Posters
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Medical Student
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Neuroscience
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Poster
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Translational Science
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Research/Clinical
Abstract
Background: Studies have shown that the nationwide rate of gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction in acute ischemic stroke patients among White and African American populations is 0.43%. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), a medically underserved region, presents unique healthcare challenges for its predominantly Hispanic community. While external studies have linked alterations in the gut microbiome to the development of atherosclerotic and cardiovascular diseases, similar correlations in patients with cerebral infarctions remain unexplored. This retrospective chart review aims to examine the incidence of GI obstruction in RGV patients with and without a history of ischemic stroke and compare these findings to other populations. Potential disparities are anticipated to be revealed, and a unique relationship between GI obstruction and ischemic stroke among Hispanic patients relative to other demographics is expected to be identified.
Methods: Electronic medical records from patients of the UT Health RGV system were obtained from January 2019 through January 2024 to conduct a retrospective chart review. Age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), and insurance status were obtained for all patients. Cases of gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction were identified using the ICD-10 code K56 and excluded duplicate records, resulting in 1,476 unique patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Neurological comorbidities, specifically cerebral infarction, were identified using ICD-10 codes I60-65 and G45. The incidence rate of GI obstruction was calculated among patients with a concomitant diagnosis of cerebral infarction and compared it to patients with a history of only one of these conditions. Finally, the average age of GI obstruction patients with and without a history of cerebral infarction was determined.
Results/Discussion: Analysis of the data obtained indicated that among the patients with GI obstruction (n = 1,476), 2.64% (n = 39) had a concomitant diagnosis of cerebral infarction. Notably, 66.7% of these patients (n = 26) were of Hispanic or Latino origin. Interestingly, 24 out of the 39 patients with both diagnoses experienced their cerebral infarction within the same year as their GI obstruction diagnosis. The average age of GI obstruction patients with a history of cerebral infarction was 67 years, compared to 63 years for those without a history of cerebral infarction.
Conclusion: The data suggests that Hispanic populations with a history of cerebral infarction may be more prone to GI obstruction compared to those without such a history, potentially due to the trauma associated with cerebral infarction leading resulting in decrease in blood circulation as well as the already increased risk of cerebral infarction in Hispanic patients. This susceptibility appears to increase with age. Future analyses with larger sample sizes could strengthen the findings of this study and potentially uncover new insights to help mitigate the risk of severe conditions in patients from the Rio Grande Valley.
IRB Approval
Recommended Citation
Escamilla, Jennifer V.; Ybanez, Kaitlyn D.; Oestreich, Maci; Khan, Shiza; and Potter-Baker, Kelsey, "Evaluating the incidence of gastrointestinal obstructions in stroke patients of the RGV" (2025). Research Symposium. 73.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2025/posters/73
Included in
Evaluating the incidence of gastrointestinal obstructions in stroke patients of the RGV
Background: Studies have shown that the nationwide rate of gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction in acute ischemic stroke patients among White and African American populations is 0.43%. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV), a medically underserved region, presents unique healthcare challenges for its predominantly Hispanic community. While external studies have linked alterations in the gut microbiome to the development of atherosclerotic and cardiovascular diseases, similar correlations in patients with cerebral infarctions remain unexplored. This retrospective chart review aims to examine the incidence of GI obstruction in RGV patients with and without a history of ischemic stroke and compare these findings to other populations. Potential disparities are anticipated to be revealed, and a unique relationship between GI obstruction and ischemic stroke among Hispanic patients relative to other demographics is expected to be identified.
Methods: Electronic medical records from patients of the UT Health RGV system were obtained from January 2019 through January 2024 to conduct a retrospective chart review. Age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), and insurance status were obtained for all patients. Cases of gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction were identified using the ICD-10 code K56 and excluded duplicate records, resulting in 1,476 unique patients meeting the inclusion criteria. Neurological comorbidities, specifically cerebral infarction, were identified using ICD-10 codes I60-65 and G45. The incidence rate of GI obstruction was calculated among patients with a concomitant diagnosis of cerebral infarction and compared it to patients with a history of only one of these conditions. Finally, the average age of GI obstruction patients with and without a history of cerebral infarction was determined.
Results/Discussion: Analysis of the data obtained indicated that among the patients with GI obstruction (n = 1,476), 2.64% (n = 39) had a concomitant diagnosis of cerebral infarction. Notably, 66.7% of these patients (n = 26) were of Hispanic or Latino origin. Interestingly, 24 out of the 39 patients with both diagnoses experienced their cerebral infarction within the same year as their GI obstruction diagnosis. The average age of GI obstruction patients with a history of cerebral infarction was 67 years, compared to 63 years for those without a history of cerebral infarction.
Conclusion: The data suggests that Hispanic populations with a history of cerebral infarction may be more prone to GI obstruction compared to those without such a history, potentially due to the trauma associated with cerebral infarction leading resulting in decrease in blood circulation as well as the already increased risk of cerebral infarction in Hispanic patients. This susceptibility appears to increase with age. Future analyses with larger sample sizes could strengthen the findings of this study and potentially uncover new insights to help mitigate the risk of severe conditions in patients from the Rio Grande Valley.
