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Showing posts with the label open Access Journals

May Gastrointestinal and Sensory Manifestations be related to Worse COVID-19 Phenotypes

  Abstract Extra pulmonary symptoms may contribute to poor outcome in COVID-19. We compared the frequency of gastrointestinal and sensory manifestations (GSM) between mild and severely ill patients with COVID-19, alone or combined with classic respiratory manifestations (CRM). Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 (n = 357) were classified according to their disease severity by using a neutrophile/lymphocyte ratio value ≥18 for severe illness. Presence of CRM and baseline clinical data were recorded. Presence of >3 liquid evacuations per day (diarrhea), decreased usual bowel movements (constipation), nausea/vomiting, lack of appetite (anorexia), abdominal pain, loss of taste (dysgeusia) and/or loss of smell (anosmia) were personally recorded by the investigators at the study admission. Severely ill patients (47.3%) presented worse clinical markers than mildly ill patients, including higher risk of malnutrition and higher need for non-invasive respiratory support ...

Different Toxicity of Aristolochic Acids in Kidney and Liver

  Introduction Aristolochic acid (AAs) is a group of nitrophenanthrene compounds comprised of AAI, AAII, AAIII and AAIV, which are widely found in Aristolochia plants and used in herbal therapy and traditional Chinese medicine [1]. Consistent use of aristolochic acids- containing drugs could lead to aristolochic acid nephropathy and subsequent urinary tract tumors [2-4]. Active metabolites of AAs form adducts with DNA, inducing characteristic A-T transversion (A:T to T:A mutation) known as AA mutational signature [5]. In 2017, a study has analyzed AA mutational signature of several datasets and concluded that AAs and their derivatives were widely implicated in liver cancers in Taiwan and throughout Asia [6]. Ever since the paper published, there has been an intensive debate on whether the prevalence of AA signature mutation is high in HCC patients and if this mutation spectra is really correlate with traditional Chinese medicine consumption in Asia. Since no case report...

Post-COVID-19 GI Manifestations: Are We in for the “Long Haul”?

Abstract Post-COVID-19 gastrointestinal (GI) disease management remains a clinical challenge as the medical literature continues to evolve and expand. Reports of excess GI disease burden across the population, as well as prescribed use of pharmaceuticals for symptom relief, have proven “long-haul” GI disease is prevalent across the population. This article will help to summarize the current medical literature as it pertains to post-COVID-19 GI clinical presentations, dysbiosis, functional disorders and evidence of lasting liver and biliary injury implications. Increased awareness of the GI implications for this paradigm hopefully will lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology, as well as natural history and potential therapeutic approaches. Read more about this article: https://lupinepublishers.com/gastroenterology-hepatology-journal/fulltext/post-covid-19-gi-manifestations-are-we-in-for-the-long-haul.ID.000158.php  Read more about Lupine Publishers Go...

Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding (UGIB) In A Resource Limited Setting Highly Endemic for Viral Hepatitis B: Which Etiologies for Which Real Clinical Practices?

  Abstract Aim : To determine the aetiologies of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in a setting highly endemic for hepatitis B and to describe actual clinical practices in a resource-limited setting. Patients and methods: This study was conducted in two parts. The first part was retrospective from January 1st 2010, to December 31st 2019 on the epidemiological profile of UGIB and the second was a prospective study from December 1st 2017 to May 31st 2018 to evaluate, in a blinded experiment, the actual clinical practices in front of an acute UGIB at the emergency units in Yaounde (Cameroon), and included: recognizing UGIB, assessing for severity, taking emergency measures and prescribing emergency Eosogastroduodenal endoscopy (EGDE). Results : During the retrospective period, 506 patients (prevalence of acute UGIB in the services 5.6%) were included of which 71.3% were men (sex ratio 2.5). The mean age was 49.9 +/- 8 years. Haematemesis was inaugural in 35...

Improvement of Liver Function by a Short-term Administration of Luseogliflozin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Single-arm Study and the Mini-literature Review

  Abstract Background : Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is not simply the hepatic manifestation of obesity and diabetes but also linked to hepatocellular carcinoma. Yet, its effective treatment has not been established. In this study, we evaluated the effect of a short-term administration of luseogliflozin to patients with type 2 diabetes having non-alcohol fatty liver disease. Luseogliflozin is a unique sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor which is metabolized in and excreted by the liver in addition to the kidney. Therefore, the drug might possess an additional effect on other agents of the same class which are exclusively metabolized in the kidney. Methods : Using alanine aminotransferase >20 IU/L as a diagnostic basis for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, 19 patients, not taking alcohol, with type 2 diabetes (male/female 15/4, the median age 57 years) was treated with 2.5 mg luseogliflozin for 12 weeks. Results : Pre- and post-treatment median values...

Lupine Publishers | Risk Predictive Factors to Convert Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy into Other Procedures

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Lupine Publishers | Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Abstract Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is nowadays the procedure of choice for cholecystitis. The intraoperative finding can make this procedure quite tricky such as dense adhesions at calot’s triangle, fibrotic and contracted gallbladder, acutely inflamed or gangrenous gallbladder, cholcystoenteric fistula, etc. There are also risk factors which make laparoscopic surgery difficult like old age, male sex, obesity, previous abdominal surgery, thickened gallbladder wall, distended gallbladder, pericholecystic fluid collection, impacted stone, etc. Methods: This is a one cohort retrospective review of patients admitted to the hospital with acute cholecystitis who during LC were converted to intraoperative cholecystostomy tube placement (CCT) or to open cholecystectomy (OC). Preoperative risk factors to predict difficult cholecystectomy were evaluated. Results: Medical records were reviewed retro...