Comparative Efficacy of Endoscopic Assist Devices on Colonic Adenoma Detection: A Systematic Review With Network Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Numerous endoscopic assist devices exist, yet data surrounding their comparative efficacy is lacking. We conducted a systematic review with network meta-analysis to determine the comparative efficacy of endoscopic assist devices on colonic adenoma detection. METHODS: A systematic search was performed using multiple electronic databases through July 2020, to identify all randomized controlled trials and dual-arm observational studies compared with either other endoscopic assist devices and/or standard colonoscopy. The primary outcome was adenoma detection rate (ADR). Secondary outcomes included polyp detection rate (PDR), serrated adenoma detection rate (SADR), right-sided adenoma detection rate (RADR), and proximal adenoma detection rate (PADR). RESULTS: Fifty-seven studies (31,051 patients) met inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Network meta-analysis identified an enhanced ADR among (clear) cap [odds ratio (OR): 2.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.45-4.99], endocuff, (OR: 4.95, 95% CI: 3.15-7.78), and endoring (OR: 3.68, 95% CI: 1.47-9.20)-with no significant difference amongst any particular device. Similar findings for PDR were also seen. Enhanced SADR was identified for endocuff (OR: 9.43) and endoring (OR: 4.06) compared with standard colonoscopy. Enhanced RADR (OR: 5.36) and PADR (OR: 3.78) were only identified for endocuff. Endocuff comparatively demonstrated the greatest ADR, PDR, and SADR, but this was not significant when compared with the other assist devices. Subgroup analysis of randomized controlled trials identified enhanced PDR and ADR for both cap and endocuff. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic assist devices displayed increased ADR and PDR as compared with standard colonoscopy and thus should be widely adopted. A nonsignificant trend was seen toward higher efficacy for the endocuff device.

Effectiveness and Safety of Tofacitinib for Ulcerative Colitis: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The objective of our systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of tofacitinib in the treatment of moderate-severe ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central to identify articles and abstracts reporting efficacy or safety data on tofacitinib use in UC. Primary outcome assessed was remission. Secondary outcomes included clinical response, steroid free remission, and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: A total of 26 studies were included. The rates of remission were 29.81% [95% confidence interval (CI): 22.37%-37.25%, I2 : 90%] at week 8, 32.27% (95% CI: 27.67%-36.88%, I2 : 42%) at 6 months and 38.03% (95% CI: 33.59%-42.48%, I2 : 0%) at 1-year. Clinical response rates were 59.41% (95% CI: 55.03%-63.94%, I2 : 61%) at week 8, 48.99% (95% CI: 36.92%-61.06%, I2 : 91%) at 6 months and 50.87% (95% CI: 42.16%-59.58%, I2 : 67%) at 1-year. Odds ratio of clinical response at week 8 in biologic naive versus biologic experienced patients was 1.59 (95% CI: 0.54-4.63). Pooled incidence rate for serious infections, major adverse cardiovascular events, and nonmelanotic squamous cell malignancies across all doses was 4.41 per 100-patient years (PYs) (95% CI: 2.32-8.38 per 100-PY, I2 : 78%), 0.91 per 100-PY (95% CI: 0.43-1.93 per 100-PY, I2 : 37%) and 0.91 per 100-PY (95% CI: 0.61-1.34 per 100-PY, I2 : 0%), respectively. Higher dose was associated with an increased frequency of AEs. CONCLUSIONS: While the overall efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in moderate-severe UC is consistent with clinical trial data, the dose dependent increase in AEs highlights the significance of early dose de-escalation. Rate of clinical response after tofacitinb induction was similar in biologic naive and biologic experienced patients.

