Leveraging the Multidimensional Poverty Index to estimate Helicobacter pylori prevalence in districts in Karnataka, India.

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) in India is approximately 64%. However, substantial regional variations necessitate high-fidelity, locality-specific studies to characterise its population distribution in India. We conducted a cross-sectional study including 2998 dyspeptic patients at a tertiary care centre in Karnataka and investigated the relationship between Hp prevalence and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) by district. Helicobacter pylori prevalence in our population was 43.2% with a significant correlation between district-specific Hp prevalence and MPI. This data can be leveraged for evaluating local Hp infection control strategies, planning interventions for Hp hotspots in Karnataka and predicting a dyspeptic patient's risk of Hp infection.

An Anterior Abdominal Abscess as the Initial Presentation of a Perforated Duodenal Ulcer: A Case Report.

Duodenal perforation most commonly presents with life-threatening symptoms of acute abdomen. However, in rare cases, a perforation may have an indolent course due to subclinical progression, and the patient may present with complications at the first visit. We present a case of an anterior abdominal abscess as the initial presentation of a duodenal perforation in a 65-year-old female with no pre-morbidities. The patient presented with a painful mass in the right upper quadrant associated with fever. Physical examination revealed a tender, erythematous swelling in the right hypochondrium and lumbar regions with no signs of peritonitis. Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) of the abdomen showed a subcapsular hepatic abscess with parietal extension, but no signs of hollow viscus perforation were visible. Empirical antibiotics were given, and incision and drainage (I&D) were performed to drain around 100 mL of pus. However, drain on postop day one demonstrated bile suggesting a hollow viscus perforation, which was confirmed by a Gastrografin study.

Shock and Awe: Successful Revascularization with Intravascular Lithotripsy in Recurrent ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Secondary to Stent Under-Expansion.

We report a case of recurrent ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) due to a previously implanted under-expanded stent with in-stent thrombosis refractory to traditional interventional techniques. We underscore the utility of bail-out shockwave intravascular lithotripsy to tackle previously under-expanded stents in this acute setting.

Determinants of acute irreversible electroporation lesion characteristics after pulsed field ablation: the role of voltage, contact, and adipose interference.

AIMS: Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is a non-thermal ablative approach in which cardiomyocyte death is obtained through irreversible electroporation (IRE). Data correlating the biophysical characteristics of IRE and lesion characteristics are limited. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different procedural parameters [voltage, number of cycles (NoCs), and contact] on lesion characteristics in a vegetal and animal model for IRE. METHODS AND RESULTS: Two hundred and four Russet potatoes were used. Pulsed field ablation lesions were delivered on 3 cm cored potato specimens using a multi-electrode circular catheter with its dedicated IRE generator. Different voltage (from 300 to 1200 V) and NoC (from 1 to 5×) protocols were used. The impact of 0.5 and 1 mm catheter-to-specimen distances was tested. A swine animal model was then used to validate the results observed in the vegetable model. The association between voltage, the NoCs, distance, and lesion depth was assessed through linear regression. An almost perfect linear association between lesion depth and voltage was observed (R2 = 0.95; P < 0.001). A similarly linear relationship was observed between the NoCs and the lesion depth (R2 = 0.73; P < 0.001). Compared with controls at full contact, a significant dampening on lesion depth was observed at 0.5 mm distance (1000 V 2×: 2.11 ± 0.12 vs. 0.36 ± 0.04, P < 0.001; 2.63 ± 0.10 vs. 0.43 ± 0.08, P < 0.001). No lesions were observed at 1.0 mm distance. CONCLUSION: In a vegetal and animal model for IRE assessment, PFA lesion characteristics were found to be strongly dependent on voltage settings and the NoCs, with a quasi-linear relationship. The lack of catheter contact was associated with a dampening in lesion depth.

Shockwave Lithotripsy of Calcific Stenosis of the Distal Abdominal Aorta to Facilitate Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

The transfemoral approach for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is superior to alternative access strategies. Only transfemoral access has been shown to have better clinical outcomes than surgical aortic valve replacement. In our patient, severe calcification of the distal abdominal aorta posed difficulty in using transfemoral access for TAVR. We applied intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) to the distal abdominal aorta to achieve necessary luminal gain facilitating bioprosthetic aortic valve deployment.

