Episode 86 - Abdominal Pain Case - a podcast by Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program

Episode 86: Abdominal Pain Case. 

Spikevax® is the brand name of the Moderna COVID-19, and it received full FDA approval in January 2022. Hepatitis B vaccine is now universally recommended to all adults between 19-59 years of age, or older than 60 with risk factors. Deidra Sieck presents a case of abdominal pain in pregnancy and differential diagnosis are discussed.  

Introduction: Spikevax ® and Hepatitis B universal vaccination.  
Written by Hector Arreaza, MD. Participation by Cecilia Covenas, MD.

Spikevax®. This is the brand name given to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Moderna. It was given full FDA approval for the prevention of COVID-19 in adults 18 years and older. This is the second vaccine approved by the FDA for the prevention of COVID-19 (the first vaccine was Comirnaty®, formerly known as Pfizer Vaccine.) 

The primary series of Spikevax for immunocompetent adults is comprised of 2 doses, 4 weeks apart. Immunocompromised patients receive a 3rd dose as part of the primary series, one month after the second dose. A booster shot of Spikevax is given at least 5 months after completing the primary series. Spikevax was also authorized for use as a “mix and match” single booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with a different COVID-19 vaccine. It means that recipients of the Pfizer and J&J vaccines who are 18 years and older may receive a single booster dose of Spikevax. The full FDA approval was granted to Spikevax on January 31, 2022.

Did you know that Hepatitis B has killed 40 times more unvaccinated healthcare workers than HIV?  Yes, that’s right. Hepatitis B is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. It is transmitted by percutaneous or mucosal exposure to infected blood or other bodily fluids. As a reminder, immunizations against many diseases have been required for health care workers for decades, and hepatitis B is one of those required vaccines. That’s not new, what’s new is the new recommendation about universal Hep B vaccination. 

In November 2021, the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices from CDC) recommended universal adult Hepatitis B vaccination. After reviewing clinical evidence, the ACIP has unanimously voted to recommend the Hep B vaccine for all adults ages 19-59. Patients who should receive hep B vaccines are: all adults between 19 and 59 years of age, and adults older than 60 with risk factors for hepatitis B infection. However, adults older than 60 without risk factors may also receive hep B vaccines. 

Vaccinating against Hep B is done to decrease new infections, prevent transmission, and reduce health disparities. HHS has called for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030. There are some reasons to recommend universal Hep B vaccination for adults: many infected patients did not have any risk factors for infection and still got infected; almost 85% of adults in the U.S. fall into a higher-risk group, including patients with diabetes and kidney disease; hepatitis B cases in the U.S. rose by 11% between 2014 and 2018 despite having highly effective vaccines; Hep B is one of the primary causes of liver cancer, one of the deadliest cancers; universal vaccination of newborns started in 1991 in the U.S., so, many adults are not immune to Hep B, but now they can be vaccinated without the many restrictions imposed in the past.

Remember, Spikevax is the new name for the Moderna vaccine; and you can start vaccinating all adults between 19 and 59 years of age against hep B, regardless of risk factors.

This is Rio Bravo qWeek, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California. Our program is affiliated with UCLA, and it’s sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home.

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Abdominal Pain Case.  

By Deidra Sieck, MS4, Ross University School of Medicine. Hosted by Hector Arreaza, MD.  

 

Abdominal pain in pregnancy is quite common and has a wide differential. I want to begin with a case and then highlight a few of the “do-not-miss” diagnoses when a patient comes with the chief complaint of abdominal pain during her pregnancy. 

Case presentation: 23-year-old G2P1 at 32 weeks of gestation complains of 12 hours of right lower quadrant abdominal pain, anorexia, and nausea with vomiting. She denies vaginal bleeding or leakage of fluid from the vagina. Denies diarrhea or eating stale foods. No medical history and has been in good health. Denies dysuria and has had no previous surgeries. Her vital signs include a blood pressure of 100/70 mm Hg, heart rate of 105 beats per minute, and temperature of 101.5 F. On abdominal examination, bowel sounds are hypoactive. The abdomen is tender in the right lower quadrant to right flank with significant involuntary guarding. The cervix is closed. The fetal heart tones are in the range of 160 BMP (modified vignette from case files obstetrics and gynecology 5th ed.)

What are some of the differentials that come to mind? 

The 6 differentials that should come to mind that are do not miss diagnoses include:  

Placental abruption

Appendicitis 

Cholecystitis 

Ectopic Pregnancy 

Hemorrhagic cyst 

Ovarian Torsion

I want to discuss each of these diagnoses and then devise a plan for the patient in this case. 

