Severe acute liver injury associated with Yersinia enterocolitica.

Yersinia enterocolitica is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes foodborne illnesses, typically characterised by acute febrile gastroenteritis and is associated with a variety of manifestations. Isolated febrile illness without gastrointestinal symptoms is rare. We report a case of Y. enterocolitica infection with severe anicteric hepatitis. A 33-year-old Chinese man with no significant medical history presented on multiple occasions to the emergency department with recurrent high-grade fever and chills, but without gastrointestinal symptoms. Hepatic panel showed rising transaminases that peaked at Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST) of 991 U/L and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) of 1664 U/L. CT of the abdomen revealed terminal ileitis and mesenteric adenitis. As part of workup, we found positive serology for Y. enterocolitica Ultimately, he improved with supportive care. This case highlights the importance of thorough workup of terminal ileitis and 'Crohn's mimics' which ultimately revealed a unifying diagnosis; and an important addition to the workup for undifferentiated severe isolated hepatocellular liver injury.

One-hour Recovery Time in Subjects Undergoing Percutaneous Liver Biopsy: A Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Project.

Introduction Liver biopsy is the gold standard in diagnosing, staging and guiding clinical management in liver disease. There are currently no standard guidelines for liver biopsy recovery time. The aims of this project are to study the safety of a one-hour recovery time after percutaneous liver biopsies and to measure the rate of complications and identify risk factors. Methods A total of 500 consecutive subjects who underwent a percutaneous liver biopsy at a single-center teaching institution (Brooke Army Medical Center) were enrolled between December 2016 and October 2018. Biopsies were performed using a 14-gauge Bard® Monopty® core biopsy needle using bedside ultrasound. Complications were defined as: Pain level > 5 out of 10, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, or other. Major complications were defined as: hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Results The only complication that required hospitalization was identified during the first hour of recovery. Liver biopsies of subjects with body mass index (BMI) ≥35 kg/m2 were not associated with more complications when compared to patients less than 30 kg/m2. Using a spinal needle (3.5'') to anesthetize the liver capsule in subjects with excess subcutaneous tissue did not result in more complications when compared to the standard 1.5'' needle. Only 3% of the patients who received lidocaine alone for the biopsy required post-procedure medications. Conclusion Ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsies, using a 14-gauge needle, were overall found to be safe. A one-hour post recovery period is adequate to identify all immediate major complications.

Thymoma-Induced Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Rare Paraneoplastic Syndrome.

Thymomas are rare neoplasms of the thymus and are often associated with immune-mediated paraneoplastic syndromes, most commonly, myasthenia gravis. The same underlying mechanism can produce antibodies to other self-antigens in various organ systems. Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare complication of thymoma. We present a 35-year-old healthy male, initially thought to have drug-induced liver injury, who was subsequently diagnosed with thymoma-induced autoimmune hepatitis, a rare syndrome of which only two previous cases have been reported.

Role of Biomechanical Factors in Resolution of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Among a Population of Workers.

OBJECTIVES: Identify if Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms vary by measured biomechanical exposures. METHODS: A nested prospective cohort within a large, multicenter, 8-year cohort study. The CTS case definition was tingling/numbness in 2+ median nerve-served digits plus a nerve conduction study consistent with CTS. Workers were assigned to: (1) low (strain index [SI] less than or equal to 6.1), and (2) high (SI more than 6.1) job groups. RESULTS: Among 1201 workers, 106 had CTS. Those in the high SI group became and remained symptom-free for at least 3 months, faster than the low SI group, adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 2.07 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21 to 3.56, P = 0.008). Only surgical release trended towards resolving CTS. Light duty had no impact, and job change was associated with delayed symptoms resolution. CONCLUSIONS: High biomechanical exposures paradoxically predicted faster improvement in CTS and light duty did not result in symptom resolution.

Skin and soft-tissue infections: a critical review and the role of telavancin in their treatment.

Skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients and a major therapeutic challenge for clinicians. Although uncomplicated SSTIs are managed successfully on an outpatient basis, more serious infections extending to the subcutaneous tissue, fascia, or muscle require complex management. Early diagnosis, selection of appropriate antimicrobials, and timely surgical intervention are key to successful treatment. Surgical-site infections, an important category of SSTI, occur in approximately half a million patients in North America annually. SSTIs are also a potential source for life-threatening bacteremia and metastatic abscesses. Gram-positive organisms, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes, are the dominant organisms isolated early in the infectious process, whereas gram-negative organisms are found in chronic wounds. Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a potential bloodstream invader that requires aggressive antimicrobial treatment and surgery. Recent concerns regarding vancomycin activity include heteroresistance in MRSA and increase in the minimum inhibitory concentrations (>1 or 2 µg/mL); however, alternative agents, such as telavancin, daptomycin, linezolid, ceftaroline, dalbavancin, oritavancin, and tedizolid, are now available for the treatment of severe MRSA infections. Here, we present a review of the epidemiology, etiology, and available treatment options for the management of SSTIs.