Introduction: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) with major complications such as necrosis and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) often leads to high mortality rates despite intensive treatment.
Aim: To evaluate the effect of symbiotics (probiotics) on septic complications in patients with SAP.
Material and methods: We searched the PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases for relevant clinical trials and excluded observational studies. Quality appraisal was evaluated according to GRADE, and we assessed the risk of bias using Cochrane's risk of bias tool. We included the following outcomes: C-reactive protein (CRP), APACHE II score, hospital stay, multiorgan failure (MOF), systemic inflammatory response syndrome, infected pancreatic necrosis, septicaemia, need for operation, and death. We performed the analysis of homogeneous data under a fixed-effects model, while analysis of heterogeneous data were analysed under a random-effects model. We performed the analysis of dichotomous outcomes using the risk ratio (RR) and relative 95% confidence interval (CI).
Results: We included a total of 7 clinical trials. We found that there was no significant difference between both groups regarding MOF (RR = 0.60 (0.25, 1.44), p = 0.26), septicaemia (RR = 0.66 (0.29, 1.50), p = 0.32), death (RR = 0.66 (0.19, 2.26), p = 0.51), infected pancreatic necrosis (RR = 0.50 (0.18, 1.38), p = 0.18), SIRS (RR = 0.81 (0.29, 2.23), p = 0.68), CRP, APACHE II score, and hospital stay.
Conclusions: Contrary to some published trials, our meta-analysis concludes that the use of probiotics in patients with SAP is not effective in reducing the mortality rate, septic complications, and need for operation.
Helicobacter pylori remains a major health problem worldwide, causing considerable morbidity and mortality due to peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. These guidelines constitute an update of the previous "Recommendations on the diagnosis and management of Helicobacter pylori infection" issued in 2014. They have been developed by a Task Force organized by the Governing Board of the Polish Society of Gastroenterology. They discuss, with particular emphasis on new scientific data covering papers published since 2014: the epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic principles and criteria for the diagnosis, and recommendations for the treatment of H. pylori infection. The guidelines in particular determine which patients need to be tested and treated for infection. The Task Force also discussed recommended treatment algorithms. Accordingly, a combination of available evidence and consensus-based expert opinion were used to develop these best practice advice statements. It is worth noting that guidelines are not mandatory to implement but they offer advice for pragmatic, relevant and achievable diagnostic and treatment pathways based on established key treatment principles and using local knowledge and available resources to guide regional practice.
Introduction: Budesonide MMX® is approved for induction of remission in mild-to-moderate active ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults in whom 5-ASA is not sufficient. There is a lack of data on its effectiveness and safety in clinical practice.
Material and methods: The CORE Practice study was a multi-centre prospective, observational study of mild-to-moderate UC-patients treated with Budesonide MMX® 9 mg for up to 8 weeks (induction). Enrolled patients had previously been prescribed Budesonide MMX® 9 mg in accordance with the SmPC within a 5-day time window. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving a decrease ≥ 3 points in the UCDAI clinical sub-score at the end of the induction treatment. Other endpoints were clinical remission (decrease ≤ 1 in UCDAI clinical sub-score), resolution of symptoms, change in Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBD-Q) score, treatment satisfaction, and tolerability. This report presents results from the Polish study sites.
Results: The data from a Polish subgroup of 181 patients with mild-to-moderate UC were analysed. Clinical improvement ≥ 3 points in the UCDAI at the end of treatment induction was achieved in 63.8% patients. Clinical remission was observed in 55.9% of patients at the end of the induction treatment. Full resolution of symptoms (rectal bleeding = 0 and stool frequency = 0) at the end of the Budesonide MMX® treatment was achieved in 52.5% of patients. Significant improvement in quality of life was seen in mean SIBD-Q total score from 40 points at baseline to 56 points at last assessment (p < 0.001). A treatment satisfaction score of more than 8 out of 10 was observed in 72.9% of patients. One patient discontinued Budesonide MMX® due to an adverse event that was related to the study drug, which counted for less than 1% of patients.
Conclusions: The data from the Polish subgroup of the real-life study CORE Practice confirms the clinical efficacy of Budesonide MMX® 9 mg in the majority of patients with active mild-to-moderate UC. Budesonide MMX® was safe and well tolerated. The therapy was satisfactory for patients and showed a beneficial effect on the patients' quality of life.
Introduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is known to be a marker of mortality in patients with cirrhosis and variceal hemorrhage.
Aim: To study the effect of AKI on hospital-based outcomes in patients with variceal hemorrhage.
Material and methods: We obtained data from the National Inpatient Sample for the years 2016-2018. Study inclusion criteria comprised adult variceal hemorrhage patients who also had AKI. The primary outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were length of stay, hospital charge, shock, blood transfusion, and ICU admission. We also determined the independent predictors of mortality in variceal hemorrhage patients using multivariate regression analysis. We used 2 different methods: multivariate logistic regression and propensity matching to adjust for confounders.
Results: The number of people included in this study was 124,430, of whom 32,315 (26%) had AKI. Mortality in variceal hemorrhage patients with AKI was 30.4% in comparison to 4.8% without AKI. The presence of AKI was associated with increased odds of mortality (AOR = 8.28, 95% CI: 7.45-9.20, p < 0.01), ICU admissions (AOR = 4.76, 95% CI: 4.42-5.13, p < 0.01), blood transfusion (AOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.15-1.32, p < 0.01), and shock (AOR = 3.41, 95% CI 3.07-3.79, p < 0.01). The patients with AKI also had increased length of stay and hospital charges. Higher Charlson co-morbidity index, African American race, and being admitted to large sized hospital were independently associated with increased mortality.
Conclusions: After analyzing the combined NIS dataset of 2016-2018, we concluded that patients admitted with variceal hemorrhage who has AKI are prone to adverse hospital outcomes.
Introduction: In heart pathology, abdominal pathology is often detected, but due attention has not been paid to this issue, and algorithms for predicting, preventing, and correcting the coefficient of endothelial dysfunction (CED) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with the use of artificial circulation (AC) have not been developed.
Aim: To substantiate the pathogenetic expediency of correction of postoperative intestinal paresis after coronary artery bypass grafting for the prevention of functional cardiac complications.
Material and methods: 147 men were divided into 2 groups. Statistical processing of the obtained data was performed using Windows Microsoft Excel software and parametric methods of variational statistics, and the reliability of differences was determined using Student's formula and table.
Results: It was found that in group II, after coronary artery bypass grafting, the clinical symptoms of intestinal dysfunction were significantly less (p = 0.019), and the recovery of defecation was significantly faster (p = 0.033) than in group I. After coronary artery bypass grafting, the frequency of high-grade extrasystoles in group II was significantly lower than in group I (p = 0.033).
Conclusions: The application of the digestive tract dysfunction correction program is pathogenetically justified because it provides a reduction in the frequency of intestinal paresis and hence a reduction in the frequency of development of ventricular extrasystoles of high gradations after coronary artery bypass grafting.
Fabry disease is a rare, X-linked metabolic error caused by various mutations in the α-galactosidase A gene, which results in the accumulation of glycosphingolipids. Gastrointestinal symptoms are quite common in affected patients; therefore, it is important for gastroenterologists to keep it in mind as a differential diagnosis for especially challenging patients. The following review provides concise information on epidemiology and genetics, signs, and symptoms of the disease, focusing on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, providing a brief overview of the diagnostic process and the available treatment, both disease specific and supportive, again with a focus on alleviation of gastrointestinal symptoms.
Introduction: The development of intestinal paresis after surgery in patients with acute surgical conditions complicated by peritonitis is an urgent problem of abdominal surgery.
Aim: To study the effectiveness of the developed methods, as well as to predict the risk of intestinal paresis, and establish the possibilities of correcting this condition in patients with acute surgical pathology complicated by peritonitis.
Material and methods: Twenty patients were examined, in whom the temperature parameters of the mucous membrane and skin of the cheek were measured, based on which the probability of developing paresis was predicted.
Results: The proposed method of thermometry of the mucous membrane and cheek skin made it possible to predict a high risk of intestinal paresis in 75% of patients and low risk in 25% of patients. It was shown that 80% of patients had a complete restoration of intestinal motility on the first day after the start of treatment. In 20% of cases, a partial improvement in the motor evacuation function of the intestine was observed on the first day, and full recovery was noted on the second day after the start of therapy.
Conclusions: The developed methods are highly effective and suitable for predicting and correcting intestinal paresis in patients with acute surgical conditions in the postoperative period.