Quality of death in patients in advanced chronic liver disease and cancer patients managed by gastroenterologists in Portugal: are we doing it right?

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of chronic progressive diseases is rising and investment on quality of death and dying is of utmost importance to minimize physical and emotional suffering. There is still a gap in palliative care (PC) between patients with cancer and those with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). Our objectives were to characterize clinical attitudes and therapeutic interventions and to evaluate the differences in end-of-life care between inpatients with cancer and ACLD under gastroenterology care. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study, including patients with cancer or ACLD who died in a Gastroenterology department between 2012 and 2021. Demographic characteristics, clinical and endoscopic procedures and symptom control were compared between the groups. RESULTS: From 150 patients, 118 (78.7%) died with cancer and 32 (21.3%) died from ACLD without concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma. ACLD patients were more frequently male ( P  = 0.001) and younger ( P  = 0.001) than patients with cancer. Median time of hospitalization in the last month of life was 16 days for both groups. Discussion of prognosis with the patient was more frequent for cancer patients (35.6% versus 3.2%, P  < 0.001). Referral to PC occurred in 18.8% and 61% of the patients with ACLD and cancer respectively ( P  < 0.001). Endoscopic procedures were performed in half of the patients and were more likely to be unsuccessful in those with cancer. CONCLUSION: Clinical decisions were different between groups in terms of PC access and discussion of prognostic with the patient. It is urgent to define and implement metrics of quality of death and dying to prevent potentially inappropriate treatment.

Jejunum cavernous haemangioma - A rare cause of gastrointestinal bleeding.

We report a case of a 69-year-old male patient with gastrointestinal bleeding manifesting with melaena. Upper and lower endoscopy were negative for the bleeding aetiology. On small bowel capsule endoscopy, several violaceous lesions in the proximal jejunum were identified. The patient was submitted to segmental intestinal resection being diagnosed with a cavernous jejunum haemangioma, a rare cause of acute intestinal bleeding.

