Gerald Posner

Inappropriate Use of Intravenous PPI for Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis in an Inner City Community Hospital

Background Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are used for the treatment and prophylaxis of variety of acid peptic conditions including stress ulcers. There has been a persistent practice of their inappropriate use for stress ulcer prophylaxis. Purpose of our study was to measure the inappropriate use of Intravenous Proton Pump Inhibitors for stress ulcer prophylaxis and to estimate the financial burden. Methods We carried out a retrospective, analytic study from July 2008 to June 2009 in internal medicine department. Hospital pharmacy records were used to identify all patients who received IV PPI during hospital stay. Seventy-five percent of records were randomly chosen (n=1104). PPI application was defined as indicated according to AGA guidelines. Results Intravenous proton pump inhibitor (IV PPI) was prescribed for 68.5% of patients without any proper indication. The estimated cost of medication for inappropriate IV PPIS use during the study year was 18337 USD. Conclusions A more rational use of PPI will have better impact on health care cost and is likely to add to patient safety. Keywords Inappropriate use of PPI; Stress ulcer prophylaxis; Healthcare cost

An Obscure Case of Hepatic Subcapsular Hematoma

Spontaneous liver bleeding is often reported in preeclampsia. It is otherwise rare and has been linked to gross anatomical lesions and coagulopathy. We report a case of subcapsular hematoma of the liver without any apparent lesion and in the absence of coagulopathy. A 41-year-old male, paraplegic for 16 years, presented to the emergency department 3 days after sudden onset of right upper quadrant and shoulder pain. He had been on vitamins and 5,000 units subcutaneous heparin 12-hourly at the nursing home for the last month. He was in no distress, afebrile, with stable vitals. Physical examination showed a diverting colostomy, tender hepatomegaly and sacral decubiti. A fecal occult blood test was negative. There was spastic paraplegia below the level of T12. Two days after admission, the patient was afebrile and hemodynamically stable. PTT, PT, liver profile, BUN and creatinine were all normal, however his hemoglobin had dropped from 11.3 to 7.6 g/dl. An abdominal CT scan revealed an isolated 9.0 × 1.8 cm subcapsular hematoma. The patient received blood transfusion in the intensive care unit and was discharged 7 days later. In conclusion, spontaneous liver hemorrhage occurs in the nonobstetrical population in the setting of gross anatomical lesions or coagulopathy. This is the first report of an isolated subcapsular liver hematoma.

Gastric Marginal Zone B Cell Lymphoma of the Duodenum

Small bowel lymphomas of the extranodal type occur in the young and are characteristically associated with malabsorption syndrome. We present the case of an elderly in whom there was no malabsorption and the duodenal tumor was a gastric type marginal zone B cell lymphoma also known as gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. A 73-year-old woman presented to the emergency room with 2 weeks of general weakness, recurrent vomiting containing food particles and abdominal distension. She had been diagnosed with diabetic gastroparesis 4 years prior. CT of the abdomen and pelvis was suggestive of gastric outlet obstruction but no evidence of pancreatic or duodenal mass. Endoscopy and biopsy of the tumor obstructing the distal first part of the duodenum confirmed a gastric marginal MALT lymphoma. The patient’s symptoms improved with radiotherapy. Gastric MALT lymphoma, an extranodal lymphoma primarily described in the stomach, can also present in the small bowel and is not associated with malabsorption.

Metachronous Granular Cell Tumor of the Descending Colon

Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are uncommon tumors. They are believed to be neuronal in origin and are usually found in the head and/or neck area of the body. They have also been reported in various locations of the gastrointestinal (GI) system, usually discovered during routine screening colonoscopy. We report a case of GCT in a 58-year-old asymptomatic African American female as a metachronous tumor of a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the sigmoid colon, which was an incidental finding in screening colonoscopy. To our knowledge, this is the first case with GCT identified as a metachronous tumor following an adenocarcinoma of the colon.

Not Every Recurrent Pelvic Mass in a Female Is a Leiomyoma

Abstract:Desmoid tumors are rare neoplasms. They occur mostly in females in their reproductive age and may present with pelvic pain and intestinal obstruction. These connective tissue neoplasms are because of uncontrolled proliferation of differentiated myofibroblasts. The cells may synthesize vast amounts of collagen fibers in response to various stimuli. We describe a case of a pelvic desmoid tumor simulating a uterine leiomyoma recurrence. We review the literature on the epidemiology and the treatment options for desmoid tumors and suggest a strong index of suspicion when a new pelvic mass arises in an adult with previous pelvic surgery. We advise a planned multidisciplinary treatment approach at the first hint of the diagnosis of desmoid tumor.