Placental abruption

This is the most common cause of third trimester bleeding and is an obstetric emergency. It occurs during the second and third trimesters and is described as a midline persistent suprapubic pain. The pain is also accompanied by vaginal bleeding as well as an abnormal fetal heart rate tracing.  Mothers at risk have had a previous abruption, hypertension during the pregnancy, cocaine use, smoking, or preterm premature rupture of the membranes, or trauma as the most common cause of the abruption. This diagnosis is made clinically. The ultrasound is an unreliable modality to see the abruption. If the mother is stable and it is not a complete abruption, the mother usually delivers the baby very quickly vaginally. However, if the abruption is complete, the fetal heart tracing is category III, or the mother is hemodynamically unstable, it is best to deliver by c-section. 

Appendicitis. 

Appendicitis can occur any trimester during pregnancy and has been found to occur in 0.1-1.4/1000 pregnancies. 

The typical nonpregnant patient with appendicitis will come with complaints of right lower quadrant pain that may radiate to the right upper quadrant. This is usually associated with other complaints of nausea, vomiting, anorexia, or fever. [Anorexia: 80% sensitive, The sign of the hamburger] 

However, this diagnosis may be missed later in pregnancy because of an atypical presentation. As the gravid uterus grows, it can displace the appendix upward and lateral toward the flank. This leads to a presentation that appears to be more consistent with pyelonephritis, leading to a missed diagnosis. Because of the delay in diagnosis pregnant women are 2-3 times more likely to have a ruptured appendix, and the resulting peritonitis increases the likelihood of morbidity and mortality for the patient.  

If appendicitis progresses to appendiceal rupture, there is a 30% chance of spontaneous abortion of the fetus. These patients need an ultrasound to make the diagnosis since they cannot have a CT scan in pregnancy despite a CT scan being the preferred modality in nonpregnant patients. The ultrasound should show a non-compressible, blind-ended tubular structure in the right lower quadrant with a maximal diameter greater than 6mm.

After the ultrasound confirms the diagnosis, these patients should be taken immediately for an appendectomy. However, the decreased resolution of imaging seen with ultrasound can also lead to delays in these patients receiving the appendectomy.

Cholecystitis. 

Cholecystitis is more common in pregnancy, with occurrence in 1/1600 pregnancies. This can occur anytime in pregnancy after the first trimester. Pregnant women are especially high risk of cholecystitis since they are female and fertile. The other two “f’s” that are commonly listed as risk factors for cholecystitis include forty, and obesity. [the F word is banned in this podcast]. 

Pathophysiology: The increased progesterone and estrogen increase bile lithogenicity. Progesterone also decreases gallbladder contractility. This increase in gallbladder volume and decreased contractility lead to an increase in “biliary sludge” in the gallbladder. The biliary sludge acts as a precursor to gallstones and obstruction of the cystic duct or the common bile duct. The patient with cholecystitis typically comes with complaints of pain in the right upper quadrant which can be associated with nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and fever. This is the same presentation as a patient in pregnancy. 

The complication of missing this diagnosis includes secondary infection with enteric flora such as: E. coli, Klebsiella, and Enterococcus faecalis.  Fetal loss is seen in 3-20% of pregnancies complicated by cholecystitis. 

The diagnosis is made with a careful history as well as an ultrasound showing gallstones with dilation and thickening of the gallbladder and gallbladder wall. 

Treatment should be started with bowel rest, IV hydration, correction of electrolytes, analgesics. They should be given antibiotics if no improvement after 12-24 hours or are experiencing systemic symptoms. If the medical management does not work, these patients should have a cholecystectomy.  

The cholecystectomy will most likely be laparoscopic due to the gravid uterus making it difficult to perform an open approach. If in the third trimester and the patient is stable, the surgeon may opt to wait until after delivery to remove the gallbladder.

Ectopic pregnancy. 

This is the leading cause of maternal mortality in the first and second trimesters. It usually presents during the first trimester as pelvic or abdominal pain that is usually unilateral. The patient could also complain of nausea, vomiting, syncope, or vaginal spotting. The diagnosis is made using a serum hCG that meets the threshold and transvaginal ultrasound. 

The treatment can be surgical or medical. If the pregnancy is early, methotrexate can be used. 

However, the hCG needs to be trended and followed to zero. A D&C can also be used to treat ectopic pregnancy. Surgery is the first treatment in a patient that is hemodynamically unstable. This diagnosis is not likely in our patient.

Ruptured corpus luteum or ruptured hemorrhagic cyst. 

The corpus luteum cyst is part of a normal endocrine function or a result of prolonged progesterone. In pregnancy, the corpus luteum produces progesterone until 7-10 weeks’ gestation until the placenta can produce steroids including hCG and progesterone to maintain the pregnancy. However, intrafollicular bleeding can occur because of the thin-walled capillaries that invade the granulosa cells from the theca interna. If there is excessive hemorrhage, the cyst can enlarge and rupture. 

The patients presenting with this complaint present with unilateral cramping and lower abdominal pain 1-2 weeks before the rupture. If the corpus luteum becomes hemorrhagic, a hemoperitoneum can develop. These women should undergo an ultrasound, which will show free intraperitoneal fluid. This could also include some fluid around the ovary. The confirmatory method for diagnosis is laparoscopy. 

Culdocentesis is a procedure that checks for abnormal fluid in the space just behind the vagina. This area is called the cul-de-sac. During a culdocentesis, a long thin needle is inserted through the vaginal wall just below the uterus and a sample is taken of the fluid within the abdominal cavity.

Once the bleeding is controlled, there is no further treatment needed. However, if the patient requires a cystectomy due to continued bleeding and the pregnancy is less than 10 weeks, she will need exogenous progesterone because of the loss of the corpus luteum. 

Ovarian Torsion. 

Pregnancy is a risk factor for ovarian torsion, especially around 14 weeks and after delivery. Torsion is most likely between 10-17 weeks, and more likely to happen in masses 6-8 cm in diameter. Pregnant and nonpregnant patients have the same presentation, suprapubic or lower quadrant pain, nausea, and vomiting, up to 20% can have a fever.

 

Plan for the patient in the case:

1. Ultrasound: Showed a non-compressible, blind-ended tubular structure in the right lower quadrant with a maximal diameter of 7mm.

2. Appendectomy: Take the patient to the OR.

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Now we conclude our episode number 86 “Abdominal Pain Case.” We started by giving you an update on Spikevax®, formerly known as “the Moderna vaccine”. This is the newest COVID-19 vaccine fully approved by the FDA for patients 18 years and older. Also, Hepatitis B vaccination is now recommended universally to all adults 19-59 regardless of risk factors. Then, Deidra presented a case of a patient who was pregnant and had abdominal pain. Surprisingly, her diagnosis was appendicitis. This is a good reminder that pregnant and nonpregnant patients can get appendicitis. Even without trying, every night you go to bed being a little wiser.

Thanks for listening to Rio Bravo qWeek. If you have any feedback about this podcast, contact us by email RioBravoqWeek@clinicasierravista.org, or visit our website riobravofmrp.org/qweek. This podcast was created for educational purposes only. Visit your primary care physician for additional medical advice. This week we thank Hector Arreaza, Cecilia Covenas, and Deidra Sieck. Audio edition: Suraj Amrutia. See you next week! 

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References:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Takes Key Action by Approving Second COVID-19 Vaccine, US Food and Drug Administration, January 31, 2022. https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/spikevax-and-moderna-covid-19-vaccine.

 

ACIP fully recommends Spikevax, as CDC expands wastewater surveillance, University of Minnesota, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), February 04, 2022. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/02/acip-fully-recommends-spikevax-cdc-expands-wastewater-surveillance. 

 

ACIP recommends universal hepatitis B vaccination for adults aged 19 to 59 years, Healio.com, https://www.healio.com/news/infectious-disease/20211103/acip-recommends-universal-hepatitis-b-vaccination-for-adults-aged-19-to-59-years.

 

Landmark vote by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to recommend universal hepatitis B vaccination, Hepatitis B Foundation, November 4, 2021. https://www.hepb.org/news-and-events/news-2/the-cdcs-advisory-committee-on-immunization-practices-acip-voted-to-recommend-universal-hepatitis-b-vaccination/

 

Ananth, Cande Vanessa V, and Wendy L Kinzler. “Placental Abruption: Pathophysiology, Clinical Features, Diagnosis, and Consequences.” Edited by Charles J Lockwood, and Vanessa A Barss,  22 Feb. 2021, https://www.uptodate.com/contents/placental-abruption-pathophysiology-clinical-features-diagnosis-and-consequences. 

 

Brooks, David C. Edited by Stanley W Ashley et al., Gallstone Disease in Pregnancy, 26 July 2021, https://www.uptodate.com/contents/gallstone-diseases-in-pregnancy.  

 

H., De Cherney Alan, et al. “Chapter 25: Surgical Disorders In Pregnancy.” Current Diagnosis and Treatment: Obstetrics and Gynecology, McGraw Hill Medical Publishing Division, 2019. 

 

“Obstetrics and Gynecology.” Case Files: Obstetrics and Gynecology 5th Edition, by Eugene C. Toy et al., McGraw-Hill Medical, 2016, pp. 135–144. 

 

Rebarber, Andrei, et al. “Acute Appendicitis in Pregnancy.” Edited by Martin Weiser et al., Up To Date , 17 Sept. 2021, https://www.uptodate.com/contents/acute-appendicitis-in-pregnancy. 

 

Runowicz, Carolyn D, and Molly Brewer. “Adnexal Mass in Pregnancy.” Edited by Barbara Goff and Alana Chakrabarti, UpToDate, 10 Feb. 2022, https://www.uptodate.com/contents/adnexal-mass-in-pregnancy. 

 

Tulandi, Togas. “Ectopic Pregnancy: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis.” Edited by Deborah Levine et al., UpToDate, 18 Jan. 2022, https://www.uptodate.com/contents/ectopic-pregnancy-clinical-manifestations-and-diagnosis.

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