NOBLADS-External Validation of a Risk Scoring System for Severe Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a common cause of hospital admission. NOBLADS is a lower gastrointestinal bleeding clinical risk score. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to externally validate NOBLADS in predicting severe acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding and clinical outcome. DESIGN: Observational retrospective study. SETTING: This study was performed in a single large tertiary hospital. PATIENTS: Patients who were admitted with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding during a 15-month period and underwent endoscopic evaluation were included. Patients with chronic lower gastrointestinal bleeding or acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding who were admitted for other conditions were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome was acute severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding (classified as severe if requires transfusion of >2 units of packed red blood cells and/or produces a >20% hematocrit fall). Secondary outcomes: red blood cells requirement, therapeutic intervention and hospital stay duration. NOBLADS score was applied to all patients. Its accuracy to predict acute severe bleeding and secondary outcomes were studied using receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients (50.3% males, age 69 ± 17 years) were included. The most common lower gastrointestinal bleeding etiologies were diverticular bleeding (18.5%) and ischemic colitis (15.6%). Fifty patients (28.9%) presented criteria for severe bleeding and 33 patients required instrumental intervention: endoscopic (n = 28), surgical (n = 4), and radiologic (n = 1) therapy. NOBLADS score was significantly different according with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding causes (p < 0.001) and accurately predicted severe bleeding (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.923 ± 0.018 (p < 0.001)). NOBLADS ≥2 detected acute severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding with 100% sensitivity/62.4% specificity, identifying the need for higher red blood cells requirement (3.6 vs 0.08, p < 0.001), therapeutic intervention (38% vs 13%, p < 0.001), and longer hospital stay (12.8 vs 3 days, p < 0.001). LIMITATIONS: Unicenter retrospective study; number of unprepared sigmoidoscopies/left side colonoscopies; comparison between NOBLADS and other scoring systems was not performed. CONCLUSION: NOBLADS is a practical, highly accurate tool and predicts the need of in-hospital management, early colonoscopy, red blood cells transfusion, and longer hospital stay in patients admitted with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B748.NOBLADS: VALIDACIÓN EXTERNA DE UN SISTEMA DE PUNTUACIÓN DE RIESGO PARA HEMORRAGIA DIGESTIVA BAJA AGUDA GRAVE. ANTECEDENTES: La hemorragia digestiva baja aguda es causa común de admisión hospitalaria. NOBLADS es una puntuación de riesgo clínico de hemorragia gastrointestinal baja. OBJETIVO: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo validar externamente NOBLADS en la predicción de hemorragia digestiva baja aguda grave y sus resultados clínicos. DISEO: Estudio observacional retrospectivo. AJUSTE: Realizado en un gran hospital terciario. PACIENTES: Se incluyeron todas aquellas personas ingresados con hemorragia digestiva baja aguda durante un período de 15 meses y que fueron sometidos a evaluación endoscópica. Se excluyó la hemorragia digestiva baja crónica o la hemorragia digestiva baja aguda en pacientes ingresados por otras afecciones. PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO: El resultado pricipal fue la hemorragia digestiva baja grave aguda (clasificada como grave si requiere >2 transfusiones de glóbulos rojos y / o produce una caída del hematocrit >20%). Las medidas de resultados secundarias fueron: requerimiento de glóbulos rojos, intervención terapéutica y duración de la estancia hospitalaria. Se aplicó la puntuación NOBLADS a todos los pacientes. Se estudió su precisión para predecir la hemorragia aguda grave y los resultados secundarios mediante análisis ROC. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 173 pacientes (50,3% varones, edad 69 ± 17 años). La etiología de hemorragia digestiva baja más frecuentes fueron: la hemorragia de orígen diverticular (18,5%) y la colitis isquémica (15,6%). 50 pacientes (28,9%) presentaron criterios de sangrado severo y 33 pacientes requirieron intervención instrumental: terapia endoscópica (n = 28), quirúrgica (n = 4), radiológica (n = 1). La puntuación NOBLADS fue significativamente diferente según las causas de hemorragia digestiva baja aguda (p <0,001), siendo precisa para predecir hemorragia grave (AUC 0,923 ± 0,018 (p <0,001). NOBLADS ≥2 detectó hemorragia digestiva baja aguda grave con 100% de sensibilidad / 62,4 % de especificidad, identificando la necesidad de mayor requerimiento de glóbulos rojos (3.6 vs 0.08, p <0.001), intervención terapéutica (38% vs 13%, p <0.001) y estadía hospitalaria más prolongada (12.8 vs 3 días, p <0.001). LIMITACIONES: Estudio retrospectivo Unicentrico; número de sigmoidoscopias / colonoscopias del lado izquierdo no preparadas; no se realizó comparación entre NOBLADS y otros sistemas de puntuación. CONCLUSIN: NOBLADS es una herramienta práctica y altamente precisa que predice la necesidad de manejo hospitalario, colonoscopia precoz, transfusión de glóbulos rojos y estadía hospitalaria más prolongada en pacientes ingresados con hemorragia digestiva baja aguda. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B748. (Traducción-Dr. Xavier Delgadillo).

A Unique Case of Recurrent Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Caused by Two Metachronous Dieulafoy's Lesions: The Role of EUS Evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: Dieulafoy's lesion (DL) is a rare but important cause of acute, severe, life-threatening, and recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). It is frequently difficult to diagnose DL with upper GI endoscopy (UGIE), and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) may be valuable. There are only 2 reported bleeding cases caused by two synchronous DL but no reported cases of two metachronous DL. CASE REPORT: A 28-year-old healthy male presented with acute severe UGIB. UGIE was inconclusive. Systematic EUS mapping identified a gastric DL. After several attempts of EUS-guided hemostasis, DL was marked using a through-the-scope clip and the patient underwent successful transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Three years later, a new severe UGIB episode was caused by a second gastric DL in a different location, which was identified and marked by EUS and further successfully treated through TAE. The patient maintained follow-up without evidence of further bleeding. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The authors report a unique case of severe, recurrent UGIB caused by two metachronous gastric DL lesions. The importance of systematic EUS scanning for diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of DL is emphasized, as well as the potential influence in the outcome of other techniques like angiographic embolization.

