Gastric malabsorptive conditions may prevent patients from deriving benefit from orally administered medications intended for enteric absorption. While malabsorption is an increasingly common issue, current data on alternative oral options for agitation in these patients are very sparse. Sublingual (SL) asenapine is absorbed transmucosally, bypassing gut absorption, making it a viable consideration. We report on three patients, one with short bowel syndrome, one with viral gastritis, and one with aortic dissection who were trialed on SL asenapine for agitation after failing alternative antipsychotics. Two of these patients had an extensive history of psychiatric admissions for bipolar disorder and substance-induced psychosis. All three patients had significant reductions in agitation within 1-5 days, with no reported adverse effects. However, benefit of SL asenapine was hindered in two of these patients as they began inappropriately swallowing the medication, reducing bioavailability to nil. Clinicians should consider the use of SL asenapine for medically complex agitated patients where gastric absorption is questionable. There is an urgent need for guidelines on this matter, as well as more, alternative dosage forms for various medications that may help with agitation in this population.

UNASSIGNED: Understanding the quality of life and the factors that influence it for patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) and their caregivers is of utmost importance in order to enhance their well-being. Therefore, This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of SBS on patients and their caregivers, as well as its associated factors, by synthesizing the available evidence.
UNASSIGNED: A systematic review of the literature was done using PubMed, Embase databases, CNKI, and ISPOR conference papers. Included articles were manually searched to identify any other relevant studies. Quality was assessed using appropriate Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools.
UNASSIGNED: This review included 16 studies, comprising 15 observational studies and 1 randomized controlled trial. The findings revealed that the QoL of patients with SBS was lower than that of the general population regarding physical functioning and psychological domain. Meanwhile, caregivers experienced challenges in maintaining their QoL. The QoL of SBS patients was found to be influenced by various factors such as treatment, age, sex, stoma, and small intestine length. Among them, the treatment is the most noteworthy factor that can be effectively improved through external interventions.
UNASSIGNED: While numerous studies have provided insights into the compromised QoL experienced by individuals with SBS and their caregivers, there remains a scarcity of large-sample quantitative investigations examining the determinants of QoL. The existing body of literature on caregivers is also notably deficient.

Gastrectomy and esophagectomy are the most performed surgeries in the treatment of both esophageal and gastric cancers. The type of esophagectomy depends on the type of malignancy, site of the tumor, criteria of resection, and field of resection. The three standard approaches to esophagectomy are the transhiatal approach, the left thoracoabdominal approach, and a three-stage procedure. The transhiatal approach involves abdominal and cervical incisions, while the left thoracoabdominal approach is a one-stage procedure that utilizes a single incision exposing the dissection field. The Ivor Lewis and McKeown esophagectomies are two-stage and three-stage surgeries that include laparotomy with right thoracotomy. Malabsorption often emerges as a significant postoperative complication following esophagectomy and gastrectomy surgeries. Malnutrition linked with these cancers has detrimental effects, including heightened rates of postoperative complications, elevated infection risks, delayed wound healing, reduced tolerance to treatment, diminished quality of life, and heightened mortality rates. Our narrative review summarizes and sheds light on solutions to treat malabsorption disorders and malnutrition after gastric bypass surgery. These solutions include methods such as adjustments, supplements, and treatment. Although more research is needed to confirm their effectiveness, these methods indicate potential for lowering the impact on patients\' diets. By considering the beneficial implications of these effects and considering solutions, we aim to improve the management of these adverse effects, ultimately improving the overall health and postoperative outcomes of patients.

Olmesartan is an angiotensin II receptor blocker licensed for the treatment of hypertension. It can cause a sprue-like enteropathy (SLE), characterised by chronic diarrhoea, weight loss and villous atrophy. Transiently raised anti-tissue transglutaminase (ATTG) antibody has also been rarely reported in the literature.We describe the case of a woman in her mid-50s, who presented with a history of intermittent loose stools over 1 year, associated with significant weight loss. She had two marginally raised serum ATTG antibody tests during her work-up.After extensive investigations, she was diagnosed with olmesartan-induced enteropathy. On subsequent follow-up, her symptoms had resolved with cessation of her olmesartan therapy.This case adds to existing literature, highlighting the importance of considering olmesartan as a possible differential diagnosis for SLE. It also reports the presence of a raised ATTG antibody which is infrequently reported in this context.

