Diagnosis and management of hepatic encephalopathy: The French recommendations.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a frequent and severe complication of liver disease with poor patient outcomes. However, it is a poorly understood complication, with no consensus for diagnosis. Therefore, HE is often underdiagnosed. Differential diagnosis may be cumbersome because of non-specific symptoms, such as confusion, cognitive disorders, the aetiological factors of cirrhosis and comorbidities, which are often observed in cirrhotic patients. Therefore, an overt or covert form of HE should be systematically investigated. Advice is provided to drive patient work-up. Effective treatments are available to prevent or treat HE bouts, but the issue of single or combination therapy has not been resolved. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement largely improved the prognosis of cirrhotic patients, but HE occurrence of HE is often a fear, even when post-TIPS HE can be avoided by a careful selection of patients and preventive treatment. HE is an indication of liver transplantation. However, its reversibility post-transplantation and the consequences of transplantation in patients with other causes of neurological disorders remain controversial, which supports the performance of an extensive work-up in expert centres for this subset of patients. The present guidelines assist clinicians in the diagnosis of the overt or covert form of HE to implement curative and preventive treatments and clarify which patients require referral to expert centres for consideration for liver transplantation. These guidelines are very clinically oriented and address different frequent clinical issues to help physicians make bedside decisions.

Intra-abdominal abscesses in CD - When to treat with biologics?

Management of intra-abdominal abscesses complicating Crohn's disease (CD) is challenging. After initial drainage and antibiotherapy treatment, surgery with delayed intestinal resection is often recommended but new data suggests efficacy of biotherapies in this context. This review aims to summarize new data regarding efficacy and safety of anti-TNF in the management of intra-abdominal abscesses complicating CD. We performed a review of the literature on medical management of intra-abdominal abscesses complicating CD. After effective drainage of abscess, treatment with anti-TNF can allow resolving of abscess. In some patients and at a specific timing, the use of biotherapies could avoid delayed surgery and long-term abscess recurrence.

Endoscopic training during fellowship: A nationwide French study: Impact of theoretical courses and simulation-based training during fellowship.

BACKGROUND: In France, it is mandatory that gastroenterology fellows have mastered the basic level of endoscopy by the end of training. The aim of this study was to assess improvement in the quality of fellows' endoscopy training in France during the last four years. METHODS: All fellows in France in training were eligible for participation. A 21-item questionnaire was sent out. The primary outcome was the completion by fourth year fellows of all the number of procedures recommended. Results were compared with those of a 2016 survey. RESULTS: Two-hundred-and-sixty-five fellows responded to the survey. The participation rate was 47.0%. The mean age was 27.3 ± 1.0 years and 56.4% were female. Access to theoretical courses (63.7% vs. 30.6%, p < 0.001) and simulation-based training (virtual reality simulator: 58.4% vs. 28.2%, p < 0.001, animal models: 29.4% vs. 17.2%, p < 0.001) was significantly higher in 2020. Although the number of procedures did not increase, significantly higher perception of skill acquisition in colonoscopy as well as diminished pressure to advance procedures were noted. CONCLUSION: Access to theoretical courses and simulation-based training and perceived acquisition of numerous skills has gotten better. However, the quality of training in endoscopy still needs improvement.