Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating Outcomes Of Medication-Related Interventions From The “Seniors At Risk For Falls After Emergency Room Visit” (Safer) Pilot Project, Ling J. Zhan, Sharon Leigh, Mary E. Kuebrich, Clara Mikhaeil, Kevin Hom, Colleen M. Casey

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2020

Primary Author: Ling J. Zhan, PharmD

Co-Authors: Sharon Leigh, PharmD BCPS, Mary Beth Kuebrich, MS, AGPCNP-BC, Clara Mikhaeil, PharmD, BCPS, Colleen M. Casey, PhD, ANP-BC

Location: Providence Health & Services, Portland, Oregon

Title: Evaluating outcomes of medication-related interventions from the “Seniors At risk for Falls after Emergency Room visit” (SAFER) pilot project

Purpose: Falls are the leading cause of injury in older adults, resulting in decreased mobility, loss of independence, and increased health care costs. Even a single fall puts an older adult at higher risk for future falls. Despite numerous studies showing evidence that multifactorial fall risk interventions are …

Unpainfully Sweet, Khoi Nguyen, Alex Schafir

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

Introduction: Sweet's syndrome (ss), or acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is characterized by sudden onset of fever, leukocytosis and erythematous plaques or nodules infiltrated by neutrophils. There are three main clinical settings in which Sweet's syndrome has been described: The diagnosis of Sweet’s syndrome often has a temporal association with the discovery or relapse of cancer as reported in this case.

Case Report: A 64-year-old woman with recurrent breast cancer on targeted and hormonal therapy presented to the ED with acute onset of fever and diffuse non-tender body rash. Vitals suggested sepsis and she was treated with broad spectrum …

Pharmacoeconomic Impact Of Patient-Centric Oncology Service Model, Kasey Rubin, Samuel Jacobson, Shannon Buxell

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2020

Kasey Rubin PharmD.

Samuel Jacobson PharmD. BCOP, Shannon Buxell PharmD.

Providence Health & Services, Portland Oregon

Pharmacoeconomic impact of patient-centric oncology service model

Providence Health & Services recently embedded ambulatory oncology pharmacists into the ambulatory oncology clinic setting. The overall purpose of this retrospective study is to quantify the financial benefits of ambulatory oncology pharmacists as well as quantify patient-centric factors through utilization of an onsite specialty pharmacy. This study was submitted and approved by Institutional Review Board. Electronic health records of patients who visited the ambulatory oncology clinic will be retrospectively reviewed over two time periods: 12 months preceding …

Addressing The Social Determinants Of Health In The Clinic Setting, Larissa Sharma, Man Tran

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: It is estimated that clinical care accounts for only 20% of health, while behaviors, physical environment, and social and economic factors determine the rest. The social determinants of health include the basic life needs of housing, food, transport, along with other factors that include employment, education, drug and alcohol use, dental and eye care, etc. Insecurity in these socioeconomic factors are expressed in chronic medical illness, mental health problems, substance use, all leading to high healthcare utilization. Healthcare costs and utilization decrease when when these needs are provided for. In a survey of 6,000 Providence patients, 50% expressed …

Lemierre’S Syndrome, Jennifer Nguyen, Tom Chau

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: Lemierre’ssyndrome is a rare and potentially fatal complication of acute pharyngitis most commonly seen in healthy, young adults who present with neck pain and persistent, high-grade fever. It is caused by anaerobic gram-negative organisms, most often Fusobacteriumnecrophorum, spreading into the deep spaces of the neck. This leads to septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein (IJ) with septic emboli, most frequently to the lungs.

CASE REPORT: A healthy 18-year-old woman presented to the hospital with five days of fever, rigors, sore throat, and left neck pain. She appeared relatively non-toxic but was febrile to 105.6℉ and in septic shock. …

Pulmonary Nocardiosisin An Immunocompetenthost, Leah Grant, Laura Loertscher, Jennifer Marfori

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

Introduction: • Nocardia is known to cause severe pulmonary or disseminated infection in immunocompromised patients, but can cause infection in immunocompetent patients. Providers should consider Nocardiosis in immunocompetent patients with prolonged and unexplained respiratory failure. • The preferred therapy for pulmonary Nocardiosis is a sulfa antibiotic for 3-6 months. Toxicity from prolonged use of alternative agents presents a therapeutic challenge in those with sulfa allergy.

