Clinical Gastroenterology

World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) News and Events No abstract available

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Colonoscopic Enema With Additional Oral Preparation as a Salvage for Inadequate Bowel Cleansing Before Colonoscopy Goals: The goal of this study was to evaluate the noninferiority of colonoscopic enema to additional oral preparation in salvage bowel cleansing for inadequate preparation for a morning colonoscopy. Background: Colonoscopic enema, administering additional cathartics into the right colon through the colonoscope accessory channel, is suggested to rescue poor bowel preparation for a colonoscopy but lacking comparative study. Study: In this prospective, randomized, actively-controlled, parallel group, noninferiority trial, consecutive outpatients and health checkup recipients aged from 19 to 70 years with inappropriate bowel preparation during an elective colonoscopy were enrolled to receive either a colonoscopic enema of 1 L polyethylene glycol (PEG) (enema group) or additional oral intake of 2 L PEG (oral group). The primary endpoint was the proportion of adequate bowel preparation evaluated using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale. Results: Overall, 131 participants were randomized. Adequate bowel preparation was achieved in 53% (35/66) of the enema group, which was significantly inferior to the oral group (81.5%; 53/67) with a difference of −28.5% (95% confidence interval, −44.1, −12.9; P=0.001). The largest difference in the proportion of adequate bowel preparation was observed in the right colon (57.8% in the enema group vs. 86.9% in the oral group; P<0.001), followed by the transverse colon (85.9% vs. 98.4%; P=0.017) and the left colon (90.6% vs. 96.7%; P=0.274). Conclusions: The colonoscopic enema of 1 L PEG was inferior to the additional oral ingestion of 2 L PEG regarding efficacy as a salvage bowel preparation in adults with inadequate bowel cleansing for colonoscopy.

Effect of Consent and Educational Adjuncts to Consent on Patient Perceptions About Colonoscopy Background and Aims: Informed consent is a vital preprocedural step for endoscopy but there are substantial variations in its delivery. We therefore sought to assess a multifaceted intervention to improve the consent process. Methods: Gastroenterologists at a tertiary center were educated on the recommended components of informed consent. Following this, 3 cohorts of patients undergoing colonoscopy were surveyed before and after consent. In one cohort, the effect of optimized verbal consent alone was assessed. In the second and third groups, the effects of the addition of either a handout or a video describing colonoscopy and its risks were evaluated. The primary outcomes were the changes between preconsent and postconsent survey responses regarding confidence in understanding the procedure's purpose, likelihood of adverse events, and levels of anxiety. Results: In total, 240 patients were included with 79 to 81 patients per group. There were no significant differences among the groups' survey responses. Compared with patients receiving verbal consent alone, fewer patients in the handout and video groups increased their perceived risk of adverse events following consent, but this difference did not reach significance (P=0.08). Examining all groups together, anxiety levels changed significantly after consent (P=0.003), with 31% of patients reducing their anxiety level, 8% increasing it, and 62% having no change. Conclusions: The consent process appears to decrease patient anxiety about colonoscopy. When used in conjunction with a high-quality verbal consent, written or video educational adjuncts provided on the day of colonoscopy likely have no effect on patient perceptions.

Early Readmission Predicts Increased Mortality in Cirrhosis Patients After Clostridium difficile Infection Goals: We sought to determine the impact of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) in cirrhosis by evaluating trends and outcomes of early readmission and mortality. Background: The incidence of CDI in cirrhotics is increasing. Study: We analyzed the Nationwide Readmissions Database (2011 to 2014) for hospitalized patients with CDI and differentiated them by presence of cirrhosis. Baseline characteristics, surgical rates, and outcomes were collected. The primary outcomes of interest included readmission and mortality rates. Results: Of 366,283 patients hospitalized with CDI, 12,274 (3.4%) had cirrhosis, of which 7741 (63.1%) were decompensated. Among patients with CDI, 30-day readmission rates (33% vs. 24%), index admission mortality (5% vs. 2.5%), and calendar-year mortality (9% vs. 4%) were higher in patients with cirrhosis compared with those without cirrhosis. Recurrent CDI (rCDI) (46%) and cirrhosis-related complications (34.6%) were the most common reasons for readmission. Patients with decompensated cirrhosis were more likely to be readmitted within 30-days than those with compensated cirrhosis [odds ratio (OR), 1.19; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-1.36]. Multivariable analyses revealed that among patients with cirrhosis, index colectomy (OR, 6.50; 95% CI, 1.61-26.24) and decompensation (OR, 3.61; 95% CI, 2.49-5.23) predicted index admission mortality. In addition, 30-day readmission (OR, 3.71; 95% CI, 2.95-4.67) and decompensated cirrhosis (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.17-1.89) independently predicted calendar-year mortality. Conclusions: One-third of CDI patients with cirrhosis were readmitted within 30-days, most commonly because of rCDI. The mortality associated with CDI in patients with cirrhosis is high, with decompensation and 30-day readmission heralding a poor prognosis. Reducing rCDI-related readmissions may potentially improve these outcomes.

