To compare the clinical outcomes of a low dose dexamethasone strategy vs. a high-dose dexamethasone strategy in hypoxemic COVID-19 patients. A retrospective observational study comparing low-dose (8 mg) and high-dose dexamethasone (24 mg) of COVID-19 patients admitted from September 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020 in a hospital in Honduras. We included 81 patients with confirmed COVID-19 who required oxygen therapy. The mean age was similar between groups (57.49 vs. 56.95 years). There were more male patients in the group of 24 mg (p = 0.01). Besides, patients on the 24 mg dose had more prevalence of hypertension (p = 0.052). More patients in the 24 mg group had a higher rate of invasive mechanical ventilation (15.00% vs. 2.56%, p = 0.058). When evaluating the association between the high dose group and outcomes, we find no significant association with mortality, nosocomial infections, high ...

Aim: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify the prevalence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with gastroparesis. Background: Several studies have suggested an association between SIBO and gastroparesis, which is characterized by delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) through January, 2022 for randomized controlled trials and observational studies reporting the prevalence of SIBO in gastroparesis. Pooled prevalence was estimated using a random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by using the inconsistency index (I2). Results: Among the 976 articles identified, 43 studies were selected for full text review. Six studies, with 385 patients, were deemed eligible for inclusion...

Introduction: Chronic Pancreatitis (CP) is a fibroinflammatory condition with debilitating symptoms. Quality of life is severely affected in patients with CP and they are likely to suffer from mental health disorders, including depression. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression in patients with CP. Methods: MEDLINE (OVID), PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL Complete, Scopus and Web of Science were searched until July 2022 to identify manuscripts reporting the prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression (diagnosed clinically or with a validated scale without language restriction) in patients with Chronic Pancreatitis. The pooled prevalence was calculated using a random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by the inconsistency index (I2). Results: Among 3647 articles identified, 58 studies were ide...

The internet has become a necessary communication platform for health information. The quality of online material for patients varies significantly, and this is not different for material on gastrointestinal cancers. We aimed to assess English and Spanish online patient information addressing esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer treatment. Six independent Google searches were conducted using the terms: esophageal cancer treatment, gastric cancer treatment, colorectal cancer treatment, and their translations in Spanish. Websites were included in the top 50 results for each search. Readability was assessed using two validated tests for each language. Understandability/actionability, quality, and cultural sensitivity were assessed using Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), DISCERN, and Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool (CSAT), respectively. Pearson’s chi-squared w...

Background: Celiac disease (CeD) is an immune-mediated disorder affecting the small bowel, associated with genetic factors and increasing global prevalence. Aim: This study explores the association between CeD, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), primary Sjogren syndrome (pSS), and Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Searches across multiple databases yielded 2728 articles, with 15 studies selected. Data extraction included study characteristics, prevalence of CeD and CeD antibodies in SLE, pSS, and SSc. Quality assessment utilized the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Results: The meta-analysis revealed a pooled prevalence of biopsy-proven CeD in SLE, pSS, and SSc of approximately 3%. Seroprevalence of any CeD antibody in SLE, pSS, and SSc ranged from 3% to 10%. Notably, pSS exhibited the highest prevalence at 5.59%....