Case Report: • An 85 year-old woman with a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and heart failure with preserved EF presented to her primary care provider with 1 week of cough and progressive dyspnea. Chest …

Impact Of Clinical Pharmacist Medication Review Upon Enrollment In A Program For All-Inclusive Care Of The Elderly (Pace), Adam Olesen, Kristen Wendell

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2020

Impact of clinical pharmacist medication review upon enrollment in a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

Adam Olesen, PharmD, PGY1 Resident
Kristen Wendell, PharmD, BCGP

Providence Elderplace Oregon

Learning Objective:

Describe the interventions and recommendations made by a pharmacist upon enrollment of a new participant at a PACE facility.

Abstract:

Pharmacists have been proven to be beneficial in the transitions of care for high-risk patients with multiple morbidities, such as the reduction of both polypharmacy and thirty-day readmission rates. The objective of this study is to quantify and characterize the total number and type of interventions and recommendations …

Evaluation Of Surgical Antibiotic Prophylaxis At A Large, Tertiary Medical Center, Emily Fox, Brent Footer, Angel Mendez

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2020

Emily Fox, PharmD, PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident

Brent Footer, PharmD, BCPS; Angel Mendez, Pharmacy Student

Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, Oregon

Evaluation of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis at a large, tertiary medical center

Surgical site infections (SSI) are a significant cause of morbidity, prolonged hospitalization, and mortality. The cost of a single SSI is estimated to be upward of $25,000 and increases a patient’s length of hospital stay by ~10 days. Our institution has identified inappropriate or less than optimal antimicrobial prophylaxis as a potential contributor in several recent SSI cases. Current literature on this topic has found that there may be …

Implementing A Simplified Targeted Feedback Method To Reduce Fluoroquinolone Prescriptions In Emergency Departments, Minh Le, Alyssa Christensen, Brent Footer

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2020

Minh Le, PharmD

Alyssa Christensen, PharmD, BCIDP, Brent Footer, PharmD, BCPS

Providence Health System, Oregon

Implementing a simplified targeted feedback method to reduce fluoroquinolone prescriptions in emergency departments

Background: The CDC has proclaimed antibiotic resistance to be one of the biggest public health challenges of our time. Although fluoroquinolones (FQs) are among the most widely prescribed antibiotics in the ambulatory setting, there have been recent efforts to reduce their usage due to mounting concerns regarding their safety profile and resistance patterns. Provider audit-and-feedback has been shown to be among the most effective antimicrobial stewardship interventions, but the auditing process …

Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome, Gabriel Hocum, Jeff Youker

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAPS) is a rare and extreme manifestation of Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) that features widespread thrombotic disease affecting multiple small vessels in a short time frame. CAPS affects only 0.8% of APS patients, but when it occurs it is has a mortality rate of approximately 50%.

CASE REPORT: A 50 year old female with SLE and APS presented with 1 month of cough and fatigue and 2 days of severe confusion after missing doses of rivaroxaban. In the ED she was intubated for airway protection and transferred to the ICU. Her evaluation revealed multi-organ failure with extensive …

Not Just Kids –A Case Of Adult Iga Vasculitis, Heidi Reich, Jeff Youker

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: IgA vasculitis, formerly known as HenlochSchonleinPurpura, is generally recognized as the most common form of systemic vasculitis in children, with 90% of cases occurring in the pediatric age group. However, the remaining 10% are noted in adult populations, and often has poorer long term outcomes if not identified and treated quickly. IgAVis commonly associated with streptococcal infections, although additional triggers such as drug ingestions, insect bites, and vaccinations have been described. Symptoms can include palpable purpura, acute abdominal pain, arthralgias, and hematuria. Recognizing the constellation of signs and symptoms is key for expediting appropriate therapy, which may reduce long …

Delirium: Delirious Elders, Implementing Reduction Interventions Using Mobility, Michael Silvas, Joe Miller, Shelley Sanders

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: This quality improvement project involved hiring, training, and managing 3 Delirium Mobility Aids to implement a non-pharmacologic delirium prevention bundle package, including early mobility, on hospitalized patients age >65.