P066 Real-World Experience of Ustekinumab in Crohn's Disease Patients With Prior Anti-TNF Therapy at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Ustekinumab (UST) is a monoclonal antibody against the p40 subunit of IL-12/23. It is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis. We performed a retrospective study to demonstrate the efficacy and outcomes of UST in CD patients who received prior anti-TNF therapies. METHODS: We collected a list of all patients who received UST until May 2021. In addition, the list was screened for patients who were on anti-TNFs for treatment of CD in the past. Data was collected for patient demographics, disease characteristics, comorbidities, disease phenotype, age of initiation of UST, prior biologic therapy, time since last biologic therapy, concomitant use of steroids or immunomodulator, inflammatory markers, induction of remission, deep remission. Chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: We identified 34 patients (59% females) with CD on UST who failed at least one anti-TNFs before induction with UST. Clinical remission was documented in 70.5% of patients. 29 percent of patients who achieved clinical remission were on concomitant steroids or immunomodulators at the time of induction of remission along with UST. Fifty percent of patients had a fistulizing disease, of which 70% achieved clinical remission with UST. C-reactive protein (CRP) was reported in 70 percent of patients. Mean CRP prior to initiation of UST was 2.4. CRP trended down to 1.98 (p = 0.079, 95% CI: -0.064-1.08). Eighteen percent of patients had fecal calprotectin reported. Mean fecal calprotectin before initiation of UST was 386, and it trended down 175 while on UST (p = 0.148, 95% CI: -106.25-528.46). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that remission rates in CD patients who have failed prior anti-TNF therapy are high, including for patients with perianal disease. In patients with fistulizing CD, we suggest using UST for higher rates of remission after induction. We also found that for fecal calprotectin, although an excellent surrogate of colon inflammation, compliance amongst patients remains low.

A brief report on older people's experience of cybercrime victimization in Mumbai, India.

As internet penetration increases in Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMIC), more older people are now conducting financial transactions online and using social media to stay in touch with family and friends. We discuss concerns that existing financial regulations and controls in India may afford older people insufficient protection from cybercrime, using qualitative interviews from our recent study exploring older people's experiences of cybercrime in Mumbai.

Detection of colorectal adenomas using artificial intelligence models in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus is known for its oncogenic potential, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Several studies have shown that chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has an increased risk of the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). AIM: To analyze this positive relationship and develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool using machine learning (ML) algorithms to stratify these patient populations into risk groups for CRC/adenoma detection. METHODS: To develop the AI automated calculator, we applied ML to train models to predict the probability and the number of adenomas detected on colonoscopy. Data sets were split into 70:30 ratios for training and internal validation. The Scikit-learn standard scaler was used to scale values of continuous variables. Colonoscopy findings were used as the gold standard and deep learning architecture was used to train six ML models for prediction. A Flask (customizable Python framework) application programming interface (API) was used to deploy the trained ML model with the highest accuracy as a web application. Finally, Heroku was used for the deployment of the web-based API to https://adenomadetection.herokuapp.com. RESULTS: Of 415 patients, 206 had colonoscopy results. On internal validation, the Bernoulli naive Bayes model predicted the probability of adenoma detection with the highest accuracy of 56%, precision of 55%, recall of 55%, and F1 measure of 54%. Support vector regressor predicted the number of adenomas with the least mean absolute error of 0.905. CONCLUSION: Our AI-based tool can help providers stratify patients with CHC for early referral for screening colonoscopy. Along with providing a numerical percentage, the calculator can also comment on the number of adenomatous polyps a gastroenterologist can expect, prompting a higher adenoma detection rate.

Acute Pancreatitis as a Rare Complication of Scrub Typhus: A Case Report.

Scrub typhus is transmitted by the bite of chiggers (larvae) of Leptotrombidium deliense and is caused by the bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi. Common symptoms include fever, headache, lymphadenopathy, and black eschar formation, while acute pancreatitis is a rare complication. We present the case of a 27-year-old gentleman, who presented with epigastric pain and constipation for three weeks, fever for four days, and vomiting for two days. Serum lipase, C-reactive protein, and serum amylase were significantly raised. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay anti-scrub typhus IgM was positive at 0.605 optical density. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed a bulky pancreas. Mild fluid collection (50 × 60 × 65 mm) was seen in the peripancreatic region, along with moderate to gross mesenteric fat stranding. The left anterior and lateral renal conal fascia were thickened and edematous. The patient was managed with intravenous fluids, antipyretics, and intravenous doxycycline.

Exploring how, why and in what contexts older adults are at risk of financial cybercrime victimisation: A realist review.

