Background: Use of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) tubes among patients with dementia is controversial, with multiple studies showing no clear benefit in terms of risks of aspiration, survival or quality of life. Despite this growing evidence, studies analyzing the trends of use of PEG tube among demented patients are lacking. We aimed to use a [...]

Background: Transcatheter tricuspid valve procedures (TTVP) are used to manage tricuspid regurgitation, however these procedures are less common than other transcatheter valve procedures. Limited literature on TTVP exists, especially with regards to predictors of major outcomes. Atrial fibrillation (afib) is associated with increased mortality, stroke, cardiogenic shock, need for permanent pacemaker, AKI, major bleeding in [...]

Background: For patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), antithrombotic therapy including oral anticoagulants (OAC) and antiplatelets are indicated. The optimal combination is not known. We investigated the efficacy and safety of different antithrombotic strategies in patients with AF undergoing PCI. Methods: PUBMED and EMBASE were searched through September 2019 for [...]

Background: COVID-19 has placed an unprecedented strain on healthcare systems worldwide, increasing demand for critical care beds1. To address shortage of critical care beds, innovative methods to increase capacity are needed. At our large, urban academic safety-net hospital, patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) are admitted to critical care units for intravenous (IV) insulin administration and [...]

Background: Several case reports and case series have found that transcatheter mitral valve procedures (TMVP) improve hemodynamics and reduce symptoms in patients with mitral valve disease and concomitant hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM).(1-6) There is a lack of evidence regarding the outcomes of patients that undergo TMVP with HOCM, however several studies have evaluated the outcomes [...]

Background: Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a common abnormality that affects between 25% and 34% of the general population. For most people, it is a benign finding; however, in some, the PFO can be wider, allowing a paradoxical embolus to transit from the venous to the arterial circulation, which is associated with cryptogenic stroke, migraine, [...]

Case Presentation: A 26-year-old male presented with a 6-hour history of anterior neck pain and swelling. Symptoms started few minutes after he had dinner (tuna and a carbonated beverage). Otherwise, he denied any recent illness, trauma or intake of unusual substances and had no other past medical history. On exam, he was afebrile and hemodynamically stable. [...]

Case Presentation: A 21-year-old Hispanic male with recently diagnosed Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was admitted to the hospital for evaluation of persistent periorbital edema, lower extremity edema, and worsening rash. He was diagnosed with AIDS about three months prior and had been on combination dolutegravir/lamivudine since diagnosis. His most recent CD4 count two weeks ago [...]

Case Presentation: A 17 year-old male teenager presented with two weeks of bilateral lower extremity edema, erythema, and warmth associated with fevers and joint pain at the foot and ankle. After a presumed bug bite on his left foot he developed a rash that spread from left to right leg. Symptoms did not improve with [...]

Case Presentation: A 30 year old woman with a history of alcoholic cirrhosis, episodes of alcoholic hepatitis and pancreatitis, was transferred to a tertiary care hospital from a community hospital for a liver transplant evaluation. On admission, she had a MELD score of 33. The patient was not a candidate for liver transplant due to [...]