Monitoring established Crohn's disease with pan-intestinal video capsule endoscopy in Europe: clinician consultation using the nominal group technique.

OBJECTIVE: Monitoring established Crohn's disease (CD) through a "treat-to-target" strategy aims to reduce and prevent long-term bowel damage and disability. Despite the availability of different monitoring techniques, there is a current lack of integrated evidence to guide optimal monitoring in terms of appropriate tools and timing. Pan-intestinal video capsule endoscopy (PCE) enables non-invasive and direct visualization of the entire intestinal tract with proven safety and efficacy. This study aims to generate insights on the value of PCE for monitoring established CD from the physician's perspective. METHODS: The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used to create discussion around pre-defined research questions aimed at identifying target patient populations for PCE, benefits of PCE in terms of improving disease management, comparative benefits of PCE over standard of care, research priorities to ratify the use of PCE, and hurdles to PCE utilization. A NGT panel was held in Brussels, Belgium in October 2018 with 9 gastroenterology experts. Data were collected from multiple rankings of statements to the research questions and analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: Consensus indicated that PCE is differentiated from other diagnostic tools, allowing for non-invasive and direct visualization of the luminal intestinal tract in one single procedure. Participants agreed that PCE is beneficial for mapping and grading established CD in all patients, enabling individual and tailored treatment decision-making. Time required to read PCE results was identified as the main utilization hurdle by participants. Well-designed studies are needed to confirm improved outcomes amongst patients with CD managed through a PCE-guided approach. CONCLUSIONS: This study, using the NGT, generated expert opinion on the value of PCE for monitoring established CD in terms of target patient populations and benefits compared to other diagnostic modalities. Participants perceived PCE to facilitate a "treat-to-target" strategy for CD management. Further research is needed to support this value perception.

[Clinical characteristics, management and mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome from 2002 to 2005: report from the National Registry of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Serbia].

INTRODUCTION: Data regarding patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) did not exist in Serbia until 2002. By establishing the National Registry for Acute Coronary Syndrome (NRACS), the data collection based on the filled-in "coronary questionnaire" for each patient hospitalized and diagnosed with acute infarction of the myocardium (AIM) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP) was initiated in Serbia. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyze clinical characteristics, complications, applied reperfusion-thrombolytic treatment and standard therapy, and mortality rate of patients treated in coronary or intensive care units during the 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. METHOD: We chose a "coronary protocol" with minimal set of the patient's data that was filled-in by the attending physician. The collection of the data was initiated in July 2002. RESULTS: During four months of 2002, 4,202 patients were treated for ACS; in 2003 12,739 patents, in 2004 12,351 patients and 12,598 patients in 2005. AIM with ST elevation (STAIM), as related to AIM without ST elevation (NSTAIM), was more often encountered in Serbian population in comparison to other European countries: in 2002, it was registered among 52.3% of patients, in 2003 among 52.7%, in 2004 among 51.8%, and in 2005 among 50.7% of patients. The patients suffering from the ACS in Serbia were of younger age, with a significant prevalence of females, as compared to the data from the European countries. Thrombolytic therapy in STAIM was applied in only 24.5% of patients in 2002, which then rose by each year, to reach 36.4% of patients in 2005. At the same time, as expected, hospital mortality rate decreased: from 14.8% in 2002 to 8.2% in 2005. STAIM patients untreated by thrombolytic therapy had a considerably higher mortality rate: in 2002 it was 20.3%, in 2003 15.3%, in 2004 14.3%, and in 2005 13.8%. Total mortality rate in patients with STAIM gradually decreased from 19% in 2002 to 11.7% in 2005. CONCLUSION: From 2002-2005, the patients treated for ACS in Serbia were younger, with higher prevalence of females, and with a higher incidence of STAIM in relation to NSTAIM. The administration of reperfusion therapy in STAIM patients has been increasing significantly, from 24.5% in 2002 to 36.4% in 2005, and was followed by a decrease in hospital mortality rate of 14.8% in 2002 to 8.2% in 2005. Overall mortality of STAIM patients treated with or without thrombolytic therapy gradually decreased from 19% in 2002 to 11.7% in 2005.

Significance of recurrences of new atrial fibrillation in acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Although new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) frequently recurs following the acute myocardial infarction, the significance of AF recurrences is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the incidence, clinical predictors and prognostic significance of AF recurrences following the acute myocardial infarction. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 320 consecutive patients with AF following the acute myocardial infarction were evaluated and the patients with AF recurrences were compared to those with single episodes of AF in whom AF did not recur after restoration of sinus rhythm. The incidence of AF recurrences was 22.5%. AF recurrences were highly associated with congestive heart failure and worse Killip class was identified as the most important predictor of AF recurrences. Patients with AF recurrences had poorer outcome, including higher in-hospital (36.1% versus 12.9%) and 7-year (68.2% versus 48.6%) mortality. After multivariate adjustment, AF recurrence remained an independent predictor of in-hospital [odds ratio (OR) = 3.08, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.45-6.53, p = 0.001], and 7-year [relative risk (RR) = 1.52, 95% CI, 1.00-2.31, p = 0.026] mortality. CONCLUSION: New-onset AF frequently recurs following the acute myocardial infarction and our analysis demonstrated that recurrences of AF independently predicted in-hospital and long-term mortality.