Background: Delirium affects 20-30% of older hospitalized patients [1]. Patients with delirium have double the mortality rate [3], which increases with delirium duration [4]. Delirium worsens long term cognitive functioning [9,10,11,12]. Hospital costs increase by $2,500 per patient, totaling $6,900,000,000 in Medicare expenditures [7]. A single delirium episode increases total yearly costs by ~$64,421 [2]. Research suggests the best treatment is non-pharmacologic multicomponent interventions [6], and those with most …

Accidental Botulism Poisoning: A Case Of Pickled Herring, Garrett Spencer, Greg Flick

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: Botulism is a rare cause of neuromuscular weakness that presents a diagnostic challenge in the face of respiratory collapse. Pupil and bulbar paralysis aid prompt recognition and treatment, as clinical confirmation can be time intensive and limited by sample integrity. Early treatment can halt paralysis and prevent ICU and ventilator days.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 74-year-old male with hypertension and DVT presented with acute weakness and respiratory failure after three days of cough and diarrhea. Upon ICU admission for mechanical ventilation, we discovered sluggish pupils, mild ptosis, and proximal muscle weakness. Symptoms then progressed to unresponsive pupils, complete ptosis, and …

Evaluation Of Guideline-Directed Medication Therapy For Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction Patients At Discharge On 30-Day Readmission Rates At Two Tertiary Healthcare Centers, Jacqueline Hesse, Yan Xu, Meri Slavica, James E. Watkins, Alan Rankin, Joshua Remick

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2020

Evaluation of Guideline-Directed Medication Therapy for Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction Patients at Discharge on 30-Day Readmission Rates at Two Tertiary Healthcare Centers

Principal Investigator: Jacqueline Hesse, Pharm.D.

Preceptors: Yan Xu, Pharm.D., BCPS, BCCP; Meri Slavica, Ph.D., BCPS

Pharmacy Student: James Watkins, 2020 Pharm.D. Candidate

Sub-Investigators: Alan Rankin, MD; Joshua Remick, MD

Background:

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a chronic, progressive disease leading to symptoms such as dyspnea, cough, edema, fatigue, and exercise intolerance. The use of anangiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi), angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) in combination with an …

Battling The Stigma: Hiv Screening In Resident Primary Care Clinic, Garrett Spencer, Laura Loertscher, Shelley Sanders

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: HIV affects ~1.2 million in the US, with 25% unaware of their statusand annual incidence of 50,000. Early detection and treatment reduces risk of AIDS-related deaths and transmission. Both the CDC and the US Preventative Service Task Force recommend routine HIV screening. The Providence Medical Group at St Vincent (PMG-STV) resident clinic has no routine screening protocol. • 24% (757/3139) of all clinic patients have ever been screened. • Of active clinic patients seen quarterly, 5% are offered screening with only 3% completing screening. We implemented and measured a clinic-wide HIV screening protocol leveraging existing clinic workflows. We aimed …

Evaluating The Utility Of Cyp2c19 Genetic Testing For P2y12 Inhibitor Prescribing Within An Inpatient Setting, Thomas E. Maslo, Carolynn Null

Providence Pharmacy PGY1 Program at Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Centers 2020

Thomas Maslo, PharmD, PGY-1 Pharmacy Resident

Carolynn Null, PharmD

Providence Portland Medical Center, Portland, Oregon

Evaluating the utility of CYP2C19 genetic testing for P2Y12 inhibitor prescribing within an inpatient setting

The emergence of pharmacogenomics offers the opportunity to practice precision medicine across health care. In patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is routinely prescribed for 12 months. DAPT consists of a P2Y12 inhibitor (clopidogrel, ticagrelor, or prasugrel) plus aspirin. Of the P2Y12 inhibitors, clopidogrel is uniquely impacted by CYP2C19 status. About 30% of the North American population carry at …

Ceftriaxone-Induced Immune Hemolytic Anemia From Treatment Of Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, Jillian Catral, Emily Hitchcock

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: Drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia (DIIHA) is a rare though likely underreported entitythat is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. • Ceftriaxone is a commonly used antibiotics with a well-documented association with DIIHA. The mechanism is a drug-dependent antibody, immune-complex mediated reaction which can be severe, leading to organ failure, shock, and even death. • While the majority of cases are in children, a recent literature review had one-third of cases being adults, with up to 30-40% mortality in all ages. • This case describes an adult patient treated for the controversial diagnosis of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS) …

Swimming Through Lake Placid: A Major Headache, Elizabeth Severson, Claudia Leonard

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

Introduction: Leptospirosis is caused by Leptospira species, a spirochete bacterium that affects animals and humans. The disease can range from mild flu-like illness to multi-organ failure. While likely underreported, the incidence according to the World Health Organization can range from 0.1 to 10 per 100,000 depending on climate Leptospirosis is commonly associated with occupational or recreational exposures

Case Report: A 43 year-old previously healthy man presented with two weeks of myalgias, fevers, neck pain and throbbing headache. The patient competed in an Iron Man event in upstate New York one month prior to presentation. Initial investigation demonstrated a …

Purpura Fulminans Due To Mssa Toxic Shock Syndrome, Leah Grant, Rachel Plotinsky

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

Introduction: Purpurafulminansis a rare and serious complication of anacute infectious process, characterized by large purpuricskin lesions, fever, hypotension, and DIC. The mostcommon infectious cause of purpurafulminansismeningococcal disease, though few case reports in theliterature describe Staph aureusas a causative organism.

