COVID-19-Associated Ischemic Colitis: A Rare Manifestation of COVID-19 Infection-Case Report and Review.

Following the first report of COVID-19 infection in December 2019 as a respiratory illness, it has proven to be a multisystem disease. There are few reported cases of ischemic colitis with COVID-19 infection in the medical literature to date and we have limited understanding of its pathophysiology. We report 2 cases of ischemic colitis as the only manifestation of COVID-19. In addition, we review the current limited literature regarding COVID-19-associated ischemic colitis.

The Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): A Retrospective Nationwide Study.

BACKGROUND: The "remission theory" is an emerging concept that suggests the presence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) results in decreased disease severity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This theory is based upon evidence that implicates CD4 T-lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. This study sought to elucidate the legitimacy of this theory. METHODS: A retrospective cohort analysis of all adult inpatient hospitalizations for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using the 2016 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) was conducted. Our study population included patients admitted with IBD who were infected with HIV. We compared our study group to patients who also had IBD but were not infected with HIV. Baseline demographic characteristics, resource utilization, and in-hospital mortality rates were extracted for both groups. RESULTS: A total of 58,979 patients were admitted for IBD in 2016. Of those patients, we identified 145 who also had the presence of HIV. We found that patients with ulcerative colitis and HIV had a shorter length of hospital stay (4.1 vs. 5.9 days, p-value < 0.01), lower hospital charge ($35,716 vs $52,893, p-value < 0.01), and lower hospital cost ($7,814 vs. $13,395, p-value < 0.01) than those who did not have HIV. In patients with Crohn's disease, the presence of HIV resulted in decreased colonoscopy rates (0% vs. 17.4%, p-value < 0.01); however, the rate of esophagogastroduodenoscopies was not statistically significant (7.1% vs. 14.7%, p-value 0.106). CONCLUSION: In this retrospective population-based study, we found that patients with ulcerative colitis and concurrent HIV had a milder course of the disease when compared to ulcerative colitis patients that were not infected with HIV. These findings support the remission theory in that HIV may play a role in inflammatory bowel disease.

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.

Hospital-Wide Medication Reconciliation Program: Error Identification, Cost-Effectiveness, and Detecting High-Risk Individuals on Admission.

BACKGROUND: Medication reconciliation (MR) on admission has potential to reduce negative patient outcomes. The objectives of this prospective observational study were to 1) measure the impact a hospital-wide MR program has on home medication error identification at hospital admission, 2) demonstrate cost-effectiveness of this program, and 3) identify risk factors placing individual patients at higher risk for medication discrepancies. METHODS: Technicians obtained medication histories on adult patients admitted to the hospital that managed their own medications. Frequency and type of medication errors were recorded. Cost avoidance estimations were determined based on expected adverse drug event rates. Logistic regression analysis was used to test for associations between medication errors and patient characteristics. Results were considered significant when p-value was less than 0.05. RESULTS: The study included 817 patients. Technicians recorded a mean of 6.1 medication discrepancies per patient (SD ± 0.4) and took 28.5 minutes (SD ± 1.2 minutes) to complete a medication history. Omission, commission, and dosing/frequency errors occurred in 82%, 59%, and 50% of medication histories, respectively. We estimated cost avoidance of $210.33 per patient with this program. Female gender, age, and high alert/risk medication use were linked to an increase in the likelihood of occurrence of a medication discrepancy. CONCLUSION: This study validated the ability of a pharmacy technician to identify errors, demonstrated economic cost-effectiveness, provided new data on time to obtain a BPMH, and further identified factors that contribute to the occurrence of medication discrepancies. Potentially harmful medication discrepancies were identified frequently on admission. With further research, it may be possible to identify those at highest risk for home medication discrepancies upon admission.

Epidemiology of esophageal cancer: update in global trends, etiology and risk factors.

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common type of cancer worldwide and constitutes the sixth leading cause of cancer deaths. It is characterized by its high mortality rate, poor prognosis at time of diagnosis and variability based on geographic location. Present day, the prevalence of esophageal cancer is in transition. Although esophageal squamous cell carcinoma continues to be the most prevalent type worldwide, esophageal adenocarcinoma is quickly becoming the most prevalent type in developed countries. Risk factors for the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma include low socioeconomic status, consumption of tobacco, alcohol, hot beverages, and nitrosamines. Additionally, micronutrient deficiencies have also been linked to the development of esophageal squamous cell cancer. These include vitamin C, vitamin E, and folate. With respect to esophageal adenocarcinoma, risk factors include Barrett's esophagus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, obesity, and tobacco consumption. Screening for esophageal cancer will likely play an essential role in prevention, and consequently, mortality in the future. Present day, there are no established guidelines for esophageal squamous cell cancer screening. Guidelines for esophageal adenocarcinoma are more well established but lack concrete evidence in the form of randomized controlled trials. This review will discuss the epidemiology, risk factors, and current prevention strategies for esophageal cancer in depth. It is our aim to raise awareness on the aforementioned topics to increase public health efforts in eradicating this disease.

