presentation were included. RESULTS: A total of 229 patients were included, of whom 206 (90%) had a single CT and 23 (10%) had >1 CT during the first week of hospitalization. Patients undergoing >1 CT had significantly higher rates of acute fluid collection (AFC), persistent SIRS, opioid use ≥4 days, and persistent organ failure compared to those undergoing 1 CT (p < .05 for all). On multivariable analysis, only persistent SIRS (OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.4-9.6, p = .01) and an AFC on initial CT (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.4-9, p = .009) were independently associated with obtaining >1 CT. CONCLUSION: An AFC on initial CT and persistent SIRS are associated with increased CT imaging in AIP patients. However, these additional CT scans did not change clinical management.

An international multicenter study of early intravenous fluid administration and outcome in acute pancreatitis.

AIMS: Early aggressive fluid resuscitation in acute pancreatitis is frequently recommended but its benefits remain unproven. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes associated with early fluid volume administration in the emergency room (FVER) in patients with acute pancreatitis. METHODS: A four-center retrospective cohort study of 1010 patients with acute pancreatitis was conducted. FVER was defined as any fluid administered from the time of arrival to the emergency room to 4 h after diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, and was divided into tertiles: nonaggressive (<500 ml), moderate (500 to 1000 ml), and aggressive (>1000 ml). RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-nine (26.6%), 427 (42.3%), and 314 (31.1%) patients received nonaggressive, moderate, and aggressive FVER respectively. Compared with the nonaggressive fluid group, the moderate group was associated with lower rates of local complications in univariable analysis, and interventions, both in univariable and multivariable analysis (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 0.37 (0.14-0.98)). The aggressive resuscitation group was associated with a significantly lower need for interventions, both in univariable and multivariable analysis (adjusted odds ratio 0.21 (0.05-0.84)). Increasing fluid administration categories were associated with decreasing hospital stay in univariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Early moderate to aggressive FVER was associated with lower need for invasive interventions.

Effect of Aging on the Composition of Fecal Microbiota in Donors for FMT and Its Impact on Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is emerging as an effective therapy for the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (RCDI). Selecting an appropriate donor is vital to the success of FMT. However, the relationship between age of donors and the efficacy of FMT has not been examined to date. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of age of healthy donors on their fecal microbiota and assess the impact of these changes on the clinical efficacy of FMT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This IRB-approved prospective study enrolled donors who were deemed healthy for FMT after careful detailed screening for infectious diseases per institutional protocol. The study was conducted between January 2011 and October 2014. Fecal samples were processed and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Differences in relative abundance and diversity of the donor fecal microbiota were analyzed in donors above and below 60 years of age. Effect of fecal microbiota from donors of different age groups on the efficacy of FMT was also evaluated. RESULTS: Twenty-eight healthy human subjects from ages 20-82 years were enrolled as donors for FMT. All patients receiving FMT from their respective donors had resolution of RCDI symptoms and had a negative C. difficile toxin test 4-12 weeks after FMT. Genomic analysis showed that the relative abundance of phylum Actinobacteria and family Bifidobacteriaceae was reduced in the donors ≥60 years of age (p < 0.05). However, Bacteroidetes-to-Fermicutes ratio did not demonstrate a significant change between the two groups. Furthermore, microbial diversity did not change significantly with advancing age. CONCLUSION: These observations suggest that aging in healthy donors is associated with compositional alterations in the fecal microbiome without change in the overall microbial diversity. These changes do not seem to affect the clinical efficacy of FMT in RCDI patients over 12 months.

Hospital admission volume does not impact the in-hospital mortality of acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple factors influence mortality in Acute Pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: To evaluate the association of demographic, clinical, and hospital factors with the in-hospital mortality of AP using a population-based administrative database. The Maryland HSCRC database was queried for adult (≥18 years) admissions with primary diagnosis of AP between 1/94-12/10. Organ failure (OF), interventions, hospital characteristics and referral status were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 72,601 AP admissions across 48 hospitals in Maryland with 885 (1.2%) deaths. A total of 1657 (2.3%) were transfer patients, of whom 101 (6.1%) died. Multisystem OF was present in 1078 (1.5%), of whom 306 (28.4%) died. On univariable analysis, age, male gender, transfer status, comorbidity, OF, all interventions, and all hospital characteristics were significantly associated with mortality; however, only age, transfer status, OF, interventions, and large hospital size were significant in the adjusted analysis. Patients with commercial health insurance had significantly less mortality than those with other forms of insurance (OR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.52, 0.82, p = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: OF is the strongest predictor of mortality in AP after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and hospital characteristics. Admission to HV or teaching hospital has no survival benefit in AP after adjusting for OF and transfer status.

