Effectiveness of therapeutic barium enema for diverticular hemorrhage

AIM:To evaluate the effectiveness of barium impaction therapy for patients with colonic diverticular bleeding.METHODS:We reviewed the clinical charts of patients in whom therapeutic barium enema was performed for the control of diverticular bleeding between August2010 and March 2012 at Yokohama Rosai Hospital.Twenty patients were included in the review,consisting of 14 men and 6 women.The median age of the patients was 73.5 years.The duration of the followup period ranged from 1 to 19 mo(median:9.8 mo).Among the 20 patients were 11 patients who required the procedure for re-bleeding during hospitalization,6patients who required it for re-bleeding that developed after the patient left the hospital,and 3 patients who required the procedure for the prevention of rebleeding.Barium(concentration:150 w%/v%)was administered per the rectum,and the leading edge of the contrast medium was followed up to the cecum by fluoroscopy.After confirmation that the ascending colon and cecum were filled with barium,the enema tube was withdrawn,and the patient’s position was changed every 20 min for 3 h.RESULTS:Twelve patients remained free of rebleeding during the follow-up period(range:1-19mo)after the therapeutic barium enema,including 9men and 3 women with a median age of 72.0 years.Re-bleeding occurred in 8 patients including 5 men and 3 women with a median age of 68.5 years:4developed early re-bleeding,defined as re-bleeding that occurs within one week after the procedure,and the remaining 4 developed late re-bleeding.The DFI(disease-free interval)decreased 0.4 for 12 mo.Only one patient developed a complication from therapeutic barium enema(colonic perforation).CONCLUSION:Therapeutic barium enema is effective for the control of diverticular hemorrhage in cases where the active bleeding site cannot be identified by colonoscopy.

The Significance of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor or Angiotensin II Receptor Blocker Use in Sudden Cardiac Death

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between the use of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) and hyperkalemia in patients diagnosed with sudden cardiac death. Methods: We examined oral ACE inhibitor or ARB use among cardiopulmonary arrest patients brought by ambulance to our emergency room during a 5-year period from January 2012 to December 2016. The cause of death was determined to be sudden cardiac death, despite temporary return of spontaneous circulation after starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Subjects were dichotomized into 2 groups, those taking and those not taking an ACE inhibitor or ARB. Variables determined retrospectively included serum potassium, estimated glomerular filtration rate as an index of kidney function and time from cardiopulmonary arrest to return of spontaneous circulation. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare continuous data, and the chi-square test to compare categorical data between groups. The results are expressed as the median plus range. Statistical significance was assumed at p Results: Thirty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 77.1 years (range, 35 - 93 years), and there were 26 males and 9 females. Eleven subjects were ACE inhibitor or ARB users, and 24 were non-users. The serum potassium level was significantly higher in users than non-users (median, 6.2 mEq/L (range, 4.5 - 10.0) vs. 5.2 mEq/L (range, 3.6 - 8.3);p = 0.001). The estimated glomerular filtration rate was significantly lower in users than non-users (median, 25.1 mL/min/1.73 m2 (range, 4.6 - 60.3) vs. 46.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 (range, 19.8 - 97.1);p = 0.009). There was no significant difference in time from cardiopulmonary arrest to return of spontaneous circulation between the 2 groups (median, 24 minutes (range, 3 - 111) vs. 29 minutes (range, 10 - 54);p = 0.355). Conclusion: It is possible that hyperkalemia induced by ACE inhibitor or ARB use is a cause of sudden cardiac death, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease.