Mucosal hypoxia is not responsible for lipopolysaccharide-induced mucosal acidosis in this normodynamic pig model of septic shock. A rightward shift of the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve (the Bohr effect) can explain the increase in mucosal oxygenation observed in endotoxemic pigs.

There is an early risk of perforated appendicitis even within the first 36 h of symptoms. This risk appears to be higher in males and patients older than 55 years, a quarter of whom are perforated within the first 36 h of symptom duration. Additionally, perforation in acute appendicitis may be more of a continuous phenomena worsening exponentially with duration of symptoms rather than a threshold phenomenon.

A high suspicion for malignancy in chronic perineal fistulas associated with Crohn's disease should be maintained in spite of negative biopsies. Especially in women, the shorter duration of Crohn's fistulas prior to malignant degeneration necessitates an aggressive approach to rule out cancer.