Although older people rarely report being victims of financial cybercrime, there is evidence that older online users are at increased risk. This realist review identified factors leading to older adults' victimisation and reviewed the theory and evidence for interventions to reduce victimisation risks. We developed an initial programme theory from a scoping review and expert stakeholder consultations. We searched electronic databases, references and websites for literature meeting inclusion criteria. We analysed 52 primary and secondary data sources, seeking stakeholder views to develop and refine the programme theory and generate Context-Mechanism-Outcome Configurations (CMOCs) explaining how, why and in what circumstances older adults become financial cybercrime victims; and extrapolated this to consider rational intervention strategies. Our programme theory comprised 16 CMOCs describing how: social isolation, cognitive, physical and mental health problems; wealth status, limited cyber security skills or awareness, societal attitudes and content of scams led to victimisation. Our refined programme theory provides a novel framework to guide future intervention design. Only interventions to enhance older internet users' awareness and skills have been trialled to date. Other theoretically plausible interventions include: offender management programmes, tailored security measures, society-wide stigma reduction and awareness-raising with groups who support older people.

COVID-19 and Outcomes in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Our understanding of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its implications for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) is rapidly evolving. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes in IBD patients with COVID-19. METHODS: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central, Clinicaltrials.gov, Web of Science, MedRxiv, and Google Scholar from inception through October 2020. We included studies with IBD patients and confirmed COVID-19. Data were collected on the prevalence, patient characteristics, pre-infection treatments for IBD, comorbidities, hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU), admission, and death. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies with 51,643 IBD patients and 1449 with COVID-19 met our inclusion criteria. In 14 studies (n = 50,706) that included IBD patients with and without COVID-19, the prevalence of infection was 1.01% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92-1.10). Of IBD patients with COVID-19, 52.7% had Crohn's disease, 42.2% had ulcerative colitis, and 5.1% had indeterminate colitis. Nine studies (n = 687) reported outcomes according to IBD therapy received. Compared with patients on corticosteroids, those on antitumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy had a lower risk of hospitalization (risk ratio [RR], 0.24; 95% CI, 0.16-0.35; P < .01; I2 = 0%) and ICU admission (RR, 0.10; 95% CI, 0.03-0.37; P < .01) but not death (RR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.02-1.71; P = .13; I2 = 39%). Compared with patients on mesalamine, those on antitumor necrosis factor therapy had a lower risk of hospitalizations (RR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.25-0.54), ICU admissions (RR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.07-0.58), and death (0.21; 95% CI, 0.04-1.00). Comparing patients on immunomodulators vs mesalamine or anti-TNF therapy, there was no difference in these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of COVID-19 in IBD patients was low. Use of corticosteroids or mesalamine was significantly associated with worse outcomes, whereas use of anti-TNFs was associated with more favorable outcomes. Further investigation clarifying the mechanisms of these disparate observations could help identify risk and adverse outcome-mitigating strategies for patients with IBD.

Pancreatic Pseudocyst Hemorrhage Complicated by an Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment with potent anti-platelet and anti-coagulant therapies and reperfusion by percutaneous coronary intervention. The use of anti-platelet and anti-coagulant therapies can result in hemorrhagic complications, and their use is challenging in a patient with an active gastrointestinal bleed. We report the case of a patient who simultaneously presented with both an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and a hemorrhagic pancreatic pseudocyst. There are currently no comprehensive recommendations to guide treatment of these conditions when presenting concomitantly. This case outlines the multi-disciplinary approach taken by our cardiology and gastroenterology teams and highlights the need to develop management algorithms for these two life-threatening conditions.

Patient Preference and Adherence to Aminosalicylates for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that requires sustained treatment for optimal outcomes. The 5-aminosalicylate (5-ASA) class of medications are first-line for the treatment of mild-to-moderate UC but suffer from suboptimal adherence rates in real-world settings. This review summarizes the literature on adherence and patient preference to 5-ASA in patients with UC. We begin by highlighting key studies that measure real-world adherence rates, as well as some of the pitfalls associated with certain techniques. We examine the data on the consequences of non-adherence, which range from decreased quality of life and higher risk of colorectal cancer at the individual level to increased costs to the overall healthcare system. We then turn to the reasons and risk factors for non-adherence and summarize the current understanding of the barriers towards adherence. Afterwards, we describe the research on patient preferences between 5-ASA formulations and dosing regimen. Finally, we summarize the evidence regarding interventions to improve 5-ASA adherence. While adherence remains a challenge in practice, understanding the current state of the field can better inform future efforts towards increasing adherence, and thus clinical outcomes, in UC.

