The American journal of the medical sciences
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Review Case Reports
Spontaneous peritoneal drainage following paracentesis in a hospitalized patient with resolution of type 1 hepatorenal syndrome.
The hepatorenal syndrome develops in a small percentage of patients with advanced liver disease. The pathogenesis involves intravascular volume contraction secondary to pooling of blood in the splanchnic vessels, stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway, and increased intra-abdominal pressure secondary to the formation of large volumes of ascitic fluid. ⋯ A total of 11.2 L ascitic fluid drained over 5 days from a paracentesis puncture site with marked improvement in renal function; the creatinine decreased from 3.3 mg/dL to 0.7 mg/dL and the BUN decreased from 42 mg/dL to 10 mg/dL. The discussion with this case report summarizes the pathogenesis, including the effect of intra-abdominal pressure, of the hepatorenal syndrome, outlines medical management, and makes a proposal for clinical study based on this case.
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The central venous-to-arterial carbon dioxide difference (Pcv-aCO2) is a biomarker for tissue perfusion, but the diagnostic value of Pcv-aCO2 in bacteria bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by gram-negative (GN) bacteria remains unclear. This study evaluated the expression levels and diagnostic value of Pcv-aCO2 and procalcitonin (PCT) in the early stages of GN bacteria BSI. ⋯ Pcv-aCO2 and PCT have similar and high diagnostic value for the early diagnosis of BSI caused by GN bacteria.
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Previous studies have demonstrated an association between proton pump inhibitors (PPI) use and vitamin B12 deficiency. However, data regarding PPI use and elevated serum homocysteine level, an important marker of vitamin B12 deficiency, are scant. ⋯ According to our study, no association was found between PPI medication use and vitamin B12 deficiency or hyperhomocysteinemia. Patients receiving PPI medications had slightly higher levels of vitamin B12 and homocysteine, however these differences were too small to have any clinical relevance.
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One of the goals of the Affordable Care Act is to decrease hospital readmissions. While widely adhered to, there is no published research to support the practice of delaying discharge if patients exhibit fever or hypothermia in the preceding 24 h, which is the focus of our study. ⋯ Abnormal body temperature 24 h prior to discharge was not useful for predicting the probability of readmission.