Early and/or immediately full caloric diet versus standard refeeding in mild acute pancreatitis: a randomized open-label trial.

UNLABELLED: Refeeding after acute pancreatitis (AP) is traditionally started in a successively increasing manner when abdominal pain is absent and pancreatic enzymes are decreasing. We aimed to evaluate length of hospital stay (LOHS) and refeeding tolerance for early refeeding and/or immediately full caloric intake in patients recovering from AP. METHODS: In this randomized, open-label trial, patients with AP were randomized into four different refeeding protocols. Group 1 and 2 received a stepwise increasing diet during three days while 3 and 4 received an immediately full caloric, low fat diet. Group 2 and 4 started refeeding early (once bowel sounds returned) and 1 and 3 started at standard time (bowel sounds present, no abdominal pain, no fever, leucocytes and pancreatic enzymes decreasing). Main outcomes measurements were LOHS and tolerance (ability to ingest >50% of meals without severe pain, nausea or AP relapse). RESULTS: Eighty patients were evaluated and 72 randomized (median age 60 years, range 24-85, 33 male). LOHS was significantly reduced after early refeeding (median 5 versus 7 days (p = 0.001)) but not in patients receiving immediately full caloric diet, compared to standard management (6 versus 6 days (p = 0.12)). There was no difference in refeeding tolerance comparing immediately full caloric diet versus stepwise increasing diet (31/35 (89%) versus 33/37 (89%) patients tolerating the treatment, p = 1.00) or early versus standard time for refeeding (33/37 (89%) versus 31/35 (89%), (p = 1.00)). CONCLUSIONS: Refeeding after AP when bowel sounds are present with immediately full caloric diet is safe and well tolerated. Early refeeding shortens LOHS.

[Secondary amyloidosis in Crohn's disease]. / Amiloidosis secundaria en la enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal.

Amyloidosis is a clinical entity that results from the deposition of an extracellular protein material that causes disruption in the normal architecture of multiple organs and tissues, and impairs their function. Secondary amyloidosis is a rare but serious complication that may worsen the prognosis of patients with cancer, infection or chronic inflammatory disease, including inflammatory bowel disease, particularly Crohn's disease. We report two cases of Crohn's disease associated with secondary amyloidosis.

[Outpatient establishment and initial management of treatment with intraduodenal levodopa-carbidopa infusion in advanced Parkinson's disease]. / Instauracion ambulatoria y manejo inicial del tratamiento con infusion intraduodenal de levodopa-carbidopa en la enfermedad de Parkinson avanzada.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment with intraduodenal levodopa-carbidopa infusion is one of the three therapies currently available for advanced Parkinson's disease. It optimizes the benefit of antiparkinsonian treatment by counteracting the negative effect of erratic gastric emptying on the absorption of oral levodopa. The purpose is to describe our outpatient protocol of treatment establishment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our unit we have implemented a protocol for the treatment with intradoudenal levodopa-carbidopa infusion without admission based on the development of a multidisciplinary circuit among the Neurology Service, the Digestive Endoscopy Unit and the Home Hospitalization Unit. RESULTS: Over one and a half year, we treated five patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. All of them remain on the medication and no significant side effect has taken place. CONCLUSION: The outpatient onset install of this treatment saves costs and avoids the negative impact of admission on the patient with advanced Parkinson's disease, in the same way that favors their adaptation and tolerability to it.

TITLE: Instauracion ambulatoria y manejo inicial del tratamiento con infusion intraduodenal de levodopa-carbidopa en la enfermedad de Parkinson avanzada.Introduccion. El tratamiento con infusion intraduodenal de levodopa-carbidopa es una de las tres terapias de que disponemos en la actualidad en la enfermedad de Parkinson avanzada. Optimiza el beneficio del tratamiento antiparkinsoniano al contrarrestar el efecto negativo que provoca el vaciado gastrico erratico sobre la absorcion de la levodopa oral. El objetivo es describir nuestro protocolo de instauracion del tratamiento de modo ambulatorio. Pacientes y metodos. En nuestra unidad hemos implementado un protocolo de instauracion del tratamiento con infusion continua de levodopa-carbidopa intestinal sin necesidad de ingreso hospitalario gracias al desarrollo de un circuito multidisciplinar entre el propio servicio de neurologia, la unidad de endoscopia digestiva y la unidad de hospitalizacion a domicilio. Resultados. En año y medio se trato a cinco pacientes con enfermedad de Parkinson avanzada. Todos ellos continuan con el tratamiento y no han tenido complicaciones significativas. Conclusion. La instauracion ambulatoria del tratamiento ahorra costes y evita el impacto negativo del ingreso en el paciente con enfermedad de Parkinson avanzada, de la misma manera que favorece su adaptacion y tolerancia a aquel.

Clips for the prevention and treatment of postpolypectomy bleeding (hemoclips in polypectomy).

INTRODUCTION: The most accurate method for the prevention and treatment of complications after polypectomy has not been well defined. The prophylactic use of hemoclips may reduce the risk of bleeding, mainly in pedunculated big polyps. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of hemoclips in the prophylaxis and treatment of bleeding after endoscopic polypectomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 223 consecutive endoscopic polypectomies performed in our Endoscopy Unit between january and october 2001. Hemoclips were routinely used only for large polyps (15 to 40 mm); all of them were located in the colon except one, a gastric polyp. RESULTS: From a total of 223 polypectomies (215 patients), hemoclips were used for 34 (15.2%), in 30 of them just before and in 4 just after polypectomy. When used prophylactically no complication was observed, except one mild bleeding episode (3.3%) that stopped with the placing of a second hemoclip. The therapeutic clipping (4 polypectomies) induced immediate haemostasis in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: The prophylactic use of hemoclips is associated with a very low risk of bleeding after endoscopic resection of big polyps. Therapeutic clipping is an effective measure for polypectomy-related bleeding.