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Background & Aims: The aim of this study was to identify clinical and imaging predictors of arterial extravasation, post embolization rebleeding and 30-day mortality in gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Method: This retrospective study included 114 patients who underwent angiography for upper or lower GI bleeding. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify clinical and imaging predictors. Results: Angiography demonstrated arterial extravasation in 22 patients (19%) and embolization was performed in 48 (42%) patients including prophylactic embolization in 26 (56%). Fall in hemoglobin level from baseline was an independent predictor of arterial extravasation with 65% increased odds for every unit drop (OR 1.65, 95%CI 1.13-2.40, p=0.01). Age

Background Accurate identification of patients at risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) places a substantial burden on emergency physicians (EPs). Bayesian nomogram for risk stratification in low- to intermediate-risk cardiovascular patients has not been investigated previously. Objective The objective of this study was to develop a comparative diagnostic model using Bayesian statistics for exercise treadmill test (ETT) and stress echocardiogram (ECHO) to calculate post-test diagnostic risk of MACE using HEART (history, electrocardiogram, age, risk factors, and troponin) risk score as predictor of pretest probability. Methods Stratification was made by applying HEART scores for the prediction of MACE. Likelihood ratios (LR) were calculated using pooled sensitivity and specificity of ETT and ECHO from the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association systematic review. Post-test probabilities were obtained after inserting HEART score and LR into Bayesian nomogram. Analysis of variance was used to assess statistical association. Results Positive LR (LR+) for ETT was 4.56 and negative LR (LR–) was 0.27; for ECHO, LR+ 5.65 and LR– 0.15. Bayesian statistical modeling post-test probabilities for LR+ and low HEART risk yielded a post-test probability for ETT of 7.75% and 9.09% for ECHO; intermediate risk gave 47.62% and 52.63%, respectively. For LR–, low HEART risk post-test probability for ETT was 0.46% and for ECHO 0.26%; intermediate risk probabilities were 4.48% and 2.49%, respectively. LR– was statistically significant in ruling out MACE with ECHO (p Conclusions This Bayesian analysis demonstrated slight superiority of stress ECHO over ETT in low- and intermediate-risk patients in ruling out MACE.

Barriers to EMS care can result in suboptimal outcomes and preventable morbidity and mortality. Large EMS databases such as the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) dataset provide valuable data on the relative incidence of such barriers to care.A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed using the NEMSIS database. Cases of violent trauma were collected based on gender and racial group. Each group was analyzed for the ratio of cases that involved an EMS barrier to care. Chi-square testing was used to assess associations, and the relative risk was used as the measure of strength of association. For all tests, statistical significance was set at the 0.05 level.719,812 cases of violent trauma were analyzed using the NEMSIS dataset. EMS encountered barriers to care for white and non-white patients was found to be 4.9% and 4.0% respectively. The difference between groups was found to be 0.9% (95% CI [0.7%, 1.1%] p 0.0001). RR was 1.23 for white patients (95% CI [1.19, 1.26]), and 0.82 (95% CI [0.79, 0.84]) for non-white. EMS barriers to care for male and female patients was found to be 6.03% and 3.34%, respectively. The difference between groups was found to be 2.7% (95% CI [2.6%, 2.8%] p 0.0001). RR for male patients was 1.80 (95% Cl [1.76, 1.84]) while RR for female patients was 0.55 (95% CI [0.54, 0.57]).Racially white patients and male patients have a statistically significant higher risk of encountering an EMS barrier to care in cases of violent trauma.

A 66-year old woman had a left breast mass. Biopsy showed invasive ductal carcinoma. A PET/CT scan demonstrated hypermetabolism in the left breast and atypical heterogeneously increased uptake throughout the skeleton as well as a minimally FDG-avid right adrenal myelolipoma. PET/CT 4 months later after 6 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy demonstrated increased size and FDG avidity of this adrenal mass concerning for metastasis and uniformly increased skeletal FDG avidity. Biopsy demonstrated adrenal myelolipoma. The growth and increased FDG avidity of the adrenal myelolipoma were due to the action of colony-stimulating factors on the tumor's hematopoietic component.