An Unpleasant Surprise: Abdominal Presentation of Malignant Mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer associated with asbestos exposure with median survival time of 8 to 14 months following diagnosis. Given that mesothelial cells also line the peritoneum and pericardium, malignant mesothelioma can present in unusual sites and in patients with nonrespiratory complaints. A 73-year-old male presented to the emergency department for worsening intermittent diffuse abdominal pain for the past 3 months with associated unintentional 40-pound weight loss, early satiety, and diarrhea. He denied exposure to asbestos. Computed tomography imaging revealed multiple masses concerning for malignancy including the primary retroperitoneal mass, a mass involving the terminal ileum, and a mass in the right upper lung. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy demonstrated significant mass effect within the stomach without signs of endoluminal infiltration. Computed tomography-guided biopsy of the retroperitoneal abdominal and intramuscular paraspinal masses was performed. Stage IV epithelioid mesothelioma was confirmed when hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed pleomorphic malignancy nuclei containing a vesicular chromatin pattern and prominent nucleoli and immunohistochemical staining was positive for CK Oscar, cytokeratin 7, GATA3, calretinin, EMA, and CK5/6. He was started on cisplatin, pemetrexed, and bevacizumab but developed severe abdominal pain with pneumoperitoneum and bowel perforation 1 month later and expired shortly thereafter. To our knowledge, this represents a highly atypical presentation of malignant mesothelioma considering the involvement of the retroperitoneum with diffuse lesions in the abdominopelvic cavity and thorax (sparing the lung pleurae). This case also calls attention to the occurrence of malignant mesothelioma in patients without known asbestos exposure and the crucial role of pathology in diagnosing atypical presentations.

Acute esophageal necrosis: A rare case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding from diabetic ketoacidosis.

Acute esophageal necrosis, also known as black esophagus or acute necrotizing esophagitis is a rare condition with roughly 154 cases reported in the literature. This condition is classically diagnosed on its endoscopic findings of a circumferentially black esophagus that abruptly ends at the gastroesophageal junction and transitions to normal gastric mucosa. When present, acute esophageal necrosis potentially signifies a poor prognosis with an overall mortality up to 36%. This case report describes a critically ill patient with multiple comorbidities that was found to have acute esophageal necrosis the entire length of the esophagus secondary to ischemia/hypoperfusion that was caused by diabetic ketoacidosis. The patient had a prolonged hospitalization but was ultimately discharged in stable condition. We also review the literature of this rare esophageal condition.

Squamous Cell Papilloma of the Esophagus: A Case Series Highlighting Endoscopic and Histologic Features.

Esophageal squamous papillomas are rare epithelial lesions typically discovered incidentally during EGD. Their prevalence is estimated to be less than 0.01% in the general population. We present three cases of esophageal squamous papillomas identified histologically. It may be possible to identify these lesions macroscopically. One study provided a positive predictive value of 88% for squamous papilloma utilizing the triad of exophytic growth, wart-like projections, and surface vessel crossing seen on narrow band imaging during endoscopy. The etiology is unclear. Chronic mucosal irritation from GERD or esophagitis is the prevailing theory of pathogenesis, but HPV has been detected in some lesions. The malignant potential of these lesions is considered controversial. There are documented cases demonstrating complications with squamous cell carcinoma, so we recommend removal of all esophageal squamous papillomas; however, the small absolute number of cases documented in the literature makes drawing any associations or conclusions between esophageal squamous papillomas and squamous cell carcinoma difficult. Further research is needed regarding treatment and surveillance. This case series helps contribute to the small but growing literature of this rare finding.

Rapidly enlarging malignant abdominal PEComa with hepatic metastasis: a promising initial response to sirolimus following surgical excision of primary tumor.

Intra-abdominal perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are rare mesenchymal tumors. Although no effective therapies have been agreed upon, mTOR inhibitors are currently being investigated as a potential therapy for this extremely rare tumor. We present a case of a 64-year-old male found to have a large intra-abdominal PEComa with multiple metastatic lesions in the liver. Patient underwent surgical resection of the primary lesion in the abdomen and sigmoid colon followed by adjuvant therapy with the mTOR inhibitor, sirolimus. Initial response was noted with a decrease in size and number of lesions found in the patient's liver. After 8 months of therapy, restaging imaging showed disease progression in the liver lesions. Patient subsequently failed treatments with pazopanib, investigational therapy TAK-228 (Sapanisertib) and nivolumab and ipilimumab. Overall the patient died after 22 months of disease. PEComas generally follow a benign course. This case is a much rarer entity given the malignant features/outcome.

Cirrhosis 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. Cirrhosis is a disease entity in which there is a delicate balance between pro-coagulant and anti-coagulant states. Our aim was to examine the impact cirrhosis has on outcomes in patients with ischemic colitis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized with IC in 2017 was evaluated using the National Inpatient Sample database. Baseline demographic data, length of hospital stay (LOS), total hospital 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 t-test. RESULTS: A total of 29,035 patients with IC were identified, while 420 of these patients also had cirrhosis. Patients with IC and cirrhosis were noted to be younger age at presentation when compared to patients with IC and no cirrhosis (mean 63.9 years vs. 70.4 years; P < 0.001). When comparing both groups, IC patients with cirrhosis were more likely to be male (50% vs. 26.1%; P < 0.001), Black (10.9% vs. 7.6%; P = 0.013) and Hispanic (18% vs. 6.1%; P < 0.001). We found that IC patients with cirrhosis had a longer LOS (7.3 days vs. 4.8 days; P < 0.001), higher total hospital charge ($84,769 vs. $48,347; P < 0.001) and higher mortality rate (10.7% vs. 3.6%; P < 0.001); however, the presence of cirrhosis was not associated with increased odds of undergoing colectomy (odds ratio: 0.31; 95% confidence interval: 0.07 - 1.27; P = 0.104). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of cirrhosis is associated with increased odds of in-hospital mortality in those presenting with IC. This compounds the already high rates of mortality in patients that undergo surgery for IC and could reflect lack of reserve to withstand the ischemic episode in the setting of cirrhosis. Though odds of undergoing colectomy is not increased, patients with cirrhosis warrant closer observation.