BackgroundWhile extensive evidence suggests that the economic recession has had far reaching effects on many economic sectors, little is known regarding its impact on prescription drug utilization. The purpose of this study is to describe the association between state-level unemployment rates and retail sales of seven therapeutic classes (statins, antidepressants, antipsychotics, angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors, opiates, phosphodiesterase [PDE] inhibitors and oral contraceptives) in the United States.MethodsUsing a retrospective mixed ecological design, we examined retail prescription sales using IMS Health Xponent™ from September 2007 through July 2010, and we used the Bureau of Labor Statistics to derive population-based rates and mixed-effects modeling with state-level controls to examine the association between unemployment and utilization. Our main outcome measure was state-level utilization per 100,000 people for each class.ResultsMonthly unemployment levels and rates of use of each class varied substantially across the states. There were no statistically significant associations between use of ACE inhibitors or SSRIs/SNRIs and average unemployment in analyses across states, while for opioids and PDE inhibitors there were small statistically significant direct associations, and for the remaining classes inverse associations. Analyses using each state as its own control collectively exhibited statistically significant positive associations between increases in unemployment and prescription drug utilization for five of seven areas examined. This relationship was greatest for statins (on average, a 4% increase in utilization per 1% increased unemployment) and PDE inhibitors (3% increase in utilization per 1% increased unemployment), and lower for oral contraceptives and atypical antipsychotics.ConclusionWe found no evidence of an association between increasing unemployment and decreasing prescription utilization, suggesting that any effects of the recent economic recession have been mitigated by other market forces.

Radiation enteritis is a significant complication of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) to the pelvis, particularly in patients having high dose radiotherapy (>80 Gy) and in those with a low pelvic peritoneal reflection allowing loops of small bowel to enter the radiation field. Laparoscopic insertion and subsequent removal of a pelvic tissue expander before and after external beam radiotherapy is a relatively convenient, safe and effective method for displacing loops of bowel out of the pelvis. We report on a patient with prostate cancer who ordinarily would not have been a candidate for EBRT due to loops of bowel low in the pelvis. With laparoscopic insertion and subsequent removal of a tissue expander, he was able to have radiotherapy to the prostate without developing radiation enteritis.

Large-bowel obstruction caused by volvulus is potentially life threatening if not managed promptly. Sigmoid colon is the most common site of volvulus followed by caecum. Synchronous double colonic volvulus is an exceedingly rare entity, with only five cases published previously. We present the case of a 77-year-old man with a synchronous sigmoid and caecal volvulus. He underwent total colectomy with ileostomy formation with a view to reverse the ileostomy at a later date.

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Cases of inverted intraluminal Meckel's diverticulum (MD) containing a lipoma, pancreatic and gastric ectopic tissue resulting in intussusception are extremely rare. We have been unable to locate any such presentation in a Crohn's patient; here, we discuss one such case. MD is the most common congenital malformation of the human gastrointestinal tract. Its paediatric preponderance may result in its oversight in the adult population as a cause for symptoms. Intestinal obstruction is the most common adult presentation in non-inverted MD, whereas haemorrhage and anaemia are the most frequent presenting complaint with an ‘inverted’ MD. Adult intussusception due to an inverted MD is exceptionally rare with a poorly understood pathophysiology and life-threatening consequences. There is no gold standard diagnostic test for an inverted MD causing an intussusception, rather clinicians should utilize many modalities including angiography, ultrasound and computed tomography. Treatment of an inverted adult MD causing intussusception is surgical resection.