Clinical Medicine Insights. Gastroenterology最新文献

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are among the most common classes of medications prescribed. Though they were previously thought of as safe, recent literature has shown risks associated with their use including increased risk for Clostridium difficile infection, pneumonia, and fractures. Due to these risks, it is important to determine if PPIs are being used appropriately. This review evaluates seven studies in hospitalized patients. Additionally, this review evaluates literature pertaining to recently discovered adverse reactions; all studies found PPIs are being overutilized. Findings highlight the importance of evaluating appropriate therapy with these agents and recommending discontinuation if a proper indication does not exist.

Salivary gland enlargement following the administration of iodine is an extremely rare event, and the pathophysiology of iodine-induced sialadenitis is not yet fully known. The onset of symptoms can start within a few minutes to five days after contrast administration. The course of iodine-induced sialadenitis is extremely benign, and rapid resolution of symptoms is expected without treatment. We report the case of a 59-year-old white female who noted mildly painful swelling involving the right side of her face within five days of receiving intravenous iodine-containing contrast. A diagnosis of iodine-related sialadenitis was made. She was given 20 mg of decadron intravenously, with prompt resolution of the swelling within a few hours.

Adding proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to endoscopic therapy has become the mainstay of treatment for peptic ulcer bleeding, with current consensus guidelines recommending high-dose intravenous (IV) PPI therapy (IV bolus followed by continuous therapy). However, whether or not high-dose PPI therapy is more effective than low-dose PPI therapy is still debated. Furthermore, maintaining pH ≥ 4 appears to prevent mucosal bleeding in patients with acute stress ulcers; thus, stress ulcer prophylaxis with acid-suppressing therapy has been increasingly recommended in intensive care units (ICUs). This review evaluates the evidence for the efficacy of IV pantoprazole, a PPI, in preventing ulcer rebleeding after endoscopic hemostasis, and in controlling gastric pH and protecting against upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in high-risk ICU patients. The review concludes that IV pantoprazole provides an effective option in the treatment of upper GI bleeding, the prevention of rebleeding, and for the prophylaxis of acute bleeding stress ulcers.

The development of intestinal metaplasia (IM) has been purported to be a critical step in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. However, the natural history of IM in migrant human populations has not been well elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of gastric cancer posed by IM in Asian immigrants undergoing gastric cancer screening. A retrospective review of Asian immigrants found to have IM during screening was conducted over an 18-month period. In total, 222 patients were found to have IM. Altogether, 24% had a history of smoking, 48% had a family history of gastric cancer, and 52% had a history of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection with a 96% eradication rate. Patients with stable IM (SIM) were then compared with those who developed high risk pathology (HRP), specifically dysplasia and/or adenocarcinoma. Thirty-five patients (16%) were included in the HRP group, 31 with dysplasia (14%) and 4 with adenocarcinoma (2%). Of those with dysplasia, 55% demonstrated regression to IM over the course of follow-up. Patients in the SIM group were more likely to be female (60% vs. 31%, P = 0.002) and more likely to have had a normal biopsy during follow-up (32% vs. 9%, P = 0.005). Odds ratios for IM stability were 3.3 (95% CI 1.5-7.0) and 5.0 (95% CI 1.5-17.1) for female gender and presence of a normal biopsy, respectively. Intestinal metaplasia in immigrant Asian populations is predominantly a stable histologic finding associated with a low rate of persistent dysplasia and adenocarcinoma.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of specific organic pathology. Although the underlying pathogenesis of IBS is not well-understood, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) or other abnormalities in the gut flora is believed to contribute to the development of a subset of IBS cases. Rifaximin is a poorly absorbed antimicrobial with activity against enteric pathogens. A number of studies have shown a significant improvement in IBS symptoms with antibiotic therapy including rifaximin. In this review, we discuss the pharmacokinetics, in vitro susceptibility profile, and efficacy and safety data from clinical trials of rifaximin treatment of IBS.

Treatment with Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor (anti-TNF) therapy has become a mainstay of therapy for patients with CD who are unresponsive to conventional medical management. Currently there are three anti-TNFα antibodies that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of CD, namely infliximab, adalimumab and certolizumab pegol (CZP). Several double blind placebo controlled trials determined that CZP is effective as induction and maintenance treatment in adult patients with CD regardless of their prior exposure to other anti-TNFα antibodies. This review discusses the efficacy of CZP and adherence to therapy with anti-TNFα antibodies in patients with CD.

Irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) affects approximately 5% of the population in western countries. The majority of those afflicted are women. Symptoms are often detrimental to the individual's quality of life and incur high healthcare costs to society. There is no evidence to support changes in lifestyle, laxatives or over the counter supplements. Tegaserod appeared to have promising results but was promptly removed from the market due to adverse cardiovascular events. In 2008, lubiprostone (Amitiza) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of women with IBS-C. It is thought to selectively activate type 2 chloride channels in the apical membrane of the intestinal epithelial cells leading to chloride secretion. As result, sodium and water are passively secreted generating peristalsis and laxation, without stimulating gastrointestinal smooth muscle. Several trials with predominantly female patients have shown it to be effective in the treatment of IBS-C. Overall lubiprostone was safe, well tolerated and associated with mostly benign side effects. Nausea and diarrhea were the most commonly reported. Though there are no head to head comparisons with other pharmacological agents, it is our opinion that lubiprostone should be tried as a first line pharmacotherapy for women with IBS-C at a dose of 8 μg BID. Thus far, lubiprostone offers a welcome approach to our narrow therapeutic armamentarium. Further understanding of its mechanism of action may provide additional insight into the pathophysiology of IBS-C.

Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) is a rare syndrome of gastrointestinal protein loss that may complicate a variety of diseases. The primary causes can be divided into erosive gastrointestinal disorders, nonerosive gastrointestinal disorders, and disorders involving increased central venous pressure or mesenteric lymphatic obstruction. Herein, we report on a 65-year-old man with PLE caused by invasive gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). To our best knowledge, this is the first reported association between GIST and PLE. A brief review of the literature on the incidence, pathogenesis and management of GIST is also presented.

Background: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease and one of the most common indications for liver transplantation in adults. There are conflicting data regarding characteristic findings of PSC disease on endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP). We undertook this study to clarify whether there is a specific pattern of involvement of the biliary tract in patients with PSC and to evaluate features of PSC disease on ERCP in order to be able to manage this disease better.

Methods: This retrospective study included 45 patients admitted to Taleghani Hospital in 2004-2010 and diagnosed to have PSC on the basis of typical cholangiographic findings in combination with clinical and laboratory data. Patients suspected to have secondary sclerosing cholangitis were excluded. Demographic and clinical data were recorded, along with cholangiographic findings and the frequency of large duct and small duct PSC.

Results: Forty-five patients of mean age 34.8 (range 15-66) years were included. Twenty-nine patients (64.4%) had inflammatory bowel disease, and the frequency of large duct PSC and small duct PSC was 93.4% and 6.6%, respectively. The intrahepatic ducts alone were involved in 11 (24.4%) patients and the extrahepatic ducts were involved in 14 (31.1%), with 17 (37.7%) patients having both intrahepatic and extrahepatic PSC. Three (6.6%) patients did not have bile duct involvement on ERCP, and their disease was diagnosed by liver biopsy as small duct PSC. The most common type of cholangiographic feature of intrahepatic duct involvement was type 2, found in 15 (33.3%) patients, with type 3 being the most common type of extrahepatic duct involvement and detected in 16 (35.5%) patients.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that the most common PSC finding on ERCP is involvement of both the extrahepatic and intrahepatic bile ducts, with small duct PSC being less common than large duct PSC.