Digestive diseases and sciences
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Previous epidemiological studies on Clostridium-difficile-Associated Diarrhea (CDAD) have focused on hospitalized patients with nosocomial transmission. However, increasing numbers of patients with CDAD are being admitted to acute-care hospitals from long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and the local community. The purpose of our study was to study the changing epidemiological trends of CDAD patients admitted to an acute-care hospital and examine factors contributing to this shift in epidemiology. ⋯ These observations suggest that CDAD originated predominantly in patients from LTCFs (46.1%) and community (33.3%) rather than from hospitalized patients (20.6%). Diarrhea was the presenting complaint in LTCF patients in only 15.2% of cases. Hence, CDAD should be suspected if LTCF patients present with symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, or altered mental status along with loose stools. Majority of the LTCF patients were found to be on PPIs, a risk factor for CDAD, with as many as 24% of these patients with no valid indication for their use.
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Providing the appropriate anesthesia for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) cases is challenging. ⋯ Our data suggest that the administration of anesthesia without intubation for prone ERCP cases is feasible especially in non-obese, healthier patients.
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Patients with hypoalbuminemia have an increased risk of ulcer rebleeding and longer length of hospitalization. ⋯ Albumin administration shortens the duration of hospitalization for patients with peptic ulcer bleeding and hypoalbuminemia, but does not decrease the incidence of rebleeding.
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We have previously reported that bee venom (BV) has a protective role against acute pancreatitis (AP). However, the effects of apamin, the major compound of BV, on AP have not been determined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of apamin on cerulein-induced AP. ⋯ These results could suggest that apamin could protect against AP by inhibition of JNK activation.