Management and monitoring of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease in the Asia-Pacific region: A position paper by the Asian Pan-Pacific Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (APPSPGHAN) PIBD Working Group: Surgical management, disease monitoring, and special considerations.

Disease phenotype of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) in children from the Asia-Pacific region differs from that of children from the West. Many parts of Asia are endemic for tuberculosis, making diagnosis and management of pediatric Crohn's disease a challenge. Current available guidelines, mainly from Europe and North America, may not be completely applicable to clinicians caring for children with PIBD in Asia due to differences in disease characteristics and regional resource constraints. This position paper is an initiative from the Asian Pan-Pacific Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (APPSPGHAN) that aims to provide an up-to-date, evidence-based approach to PIBD in the Asia-Pacific region. A group of pediatric gastroenterologists with a special interest in PIBD performed an extensive literature search covering epidemiology, disease characteristics and natural history, management, and monitoring. Attention was paid to publications from the region with special consideration to a resource-limited setting. This current position paper deals with surgical management, disease monitoring, immunization, bone health, and nutritional issues of PIBD in Asia. A special section on differentiating pediatric Crohn's disease from tuberculosis in children is included. This position paper provides a useful guide to clinicians in the surgical management, disease monitoring, and various health issues in children with IBD in Asia-Pacific region.

Medical Management of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (PIBD) in the Asia Pacific Region: A Position Paper by the Asian Pan-Pacific Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (APPSPGHAN) PIBD Working Group.

Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD) is rising rapidly in many industrialised and affluent areas in the Asia Pacific region. Current available guidelines, mainly from Europe and North America, may not be completely applicable to clinicians caring for children with PIBD in this region due to differences in disease characteristics and regional resources constraints. This position paper is an initiative from the Asian Pan-Pacific Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (APPSPGHAN) with the aim of providing an up-to-date, evidence-based approach to PIBD in the Asia Pacific region, taking into consideration the unique disease characteristics and financial resources available in this region. A group of pediatric gastroenterologists with special interest in PIBD performed an extensive literature search covering epidemiology, disease characteristics and natural history, management and monitoring. Gastrointestinal infections, including tuberculosis, need to be excluded before diagnosing IBD. In some populations in Asia, the Nudix Hydrolase 15 (NUD15) gene is a better predictor of leukopenia induced by azathioprine than thiopurine-S-methyltransferase (TPMT). The main considerations in the use of biologics in the Asia Pacific region are high cost, ease of access, and potential infectious risk, especially tuberculosis. Conclusion: This position paper provides a useful guide to clinicians in the medical management of children with PIBD in the Asia Pacific region.

Etiology, outcome and prognostic indicators of acute liver failure in Asian children.

OBJECTIVE: Outcome of pediatric acute liver failure (PALF) in countries with limited availability of LT is not well described. We evaluated the outcome and prognostic indicators of PALF in Malaysia where emergency LT for ALF is limited. METHODS: In this retrospective review on children < 18 years with PALF, we compared clinical and laboratory parameters between survival after supportive treatment and after LT or succumbed without LT. The predictive values of Liver Injury Unit (LIU; peak laboratory values for international normalized ratio [INR], ammonia, total bilirubin) and upon admission (aLIU) on outcome of PALF was evaluated using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Of 77 children (39 males [51%]; median age 2.8 years) with PALF, the overall survival was 55% (n = 42); 52% (n = 40) survived with supportive management, 2.6% (n = 2) after LT. As compared to children who survived without LT, children who had LT/died had lower hemoglobin, aspartate transferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), and higher serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, ammonia, and serum sodium (p < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, significant independent predictor for death or LT were peak bilirubin > 452 µmol/L and peak GGT < 96 IU/L. The C-index of LIU and aLIU score were 0.79 and 0.68, respectively, indicating that LIU score was a good model in predicting outcome of PALF. CONCLUSIONS: Overall survival of PALF remained poor. High peak bilirubin and low GGT predict poor outcome of PALF. LIU score is a good model in predicting outcome of PALF and maybe useful in selecting children for emergency LT.