Stuck pericardial pigtail catheter in purulent pericarditis: early surgery?

Pyopericardium is rare in the modern antibiotic era but is still infrequently seen in the setting of immunosuppression, recent thoracic surgery and sepsis. Although classically an extension of a thoracic gram-positive bacterial infection, gram-negative bacterial purulent pericarditis may be encountered in the setting of nosocomial infections. Emergent pericardial drainage allows for prompt definitive management and planning for further intervention. Early surgery should be the priority after a failed retrieval of the catheter. Appropriate surgical methods should be employed to minimize complications associated with stuck catheters. We report a case of pyopericardium secondary to a clinically silent lung abscess in an immunocompetent 49-year-old patient. This was treated by standard pericardial drainage via a pigtail catheter. Multiple failed attempts in removal warranted a surgical approach to remove the coiled catheter. The catheter was found to be coiled around the heart with presence of clots in the pericardium.

Congenital Spigelian Hernia With Ipsilateral Ectopic Testis.

Background: The association between congenital spigelian hernia and ipsilateral ectopic testis has been debated in the literature, and the management of such cases has yet to be standardized. Both pediatric surgeons and sonographers should be aware of this entity to allow for prompt diagnosis and monitoring/repair because congenital spigelian hernias have a high risk of incarceration. Case Report: A 3-month-old male presented with left-sided abdominal wall swelling present since birth with coexisting left-sided undescended testis. Ultrasound confirmed the suspicion of a congenital spigelian hernia with undescended testis but failed to locate the ectopic testis. Diagnostic laparoscopy and open repair of the spigelian hernia were performed when the patient was 9 months of age. Left-sided orchidopexy was also performed as the left testis was located within the spigelian sac. The patient was asymptomatic at 1-year follow-up. Conclusion: The association between congenital spigelian hernia and ipsilateral ectopic testis requires the surgeon and sonographer to pay special attention to the spigelian hernia sac as it may contain the ectopic testis. Orchidopexy and hernia repair in very young children may be delayed while closely monitoring for incarceration to allow for improvement in immunity, an increase in size of the spermatic cord and vasculature, and avoidance of the stress of 2 separate surgeries. The surgical approach can be laparoscopic or open depending on the experience of the surgeon and the complexity of intraoperative findings.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of an intralobar pulmonary sequestration.

Pulmonary sequestration is a rare bronchopulmonary foregut anomaly that occurs when a portion of the lung derives its blood supply from an aberrant vessel rather than the customary tracheobronchial supply. The sequestration can be classified as intralobar or extralobar. Most patients with intralobar sequestration are asymptomatic. Among symptomatic patients, presentations vary greatly, from fever, cough with expectoration, exertional dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, and hemoptysis to eventual lung abscess or empyema. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography/computed tomography angiography is performed to determine the origin of the anomalous blood supply as well as the pathological manifestations involving the lobes. We present a patient with diagnosed intralobar sequestration who developed pulmonary tuberculosis of the sequestered lung tissue. The patient was successfully managed with long-term antitubercular therapy and left lower lobectomy with ligation of the anomalous vessel.

Asymptomatic Giant Aneurysm of the Arteria Lusoria Treated by Debranching and Aneurysmal Resection.

The aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA, arteria lusoria) is the most common intrathoracic vascular anomaly, affecting up to 2% of the population. However, aneurysms of congenital anomalies are extremely unusual and often present with dysphagia, dysphonia, or dyspnea due to compression of the surrounding structures. We report a case of an asymptomatic 57-year-old male with chronic kidney disease who was incidentally found to have a large aneurysm of the ARSA on preoperative computed tomography for laparoscopic nephrectomy. Surgery is unequivocally warranted as these aneurysms are associated with a high risk of complications, including thrombosis, embolism, and rupture. We debranched the ARSA, followed by anastomosis to the right carotid artery through a right neck incision. Subsequently, aneurysmal resection was performed through left thoracotomy. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery and was asymptomatic during the follow-up.