INTRODUÇÃO: a lesão de Dieulafoy (LD) é uma causa rara de hemorragia digestiva alta (HDA), podendo causar hemorragia grave e recorrente. Diagnosticar esta lesão através da endoscopia digestiva alta (EDA) pode ser um desafio e a ecoendoscopia (EUS) é uma ferramenta muito útil. Há apenas dois casos reportados de hemorragia digestiva por duas LD síncronas, mas não há casos descritos de doentes com duas HDA por LD metácronas. CASO CLÍNICO: homem de 28 anos, saudável, admitido por HDA grave, EDA inconclusiva. Mapeamento gástrico sistemático por EUS identificou LD gástrica. Várias tentativas ineficazes de hemostase endoscópica e guiada por EUS. Marcação da LD com clip guiada por EUS e referenciação para embolização arterial (EA), bem-sucedida. Três anos depois, nova HDA grave devido a uma segunda LD gástrica, em topografia diferente, diagnosticada e marcada com clip por EUS, tratada com EA. Até à data sem recidiva. DISCUSSÃO/CONCLUSÃO: relatamos um caso único de HDA grave recorrente, causada por duas LD gástricas metácronas. Salienta-se a importância de uma avaliação sistemática por EUS no diagnóstico destas lesões. Salientamos o papel desta técnica no diagnóstico e tratamento das LD e possibilidade de articulação com outras técnicas, nomeadamente a EA.

Long-term outcomes of Botulinum toxin in the treatment of chronic anal fissure: 5 years of follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Chronic anal fissure is a frequent and disabling disease, often affecting young adults. Botulinum toxin and lateral internal sphincterotomy are the main therapeutic options for refractory cases. Botulinum toxin is minimally invasive and safer compared with surgery, which carries a difficult post-operative recovery and fecal incontinence risk. The long-term efficacy of Botulinum toxin is not well known. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of Botulinum toxin in the treatment of chronic anal fissure. METHODS: This was a retrospective study at a single center, including patients treated with Botulinum toxin from 2005 to 2010, followed over at least a period of 5 years. All patients were treated with injection of 25U of Botulinum toxin in the intersphincteric groove. The response was registered as complete, partial, refractory and relapse. RESULTS: Botulinum toxin was administered to 126 patients, 69.8% (n = 88) were followed over a period of 5 years. After 3 months, 46.6% (n = 41) had complete response, 23.9% (n = 21) had partial response and 29.5% (n = 26) were refractory. Relapse was observed in 1.2% (n = 1) at 6 months, 11.4% (n = 10) at 1 year, 2.3% (n = 2) at 3 years; no relapse at 5 years. The overall success rate was 64.8% at 5 years of follow-up. Botulinum toxin was well tolerated by all patients and there were no complications. CONCLUSION: The use of Botulinum toxin to treat patients with chronic anal fissure was safe and effective in long-term follow-up.

Black Anal Canal: Acute Necrosis.

Acute ischemia of the rectum or anal canal resulting in necrosis is extremely uncommon because both the rectum and the anal canal have excellent blood supplies. We present a case with spontaneous necrosis of the anal canal without rectal involvement. Surgical debridement was accomplished, and the recovery was uneventful. The patient was elderly, with probable atherosclerotic arterial disease, and presented with hypotension. Due to the lack of other precipitating factors, the hypoperfusion hypothesis seems to be the most suitable in this case. To the best of our knowledge, no similar cases have been reported in the literature on this subject.

Schwannoma-A Rare Subepithelial Lesion of the Colon.

Schwannoma is a benign tumor arising from Schwann cells that form the neural sheath. Primary schwannoma of the colon is rare and a few cases have been reported. We report a case of schwannoma of the colon and present the differential diagnosis that must be considered in the evaluation of colonic subepithelial lesions.

O schwannoma é um tumor benigno com origem nas células de Schwann que formam as bainhas nervosas. O schwannoma primário do cólon é uma lesão rara e poucos casos foram descritos. Apresenta-se o caso de um schwannoma do cólon e faz-se referência aos diagnósticos diferenciais que devem ser considerados na avaliação das lesões subepiteliais do cólon.