Incidence, Admission Rates, and Economic Burden of Adult Emergency Visits for Chronic Pancreatitis: Data From the National Emergency Department Sample, 2006 to 2012 Introduction: Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is a common reason for emergency department (ED) visits, but little research has examined ED use by patients with CP. Materials and Methods: The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (2006 to 2012) was interrogated to evaluate trends in adult ED visits for a primary diagnosis of CP (International Classification of Disease, 9th revision, Clinical Modification code: 577.1), the rates of subsequent hospital admission, and total charges. A survey logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with hospitalization from the ED. Results: We identified 253,753 ED visits with a primary diagnosis of CP. No significant trends in annual incidence were noted. However, the ED-to-hospitalization rates decreased by 3% per year (P<0.001) and mean ED charges after adjusting for inflation increased by 11.8% per year (P<0.001). Higher Charlson comorbidity index, current smoker status, alcohol use, and biliary-related CP were associated with hospitalization. In hospitalized patients, length of stay decreased by 2.2% per year (P=0.003) and inpatient charges increased by 2.9% per year (P=0.004). Conclusions: Patient characteristics associated with higher risk of hospitalization from the ED deserve further attention.

Temporal Trends and Risk Factors for Postcolonoscopy Colorectal Cancer Background: Colonoscopy is effective for colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention, yet patients may develop CRC despite adhering to screening/surveillance intervals. There are limited data on predictive factors associated with these postcolonoscopy CRCs (PCCRCs). We aimed to measure PCCRC rates and identify risk factors for PCCRC. Methods: We performed a case-control study, comparing patients with PCCRCs to spontaneous CRCs diagnosed during a 12.5-year period at an academic medical center. PCCRCs were defined as CRCs diagnosed in between guideline-recommended screening/surveillance intervals. Results: During the 12.5-year period, of 1266 CRCs diagnosed, 122 (10%) were PCCRCs. 70% of PCCRCs were diagnosed within 5 years of a prior colonoscopy. There was an increasing trend for PCCRC rates in recent years [odds ratio (OR), 2.78; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.51-5.09], with PCCRCs comprising 13.6% of cancers diagnosed in 2016 as compared with 5.7% of cancers diagnosed in 2005. Older age (OR per year, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04), proximal colonic location (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.20-3.33) and early stage (OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.34-4.95) were associated with PCCRCs. In total, 41% of PCCRCs were diagnosed by a different physician from the physician who did the prior colonoscopy, and 42% of physicians did not diagnose any of their PCCRC cases. Conclusions: PCCRC rates are rising in recent years, likely reflecting the widespread adoption of colonoscopy as a primary screening tool, and are more common in older patients and those with proximal, early-stage tumors. The finding that a large proportion of PCCRCs are diagnosed by a different physician raises the concern that physicians are unaware of their own patients' PCCRCs.