Case Report: •A 53 year-old woman with a history of heart blocks/ppacemaker placement in 2002 presented to the ED withnausea, vomiting, fevers, chills, diffuse muscle pain and asyncopalepisode. •She was found to have multi-organ dysfunction on labs,including AKI and thrombocytopenia.On hospital day 2, shedeveloped acrocyanosis. She became febrile & hypotensive requiring transfer tothe ICU for vasopressor support. Blood cultures were obtained. …

Struck By Lightning Twice, Bao-Ngoc Nguyen, Emily Hitchcock

Providence St. Vincent Internal Medicine 2020

INTRODUCTION: ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) refer to a group of disorders causing inflammation of small vessels which include granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA, Churg-Strauss). Here I present a case of MPA vasculitis in a patient with alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, and describe a proposed causal link between these two rare disease processes.

CASE REPORT: • 43-year-old man with history of newly-diagnosed AAT deficiency liver disease. • Chief complaint of subacute shortness of breath associated with hemoptysis and fever for 5 months. • Symptoms had been progressively worsening despite multiple courses of antibiotics and inhalers. …

Beck’S Tetrad? Adding Pocus To The Clinical Exam For Pericardial Tamponade Improves Diagnostic Accuracy In Obstructive Shock, Cody Wiench, Benjamin Pedroja

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

Beck’s Tetrad?

Adding POCUS To The Clinical Exam For Pericardial Tamponade Improves Diagnostic Accuracy In Obstructive Shock

Cody Wiench, MD

Providence Portland Medical Center – Portland, OR

Additional Authors: Benjamin Pedroja, MD

Introduction: Obstructive shock due to tamponade is an important, but rare, cause for sudden cardiovascular collapse. Accurate treatment requires prompt (and correct) diagnosis. Bedside echocardiogram can provide rapid and accurate diagnosis, however the physical exam can provide important clues to consider tamponade. In patients with conditions that predispose them to pericardial disease, such as SLE, one must have a high index of suspicion for tamponade when …

A Rare Case Of Metastatic Insulinoma In A Patient With Huntington’S Disease, Olesya Petrenko, Brinton C. Clark

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

A Rare Case Of Metastatic Insulinoma

In A Patient With Huntington’s Disease

Olesya Petrenko, DO

Providence Portland Medical Center – Portland, OR

Additional Authors: Brinton Clark, MD, FACP

A 49-year-old female with past medical history of Huntington’s disease presents to the ED after being found unresponsive at her assisted-living facility. She was noted to be hypoglycemic with a glucose of 21 and responded to dextrose. For the past several months, patient had symptoms of dizziness, tremors. She has no history of diabetes, and only home medication is Zyprexa. Patient required D10 drip to maintain glucose levels. Given patient’s psychiatric history, …

Chronic Hepatitis B Reactivation: Deadly, But Preventable, Sarah Xie, Jesse Powell, Andrea Roast

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

Chronic Hepatitis B Reactivation:

Deadly, But Preventable

Sarah Xie, DO

Providence Portland Medical Center – Portland, OR

Additional Authors: Andrea Roast, MD, FACP; Jesse Powell, MD

A 51-year-old Vietnamese male with chronic hepatitis B presents with symptoms of acute hepatitis. 2 months prior, his PCP had discontinued Tenofovir, for which he had been taking for the past decade, based on an undetectable viral load and a negative HBeAg. 1 month later, his viral load soared to 796 million so Tenofovir was restarted. On admission a few days later, the patient had scleral icterus and jaundiced skin. He had severe transaminitis, …

Vocal Cord Dysfunction Masquerading As Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction, Brandon Tempte, Meera Jain, Jason Wells

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

Vocal Cord Dysfunction Masquerading As

Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction

Brandon Temte, DO

Providence Portland Medical Center – Portland, OR

Additional Authors: Meera Jain, MD, FACP; Jason Wells, MD

Intro: Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB), previously exercise-induced asthma, has a high prevalence in the community. Patients with these symptoms are typically diagnosed clinically and treated empirically with pre-exercise albuterol. Eucapnic voluntary hyperventilation (EVH) has been used to objectively test for EIB and can help to confirm the diagnosis, as well as rule out other causes such as exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction (EIVCD), which may mimic EIB.