Intracolonic Administration of Vancomycin in Intensive Care Unit Patients with Severe Clostridium Difficile Colitis.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. The incidence of sepsis has been shown to be increasing due to severe or fulminant colitis. Oral vancomycin is the treatment of choice for CDI, but it is often ineffective in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to poor intestinal motility. We present a review of eight cases with severe to fulminant CDI treated with adjunctive intracolonic vancomycin (ICV) administration. METHODS: A retrospective chart review identified patients in sepsis with severe colitis and positive Clostridium difficile toxin A or B. Patients who had failed standard therapy for CDI were given adjunctive ICV through an enteric tube, which was inserted via colonoscopy. To indicate the severity of patients, the patients selected had required vasopressor support. RESULTS: Eight patients (37.5% females) received this adjunctive treatment; the mean age was 73.25. The average Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) 2 score at the time of the procedure was 39. The median length of stay was 5.5 days, with in-hospital mortality of 37.5% and an average time to death of 1.33 days from the day of colonoscopy.  Conclusion: Colonoscopic decompression and administration of vancomycin for fulminant CDI using an enteric tube can have favorable outcomes in severely ill patients whose surgical options carry a high risk of mortality. Further larger randomized controlled trials are needed to evaluate its efficacy.

New developments in ulcerative colitis: latest evidence on management, treatment, and maintenance.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic idiopathic inflammatory disorder that involves any part of the colon starting in the rectum in a continuous fashion presenting typically with symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and rectal urgency. UC is diagnosed based on clinical presentation and endoscopic evidence of inflammation in the colon starting in the rectum and extending proximally in the colon. The clinical presentation of the disease usually dictates the choice of pharmacologic therapy, where the goal is to first induce remission and then maintain a corticosteroid-free remission. There are multiple classes of drugs that are available and are used based on the clinical severity of the disease. For mild-to-moderate disease, oral or rectal formulations of 5-aminosalicylic acid are used. In moderate-to-severe UC, corticosteroids are usually used in induction of remission with or without another class of medications such as thiopurines or biologics including anti-tumor necrosis factor, anti-integrins, or Janus kinase inhibitors for maintenance of remission. Up to 15% of the patients may require surgery as they fail to respond to medications and have risk of developing dysplasia secondary to longstanding colitis.

Budesonide-Related Iatrogenic Cushing's Syndrome in Microscopic Colitis.

Budesonide is the treatment of choice for microscopic colitis because of its excellent risk to benefit ratio. It is a potent, well-absorbed corticosteroid, but because of a high rate of first-pass metabolism in the liver, its systemic bioavailability is low. It has fewer corticosteroid-related adverse effects than prednisone, and adrenal suppression is considered to be rare. We present a middle-aged woman with lymphocytic colitis whose symptoms responded to budesonide but developed budesonide-related iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome. Withdrawal of budesonide led to restoration of normal pituitary-adrenal responsiveness but at the price of recurrent diarrhea due to re-emergence of lymphocytic colitis.

Family history and disease outcomes in patients with Crohn's disease: A comparison between China and the United States.

AIM: To investigate the differences in family history of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and clinical outcomes among individuals with Crohn's disease (CD) residing in China and the United States. METHODS: We performed a survey-based cross-sectional study of participants with CD recruited from China and the United States. We compared the prevalence of IBD family history and history of ileal involvement, CD-related surgeries and IBD medications in China and the United States, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: We recruited 49 participants from China and 145 from the United States. The prevalence of family history of IBD was significantly lower in China compared with the United States (China: 4.1%, United States: 39.3%). The three most commonly affected types of relatives were cousin, sibling, and parent in the United States compared with child and sibling in China. Ileal involvement (China: 63.3%, United States: 63.5%) and surgery for CD (China: 51.0%, United States: 49.7%) were nearly equivalent in the two countries. CONCLUSION: The lower prevalence of familial clustering of IBD in China may suggest that the etiology of CD is less attributed to genetic background or a family-shared environment compared with the United States. Despite the potential difference in etiology, surgery and ileal involvement were similar in the two countries. Examining the changes in family history during the continuing rise in IBD may provide further insight into the etiology of CD.