Resource Utilization and Outcomes of Medicare Recipients With Chronic Hepatitis B in the United States Goals: To assess the outcomes and resource utilization of chronic hepatitis B (CH-B) among Medicare beneficiaries. Background: CH-B is highly prevalent among immigrants from endemic areas. Although incidence of CH-B is stable in the United States, CH-B patients have become Medicare eligible. Study: We used the inpatient and outpatient Medicare database (2005 to 2014). Adult patients with CH-B diagnosis were included. One-year mortality and resource utilization were assessed. Independent associations with resource utilization and mortality were determined using multivariate analysis. Results: Study cohort included 18,603 Medicare recipients with CH-B. Between 2005 and 2014, number of Medicare beneficiaries with CH-B increased by 4.4% annually. The proportion of beneficiaries with CH-B who were whites decreased while those who were Asians increased (P<0.05). Furthermore, 7.4% of CH-B Medicare cohort experienced decompensated cirrhosis, 2.9% hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 11.9% 1-year mortality. Although the number of inpatients with CH-B remained stable, the number of outpatient encounters increased. Annual total inpatient charges increased from $66,610 to $94,221 while these charges for outpatient increased from $9257 to $47,863. In multivariate analysis, age [odds ratio (OR), 1.05; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04-1.05], male gender [OR, 1.24 (95% CI, 1.12-1.38)], decompensated cirrhosis [OR, 3.02 (95% CI, 2.63-3.48)], HCC [OR, 2.64 (95% CI, 2.10-3.32)], and higher Charlson comorbidity index [OR, 1.24 (95% CI, 1.21-1.27)] were independently associated with increased 1-year mortality. HCC and higher Charlson comorbidity index were also associated with higher inpatient and outpatient charges, and inpatient length of stay (all P<0.001). Conclusions: CH-B infection has been rising in Medicare population and is responsible for significant mortality and resource utilization.

Has Rotavirus Vaccination Decreased the Prevalence of Biliary Atresia? Objectives: Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare neonatal liver disease that causes cholestasis and is the leading indication for pediatric liver transplantation. Although the exact etiology of BA remains unknown, evidence from murine models supports the role of rotavirus infection in the development of BA. In 2006, universal rotavirus vaccination was implemented in the United States. The goal of this study was to determine if the prevalence of BA correlated with the number of annual rotavirus infections. Methods: We utilized data from the 1997 to 2012 Kids' Inpatient Database and the 1988 to 2015 Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to determine the annual number of infant discharges with a primary diagnosis of BA and the number of infants with BA who received a liver transplant, respectively. We obtained the number of annual rotavirus infections from the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System and examined whether trends existed between the data from these 3 sources over time. Results: From 1997 to 2006, the number of positive rotavirus antigen tests remained steady, however a rapid decrease was observed from 2006 to 2012 (8774 to 1277), coinciding with the uptake of rotavirus immunizations nationwide. The number of BA discharges doubled from 1997 to 2003 and again increased from 2006 to 2012 (67 to 137 and 117 to 156), while the number of liver transplants for BA changed very little from 1997 to 2012. Conclusions: The recent implementation of rotavirus vaccination has not had any substantial influence on the prevalence of BA in the United States.

POEM in Latin America: The Rise of a New Standard Background: Per-oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has become the preferred alternative treatment to standard Heller myotomy for patients with esophageal achalasia, in Latin American countries. The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a POEM in the management of achalasia with and without Chagas disease in patients receiving POEM. Methods: Patients who underwent POEM from tertiary centers in Latin America were included in a dedicated registry. Countries included Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. Patients enrolled needed to have a preoperative manometry and swallow contrast study confirming achalasia. Clinical success was defined as significant improvement in Eckardt score after therapy. Results: POEM was technically successful in 81/89 (91%) patients (mean age, 44 y). There was a significant decrease in preprocedure and postprocedure Eckardt score from 8.7 (range, 3 to 12) to 2.15 (0 to 10) (P<0.001), preprocedure and postprocedure barium swallow evaluation (98% vs. 89%; P=0.017), and preprocedure and postprocedure lower esophageal sphincter pressure measurement (from 35 to 13.8 mm Hg; P<0.001). Clinical success was achieved in 93% of patients. Patients with Chagas disease (n=58) were 9.5 times more likely to respond to POEM (P=0.0020; odds ratio, 9.5). Conclusions: POEM is an efficacious and safe therapeutic modality for treatment of achalasia in Latin America. Chagas disease-related achalasia seems to particularly respond better to POEM when it is performed by experienced endoscopists.

The Clinician's Guide to Proton-Pump Inhibitor Discontinuation There is increasing concern among patients and health care providers about the associations between PPI use and a multitude of potential adverse outcomes. Therefore, clinicians need to have a rational approach both to identifying PPI users who may not have an ongoing indication for their use and on how to encourage discontinuation of unnecessary PPI use. In this paper, we will provide a detailed review of the specific indications where the benefits of ongoing PPI use is of questionable value and will review the evidence on how to maximize the likelihood of being able to successfully discontinue PPI use while minimizing symptom recurrence.

Alexandros Sfakianakis
Anapafseos 5 . Agios Nikolaos
Crete.Greece.72100
2841026182

6948891480

alsfakia@gmail.com