INTRODUCTION To estimate the annual incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with advanced liver fibrosis, to determine the risk factors for the development of HCC, and to evaluate the chemoprotective effect of statin use stratified by fibrosis stage. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study at 2 US tertiary academic centers, including patients with NASH-related advanced liver fibrosis (bridging fibrosis [F3] and cirrhosis [F4]) followed ...
INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus, is a predominantly respiratory tract infection with the capacity to affect multiple organ systems. Abnormal liver tests, mainly transaminase elevations, have been reported in hospitalized patients. We describe a syndrome of cholangiopathy in patients recovering from severe COVID-19 characterized by marked elevation in serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) accompanied by evidence of bile...
Spontaneous pancreatic fistula (PF) is a rare but challenging complication of acute pancreatitis (AP). The fistulae could be internal (draining into another viscera or cavity, e.g., pancreaticocolonic, gastric, duodenal, jejunal, ileal, pleural, or bronchial) or external (draining to skin, i.e., pancreaticocutaneous). Internal fistulae constitute the majority of PF and will be discussed in this review. Male sex, alcohol abuse, severe AP, and infected necrosis are the major risk factors for devel...
INTRODUCTION To identify factors associated with irreversible transmural necrosis (ITN) among critically ill patients experiencing nonocclusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) and to compare the predictive value regarding ITN risk stratification with that of the previously described Clichy score. METHODS All consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit between 2009 and 2019 who underwent exploratory laparotomy for NOMI and who had an available contrast-enhanced computed tomography with at...
INTRODUCTION It is unclear whether the alleged efficacy of probiotics in childhood acute gastroenteritis depends on the duration and severity of symptoms before treatment. METHODS Preplanned secondary analysis of 2 randomized placebo-controlled trials in children 3-48 months of age was conducted in 16 emergency departments in North America evaluating the efficacy of 2 probiotic products (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and a combination probiotic: L. rhamnosus and L. helveticus). Participants were ca...