Case Description: A 42-year old female with …

A Case Of Gluten-Induced Delirium: Using Capsule Endoscopy To Diagnose Occult Gi Bleeding, Rachael Starcher, Lisa Sanders

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

A Case Of Gluten-Induced Delirium:

Using Capsule Endoscopy To Diagnose Occult GI Bleeding

Rachael Starcher, MD

Providence Portland Medical Center – Portland, OR

Additional Authors: Lisa Sanders, MD

Introduction: Despite an increasing prevalence of celiac disease worldwide, many patients remain undiagnosed, putting them at risk for late stage complications of unidentified and untreated celiac disease. Ulcerative jejunoileitis is a rare cause of occult GI bleeding seen only in refractory celiac disease or in atypical celiac disease at the time of diagnosis. When left untreated, ulcerative jejunoileitis can lead to bowel perforation, blood loss anemia, and T-cell lymphoma.

Case Presentation …

Diabetes Education With A Teaching Kitchen Intervention Can Improve Hemoglobin A1c For Type 2 Diabetics Compared To Traditional Diabetes Education, Jill Christensen, Heidi Davis, Charlotte Navarre, Hsin-Fang Li, Kathy Schwab, Richard O'Neil, Justin Ferley

Milwaukie Family Medicine 2020

Authors
Jill Christensen MD MPH Providence Milwaukie Hospital
Heidi Davis MSW Providence Milwaukie Hospital
Charlotte Navarre RN Providence Milwaukie Hospital
Hsin-Fang Li PHD Providence Medical Data Research Center
Kathy Schwab MPH RDN Providence Health Education
Richard O’Neil MBA Providence Planning Analyst

Title Diabetes Education with a Teaching Kitchen Intervention Can Improve Hemoglobin A1c for Type 2 Diabetics Compared to Traditional Diabetes Education

Purpose The Providence Milwaukie Community Teaching Kitchen offers health-focused, budget friendly cooking classes for patients. In 2019, we piloted diabetes education classes with an added hands-on culinary session. This study compares the change in hemoglobin A1c for patients …

A Case Of Spontaneous Intercostal Artery Hemorrhage, Chang Min Lee, Veronica Schims, Craig Riley

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

A Case Of Spontaneous Intercostal Artery Hemorrhage

Chang Lee, MD

Providence Portland Medical Center – Portland, OR

Additional Authors: Veronica Schims, MD; Craig Riley, MD

Introduction: Spontaneous intercostal arterial bleeding is rare and usually related to trauma. We describe a patient with a history of cirrhosis and coagulopathy admitted with sepsis who spontaneously developed an expanding extrathoracic hematoma and subsequent hypovolemic shock requiring arterial embolization.

Case Presentation: 50-year-old male with a past medical history of alcoholic liver disease, esophageal varices, chronic coagulopathy, type 2 diabetes and hypertension on lisinopril was admitted to hospital with decreased urine output, dizziness, …

A Case Of Atypical Pml, Alexander Dreisin, Justin Jin

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

No abstract provided.

Be Careful What You Screen For: An Incidental Finding Of Tracheobronchial Amyloidosis, Emma White, Tricia James, Vikram Sahni, Jesse Powell

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

Introduction: The 2011 National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated a reduction in morbidity and mortality with LDCT compared to CXR. In 2013 the USPSTF began recommending CT scan for lung cancer screening in appropriate patients but, the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) demonstrated that less than 5% of eligible patients received screening. The NLST also demonstrated a high rate of false positives, incidental findings, and the need for further invasive testing. When deciding to screen, patients and providers are tasked with reconciling these risks and benefits. In this case, we explore one patient’s incidental findings, and the work-up …

Mixed Signals: A Case Of Hypothyroid-Induced Ogilvie’S, Brieanna Brown, Paul Wichienkeur

Providence Portland Medical Center Internal Medicine 2020

Mixed Signals:

A Case Of Hypothyroid-Induced Ogilvie’s

Brieanna Brown, MD

Providence Portland Medical Center – Portland, OR

Additional Author: Paul Wichienkeur, MD

Ogilve's syndrome, or acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO), is characterized by acute dilation of the colon, in the absence of a mechanical lesion, which obstructs the flow of intestinal contents. Pseudo-obstruction typically occurs in the critically ill, though the underlying pathophysiology is poorly understood and the etiology is often multifactorial. We present a case of a 51-year-old morbidly obese woman presenting with symptoms of severe hypothyroidism found to have massive acute colonic pseudo-obstruction.

Case presentation:

A 51-year-old African-American …