Cadmium is a naturally-occurring element, and humans are exposed from cigarettes, food, and industrial sources. Following exposure, cadmium accumulates in the kidney and is slowly released into the urine, usually proportionally to the levels found in the kidneys. Cadmium levels in a single spot urine sample have been considered indicative of long-term exposure to cadmium; however, such a potentially exceptional biomarker requires careful scrutiny. In this review, we report good to excellent temporal stability of urinary cadmium (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.66–0.81) regardless of spot urine or first morning void sampling. Factors such as changes in smoking habits and diseases characterized by increased excretion of proteins may produce short-term changes in urinary cadmium levels. We recommend that epidemiologists use this powerful biomarker in prospective studies stratified by smoking status, along with thoughtful consideration of additional factors that can influence renal physiology and cadmium excretion.

The high rate of metachronous colon cancer after surgical resection suggests that total proctocolectomy should be considered. Larger studies are required to determine if the same is true for dysplasia.

We assessed the nonoperative and operative management of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) and compared complication rates and surgical outcomes. ASBO is a common complication of abdominopelvic surgery. Although patients may respond to nonoperative management, many require surgery. We retrospectively studied patients admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital with a diagnosis of complete ASBO to determine outcomes of nonoperative management. Patients admitted with complete ASBO from 2001 to 2011 were included. Patients with no previous abdominopelvic surgery, surgery within the six weeks preceding admission and obstruction due to other identifiable causes, such as incarcerated hernia, were excluded. Complication rates and outcomes were compared between patients managed with immediate surgery and those managed initially with non-operative strategies. Of 460 patients admitted with complete ASBO, 106 (23.0%) had surgery within 24 hours of admission. At surgery, 20 (18.9%) had ischemic bowel and 8 (7.5%) had perforations. The remaining 354 patients had a trial of nonoperative management lasting at least 24 hours. Of 354 patients managed initially without surgery, 100 (28.2%) patients were discharged without operative intervention during their index admissions. Among the patients having surgery more than 24 hours after admission, indications for surgery were generally failure to resolve, worsening clinical status, and change in imaging findings. Of those patients observed for at least 24 hours, 40 (15.7%) were found to have ischemic bowel and 5 (2.0%) had perforation at surgery. Rates of bowel resection, stoma creation and postoperative complications were similar for the immediate and delayed surgery groups. Among the delayed surgery group, 71 (28.0%) required a bowel resection and 11 (4.3%) stoma creation. Twenty one per cent had postoperative complications, most commonly ileus. There were no statistically significant differences in the outcomes between immediate and delayed groups regardless of duration of delay. Among patients observed with complete ASBO, 24.6 per cent of patients with adhesive obstruction resolved without surgery or readmission. Delaying operative management did not affect surgical findings or complication rates.

In our series, single agent and combination immunosuppressive therapy given around the time of intestinal surgery did not increase the incidence of surgical complications in patients with Crohn's disease.

We investigated the association between seafood consumption and symptoms related to potential mercury toxicity in patients presenting to specialty medical clinics at Stony Brook Medical Center on Long Island, New York. We surveyed 118 patients from April–August 2012 about their seafood consumption patterns, specifically how frequently they were eating each type of fish, to assess mercury exposure. We also asked about symptoms associated with mercury toxicity including depression, fatigue, balance difficulties, or tingling around the mouth. Of the 118 adults surveyed, 14 consumed high mercury seafood (tuna steak, marlin, swordfish, or shark) at least weekly. This group was more likely to suffer from fatigue than other patients (p = 0.02). Logistic regression confirmed this association of fatigue with frequent high mercury fish consumption in both unadjusted analysis (OR = 5.53; 95% CI: 1.40–21.90) and analysis adjusted for age, race, sex, income, and clinic type (OR = 7.89; 95% CI: 1.63–38.15). No associations were observed between fish intake and depression, balance difficulties, or tingling around the mouth. Findings suggest that fatigue may be associated with eating high mercury fish but sample size is small. Larger studies are needed to determine whether fish intake patterns or blood mercury tests warrant consideration as part of the clinical work-up in coastal regions.

Results from our study provide little evidence that omega-3 fatty acids or Hg is associated with cognitive function in adult avid seafood consumers. Larger studies are needed to confirm our finding of associations between fish consumption and decreased self-reported fatigue and neurologic impairment.

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