The treatment of venous malformations with percutaneous sclerotherapy at a single academic medical center.

PURPOSE: We report a retrospective analysis of venous malformation patients treated with percutaneous sclerotherapy, describing their clinical manifestations, therapeutic outcomes and procedural complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed our Vascular Anomalies database for all patients who underwent percutaneous sclerotherapy for venous malformation between January 2005 and July 2011 and retrieved 186 patients, out of which 116 were included in the final analysis. The majority of patients were treated using 100% alcohol (72%) and the rest were treated with <100% alcohol, Sodium Tetradecyl Sulfate or combination of these therapies. The most common location was the lower extremity in 67 patients (58%), followed by the head and neck in 27 (23%) and the upper extremity in 11 (9%). Retrospective review of medical records was performed. Outcomes were classified on an improvement scale based on clinical therapeutic effects. RESULTS: Two-hundred and forty-five sclerotherapy procedures were performed in 116 patients, of which 52 patients (45%) underwent a single procedure, 32 (28%) had two procedures and 32 (28%) underwent ≥3 procedures. Median follow-up period from the last procedure was 2.5 months (interquartile range of 2.0 to 6.75 months). Significant improvement was seen in 37 patients (32%), moderate improvement in 31 (27%), mild improvement in 20 (17%), no improvement in 21 (18%) and worse than before in 7 (6%) patients. Major post-procedural complications were nerve injuries in 6 patients (5%), deep vein thrombosis in 5 (4%), muscle contracture in 2 (2%), infection in 3 (3%), skin necrosis in 4 (3%) and other complications in 3 (3%). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that 76% of our patients with venous malformation had some level of improvement in symptoms with majority (72%) undergoing only one or two percutaneous sclerotherapy procedure/s. Although major complications occurred in 20% of the patients, majority (74%) of the complications either resolved spontaneously or were successfully treated.

Predictors of Post-Operative Pain Relief in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis Undergoing the Frey or Whipple Procedure.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative pain relief in chronic pancreatitis (CP) is variable. Our objective was to determine clinical imaging or histopathologic predictor(s) of post-operative pain relief in CP patients undergoing the Whipple or Frey procedure. METHODS: All patients who underwent a Whipple (n = 30) or Frey procedure (n = 30) for painful CP between January 2003 and September 2013 were evaluated. A toxic etiology was defined as a history of alcohol use and/or smoking. The pre-operative abdominal CT was evaluated for calcification(s) and main pancreatic duct (MPD) dilation (≥5 mm). The post-operative histopathology was evaluated for severe fibrosis. Clinical imaging and histopathologic features were evaluated as predictors of post-operative pain relief using univariable and multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 60 patients (age 51.6 years, 53% males) were included in our study, of whom 42 (70%) reported post-operative pain relief over a mean follow-up of 1.1 years. There were 37 (62%) patients with toxic etiology, 36 (60%) each with calcification(s) and MPD dilation. A toxic etiology, calcifications, and severe fibrosis were associated with post-operative pain relief on univariable analysis (all p < 0.01). However, only a toxic etiology was an independent predictor of post-operative pain relief (OR 5.7, 95% CI 1.3, 24.5, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Only a toxic etiology, and not imaging or histopathologic findings, independently predicts post-operative pain relief in CP patients undergoing the Whipple or Frey procedure.