In hypothyroid patients needing large doses of levothyroxine (L-T4) (>1.7-2 μg/kg/day) to reach euthyroidism, lactose intolerance (LI) needs to be excluded, owing to the high prevalence in the population. If LI is present, a lactose-free diet decreases the rate of L-T4 malabsorption. However, an increased requirement of L-T4 is described in patients with LI, which can be beneficially treated using lactose-free L-T4 formulation. The lactose-free liquid L-T4 formulation is able to circumvent LI malabsorption leading to the normalization of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and long-term stable TSH levels.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in the incidence of enteropathy or intestinal malabsorption in patients taking angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI), calcium channel blocker (CCB), and beta blockers (BBs) at a single center in Korea.
METHODS: In this retrospective study, we utilized data from the Yangsan electronic medical records to identify 129,169 patients. These individuals were prescribed olmesartan, other ARBs, ACEI, CCB, and BBs between November 2008 and February 2021.
RESULTS: Of the 44,775 patients, 51 (0.11%) were observed to have enteropathy or intestinal malabsorption. Compared with the ACEI group, the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for enteropathy and intestinal malabsorption were OR=1.313 (95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.188-6.798], p=0.893) for olmesartan, OR=0.915 (95% CI: [0.525-1.595], p=0.754) for the other ARBs, OR=0.928 (95% CI: [0.200-4.307]; p=0.924) for the CCB, and OR=0.663 (95% CI: [0.151-2.906]; p=0.586) for the BBs group. These findings were adjusted for factors such as age, gender, duration of antihypertensive medication, and comorbidities.
CONCLUSIONS: In a retrospective cohort study of patients on antihypertensive medications, no significant difference was found in the incidence of enteropathy or intestinal malabsorption when ACEI was compared to olmesartan, other ARBs, CCB, and BBs.

BACKGROUND: Failure to thrive (FTT) in pediatric populations is a diagnostic challenge with implications for growth and development. Despite its prevalence, detailed epidemiological data, especially concerning organic versus non-organic etiologies, are sparse. This study examines the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of organic and non-organic FTT in a pediatric outpatient setting at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah.
METHODS: This retrospective chart review included pediatric patients aged three months to 14 years diagnosed with FTT at KAMC from 2016 to 2023. FTT was defined by weights below the 3rd percentile or a decline across two major growth percentiles. Patients were stratified into organic and non-organic FTT groups based on predefined criteria. Prevalence rates, clinical characteristics, and outcomes were compared to draw distinctions between the two categories.
RESULTS: Out of 349 evaluated patients, organic FTT was present in 160 patients (45.8%), with gastrointestinal conditions and endocrine disorders being the most common etiologies. Non-organic FTT, accounting for 189 (54.2%) of cases, was primarily associated with inadequate nutritional intake and behavioral factors. Notably, the non-organic FTT group exhibited a significantly higher rate of condition resolution (45.0%) compared to their organic counterparts (32.5%). Furthermore, significant laboratory parameter differences were noted, indicating a higher white blood cell count in organic cases, among other findings.
CONCLUSIONS: Non-organic FTT was more prevalent and demonstrated higher resolution rates, suggesting better outcomes with timely intervention and appropriate care strategies. The study advocates for increased educational efforts for caregivers and healthcare providers and calls for further research to explore effective management protocols for FTT.

Autoimmune enteropathy is a rare cause of chronic intractable diarrhea and is present in <1 in 100,000 infants. We report the case of a 9-month-old boy who presented with intractable diarrhea and vomiting. Genetic panel testing revealed a STAT3 heterozygous mutation in exon 6, suggesting infantile-onset multisystem autoimmune disease-1. The patient was initially treated with steroids and sulfasalazine. However, on tapering steroids, he had another episode of diarrhea and was subsequently put on baricitinib to which he responded.

BACKGROUND: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) in adults is defined as having less than 180 to 200 cm of remaining small bowel. Many literature sources do not provide precise epidemiological data, and challenges in estimating the prevalence of SBS include its multifactorial etiology and varying definitions. The most common pathologies leading to SBS include Crohn disease, mesenteric ischemia, radiation enteritis, post-surgical adhesions, and post-operative complications.
METHODS: This article presents a clinical case of a 76-year-old Lithuanian patient who underwent parenteral nutrition for four months due to SBS. Before the following diagnosis, the patient had undergone two surgeries. During the hospitalization, life-threatening conditions such as stercoral peritonitis, septic shock, and acute respiratory failure, were observed and treated. As a result of SBS, hypoproteinemia and hypoalbuminemia developed, leading to the prescription of full parenteral nutrition. After correcting the malnutrition, a third surgery was performed, resulting in the discontinuation of parenteral nutrition and the resumption of a regular diet.
CONCLUSIONS: Parenteral nutrition is the sole effective method for preserving the lives of patients with a short segment of the intestine. While on parenteral nutrition, patients can be prepared for reconstructive surgery.

Although present in a significant number of people, hypomagnesemia is still an undervalued diagnosis. Therefore, its awareness and comprehensive etiological investigation become imperative. Among its multiple possible causes, drug iatrogenesis plays an important and often overlooked role. Here, we present a case of a 78-year-old female with recurrent bouts of severe hypomagnesemia of unknown origin, which, after an extensive study, was determined to be induced by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). As such, our goal is to raise awareness of the potential risk of this side effect even in monotherapy, as well as to elucidate its underlying mechanisms, which are still not fully understood. Furthermore, it is intended to foster a systematic therapeutic review in these patients and raise discussion about the potential benefits of systematic magnesium monitoring in patients on long-term PPIs.