Algorithm for the management of ERCP-related perforations.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Perforation is a rare but serious adverse event of ERCP. There is no consensus to guide the clinician on the management of ERCP-related perforations, with particular controversy surrounding the immediate surgical management of postprocedurally detected duodenal perforation because of overextension of a sphincterotomy. Our aim was to assess patient outcomes using a predetermined algorithm based on managing ERCP-related duodenal perforations according to the mechanism of injury. METHODS: A retrospective single-center study of all consecutive patients with Stapfer type I and II perforations between 2000 and 2014 were included. Our institutional algorithm since 2000 dictated that Stapfer type I perforations (duodenal wall perforation, endoscope related) should be managed surgically unless prohibited by underlying comorbidities and Stapfer type II perforations (periampullary, sphincterotomy related) managed nonsurgically unless a deterioration in clinical status necessitated surgery. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients (mean age, 51 years; 80% women) were analyzed with Stapfer type I perforations diagnosed in 7 (11%) and type II in 54 (89%). A postprocedural diagnosis of perforation was made in 55 patients (90%). Four patients (7%) had Stapfer type II perforations that failed medical management and required surgery. The mean length of stay (LOS) in the entire cohort was 9.6 days with a low mortality rate of 3%. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome was observed in 18 patients (33%) with Stapfer type II perforations and was not associated with the need for surgery. Concurrent post-ERCP pancreatitis was diagnosed in 26 patients (43%) and was associated with an increased LOS. CONCLUSIONS: Stapfer type II perforations have excellent outcomes when managed medically. We validate an algorithm for the management of ERCP-related perforations and propose that it should function as a guide.

Early Predictors of Fluid Sequestration in Acute Pancreatitis: A Validation Study.

OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this retrospective study was to externally validate predictors of increased fluid sequestration at 48 hours (FS48) in acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: Patients admitted between January 10 and February 13 with a diagnosis of AP were evaluated. The FS48 was calculated as difference between total fluid input and output in the first 48 hours. Predictors of FS48, such as young age, alcoholic etiology, hemoconcentration, hyperglycemia, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and outcomes in AP, such as increased length of stay, acute fluid collection(s), necrosis, and persistent organ failure (POF), were defined in accordance with the previous study. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between predictors and outcome. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-seven AP patients (mean age, 48 years; 54% men) with a median FS48 of 4.2 L were evaluated. Age younger than 40 years, alcoholic etiology, hemoconcentration, and SIRS independently predicted increased FS48 (P < 0.05). Increased FS48 was associated with persistent SIRS and POF (P < 0.01). There was a significant trend between number of predictors and FS (P < 0.001). The presence of 4 predictors or more was associated with higher rates of persistent SIRS and POF (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our study validated 4 of 5 predictors of increased FS48 from the previous study. Presence of 4 predictors or more and increased FS48 are both associated with persistent SIRS and POF.

Delayed Gastric Emptying (DGE) Following Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Auto Transplantation in Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and factors associated with delayed gastric emptying (DGE) in patients undergoing total pancreatectomy with islet auto transplantation (TP-IAT) for chronic pancreatitis are unknown. METHODS: A retrospective study of all patients who underwent TP-IAT at Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) from August 2011 to November 2014 was performed. The International Study Group of Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS) clinical grading of DGE was used in this study. KEY RESULTS: A total of 39 patients with chronic pancreatitis underwent TP-IAT during the study period. The prevalence of DGE following TP-IAT was 35.9%. Twenty-five patients (64.1%) had no DGE, 10 (25.6%) had grade A, 2 (5.1%) had grade B, and 2 patients (5.1%) had grade C DGE. Patients with DGE had 5.7-fold higher odds of having a hospital length of stay (LOS) greater than 14 days (OR 5.70, 95% CI 1.37-23.76, p = 0.02). Patients undergoing laparoscopic TP-IAT had significantly shorter LOS (10.5 vs. 14 days, p = 0.02) and lower need for prokinetics (0.01) during the postoperative course. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: DGE is common after TP-IAT and can prolong LOS. Laparoscopic TP-IAT lowers LOS and need for prokinetics postoperatively. Further studies are needed to determine if laparoscopic approaches will improve long-term dysmotility.

Systemic inflammatory response syndrome between 24 and 48 h after ERCP predicts prolonged length of stay in patients with post-ERCP pancreatitis: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Early systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) has been associated with severe non-iatrogenic acute pancreatitis. The aims of this study were to determine whether early SIRS could be used to predict severe post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) and to determine the effect of prophylactic-pancreatic stenting (PS) on SIRS and severe PEP. METHODS: Between 1/2000 and 6/2012, all patients admitted for PEP after an outpatient ERCP and who had ≥1 abdominal CT scan during hospitalization were retrospectively evaluated. The presence of SIRS was assessed between 0 and 24 h and 24 and 48 h after the time of ERCP completion. SIRS was evaluated as a predictor of severe PEP using area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: There were 113 patients with PEP of whom 22 (19.5%) had severe PEP. SIRS was present in 44 (38.9%) and 33 (29.2%) patients between 0 and 24 h and 24 and 48 h, respectively. SIRS between 24 and 48 h had a higher predictive accuracy for severe PEP compared to SIRS between 0 and 24 h (AUROC = 0.7 vs. 0.5, p = 0.002). The prevalence of SIRS between 24 and 48 h was significantly less among the 19 patients who underwent PS (11% vs. 37%, p = 0.03). There was no difference between the prophylactic stenting and no stenting groups with regards to acute fluid collection(s), pancreatic necrosis, organ failure or mortality during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: SIRS between 24 and 48 h after ERCP is an accurate, easy to obtain, and inexpensive predictor of severe PEP. PS is associated with a decreased prevalence of SIRS between 24 and 48 h after ERCP.

Abdominal CT predictors of fibrosis in patients with chronic pancreatitis undergoing surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To determine which abdominal CT findings predict severe fibrosis and post-operative pain relief in chronic pancreatitis (CP). METHODS: Pre-operative abdominal CTs of 66 patients (mean age 52 ± 12 years, 53 % males) with painful CP who underwent the Whipple procedure (n = 32), Frey procedure (n = 32) or pancreatic head biopsy (n = 2), between 1/2003-3/2014, were evaluated. CT was evaluated for parenchymal calcifications, intraductal calculi, main pancreatic duct dilation (>5 mm), main pancreatic duct stricture, and abnormal side branch(es). The surgical histopathology was graded for fibrosis. CT findings were evaluated as predictors of severe fibrosis and post-operative pain relief using regression and area under receiver operating curve (AUC) analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-eight (58 %) patients had severe fibrosis. Parenchymal calcification(s) were an independent predictor of severe fibrosis (p = 0.03), and post-operative pain relief over a mean follow-up of 1-year (p = 0.04). Presence of >10 parenchymal calcifications had higher predictive accuracy for severe fibrosis than 1-10 parenchymal calcification(s) (AUC 0.88 vs. 0.59, p = 0.003). The predictive accuracy of >10 versus 1-10 parenchymal calcifications increased after adjusting for all other CT findings (AUC 0.89 vs. 0.63, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Parenchymal calcification(s) independently predict severe fibrosis and are significantly associated with post-operative pain relief in CP. The presence of >10 parenchymal calcifications is a better predictor of severe fibrosis than 1-10 parenchymal calcification(s). KEY POINTS: • Parenchymal calcifications in chronic pancreatitis independently predict post-operative pain relief • Intraductal calculi and MPD dilation are not associated with post-operative pain relief • Better patient selection for pancreatic resection surgery in painful chronic pancreatitis.

An overview of the diagnosis and management of nutrition in chronic pancreatitis.

Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by long-standing inflammation of the pancreas, which results in fibrosis and the gradual loss of pancreatic function. The loss of islets and acinar cells results in diabetes and exocrine insufficiency, respectively. Exocrine insufficiency can result in maldigestion of fat, protein, and carbohydrate as well as vitamins and minerals. Patients may present with variable severity of disease, from mild to severe. The diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis can be challenging, especially in patients with early or mild disease who have few to no morphologic abnormalities on standard abdominal imaging studies. A number of imaging modalities and tests have evolved to aid in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis based on changes in structure or function. Clinicians typically focus on treating pain in chronic pancreatitis as opposed to exocrine insufficiency, despite the fact that maldigestion and malabsorption can result in nutrition deficiencies. The aims of this review are to describe the various modalities used to diagnose chronic pancreatitis, to illustrate the nutrition deficiencies associated with exocrine insufficiency, and to provide an overview of nutrition assessment and treatment in these patients.