AGA Clinical Practice Update on the Diagnosis and Management of Atrophic Gastritis: Expert Review.

DESCRIPTION: The purpose of this Clinical Practice Update Expert Review is to provide clinicians with guidance on the diagnosis and management of atrophic gastritis, a common preneoplastic condition of the stomach, with a primary focus on atrophic gastritis due to chronic Helicobacter pylori infection-the most common etiology-or due to autoimmunity. To date, clinical guidance for best practices related to the diagnosis and management of atrophic gastritis remains very limited in the United States, which leads to poor recognition of this preneoplastic condition and suboptimal risk stratification. In addition, there is heterogeneity in the definitions of atrophic gastritis, autoimmune gastritis, pernicious anemia, and gastric neoplasia in the literature, which has led to confusion in clinical practice and research. Accordingly, the primary objective of this Clinical Practice Update is to provide clinicians with a framework for the diagnosis and management of atrophic gastritis. By focusing on atrophic gastritis, this Clinical Practice Update is intended to complement the 2020 American Gastroenterological Association Institute guidelines on the management of gastric intestinal metaplasia. These recent guidelines did not specifically discuss the diagnosis and management of atrophic gastritis. Providers should recognize, however, that a diagnosis of intestinal metaplasia on gastric histopathology implies the diagnosis of atrophic gastritis because intestinal metaplasia occurs in underlying atrophic mucosa, although this is often not distinctly noted on histopathologic reports. Nevertheless, atrophic gastritis represents an important stage with distinct histopathologic alterations in the multistep cascade of gastric cancer pathogenesis. METHODS: The Best Practice Advice statements presented herein were developed from a combination of available evidence from published literature and consensus-based expert opinion. No formal rating of the strength or quality of the evidence was carried out. These statements are meant to provide practical advice to clinicians practicing in the United States. Best Practice Advice Statements BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 1: Atrophic gastritis is defined as the loss of gastric glands, with or without metaplasia, in the setting of chronic inflammation mainly due to Helicobacter pylori infection or autoimmunity. Regardless of the etiology, the diagnosis of atrophic gastritis should be confirmed by histopathology. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 2: Providers should be aware that the presence of intestinal metaplasia on gastric histology almost invariably implies the diagnosis of atrophic gastritis. There should be a coordinated effort between gastroenterologists and pathologists to improve the consistency of documenting the extent and severity of atrophic gastritis, particularly if marked atrophy is present. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 3: Providers should recognize typical endoscopic features of atrophic gastritis, which include pale appearance of gastric mucosa, increased visibility of vasculature due to thinning of the gastric mucosa, and loss of gastric folds, and, if with concomitant intestinal metaplasia, light blue crests and white opaque fields. Because these mucosal changes are often subtle, techniques to optimize evaluation of the gastric mucosa should be performed. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 4: When endoscopic features of atrophic gastritis are present, providers should assess the extent endoscopically. Providers should obtain biopsies from the suspected atrophic/metaplastic areas for histopathological confirmation and risk stratification; at a minimum, biopsies from the body and antrum/incisura should be obtained and placed in separately labeled jars. Targeted biopsies should additionally be obtained from any other mucosal abnormalities. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 5: In patients with histology compatible with autoimmune gastritis, providers should consider checking antiparietal cell antibodies and anti-intrinsic factor antibodies to assist with the diagnosis. Providers should also evaluate for anemia due to vitamin B-12 and iron deficiencies. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 6: All individuals with atrophic gastritis should be assessed for H pylori infection. If positive, treatment of H pylori should be administered and successful eradication should be confirmed using nonserological testing modalities. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 7: The optimal endoscopic surveillance interval for patients with atrophic gastritis is not well-defined and should be decided based on individual risk assessment and shared decision making. A surveillance endoscopy every 3 years should be considered in individuals with advanced atrophic gastritis, defined based on anatomic extent and histologic grade. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 8: The optimal surveillance interval for individuals with autoimmune gastritis is unclear. Interval endoscopic surveillance should be considered based on individualized assessment and shared decision making. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 9: Providers should recognize pernicious anemia as a late-stage manifestation of autoimmune gastritis that is characterized by vitamin B-12 deficiency and macrocytic anemia. Patients with a new diagnosis of pernicious anemia who have not had a recent endoscopy should undergo endoscopy with topographical biopsies to confirm corpus-predominant atrophic gastritis for risk stratification and to rule out prevalent gastric neoplasia, including neuroendocrine tumors. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 10: Individuals with autoimmune gastritis should be screened for type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumors with upper endoscopy. Small neuroendocrine tumors should be removed endoscopically, followed by surveillance endoscopy every 1-2 years, depending on the burden of neuroendocrine tumors. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 11: Providers should evaluate for iron and vitamin B-12 deficiencies in patients with atrophic gastritis irrespective of etiology, especially if corpus-predominant. Likewise, in patients with unexplained iron or vitamin B-12 deficiency, atrophic gastritis should be considered in the differential diagnosis and appropriate diagnostic evaluation pursued. BEST PRACTICE ADVICE 12: In patients with autoimmune gastritis, providers should recognize that concomitant autoimmune disorders, particularly autoimmune thyroid disease, are common. Screening for autoimmune thyroid disease should be performed.

Evaluation of Validity and Efficiency of Diagnostic Criteria in Autoimmune Hepatitis in Children.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a progressive inflammatory liver disease with various clinical symptoms, but treatment and prevention of hepatic failure and cirrhosis is possible with early diagnosis. However, no specific test has been approved for the diagnosis of AIH. In 2008, the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group (IAIHG) developed a simplified diagnostic scoring system that has been widely used in practice. Nevertheless, it cannot distinguish AIH from Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and consensus is lacking with respect to its validity, sensitivity, and applicability for children patients. The newer 2018 version also requires validation. The present study intends to evaluate the validity and efficiency of the IAIHG simplified scoring system and new scoring system in children with AIH. METHODS: The present study is a non-interventional case-control study covering 152 patients with hepatic diseases (83 patients with AIH and 69 patients with Wilson disease (WD)). Titers of autoantibodies, IgG levels, hepatic histology, and absence of viral hepatitis were scored and calculated according to IAIHG diagnostic criteria. Statistics software package (SPSS) and draft receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was used to analyze data and determine value of diagnostic criteria. RESULT: In our study, both scoring systems' accuracy was good in AIH diagnosis, although new score displays higher sensitivity and specificity, suggestive of greater accuracy and predictive strength. CONCLUSION: Our study is the first validation study of the new scoring system in diagnosing AIH, and further studies require verifying this scoring system.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: global prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia according to the Rome criteria.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia varies across cross-sectional surveys. This may be due to differences in definitions used or study methodology, rather than global variability. AIM: To determine the global prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia according to Rome criteria. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched to identify population-based studies reporting prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia in adults (≥18 years old) according to Rome I, II, III or IV criteria. Prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia was extracted, according to criteria used to define it. Pooled prevalence, according to study location and certain other characteristics, odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: Of 2133 citations evaluated, 67 studies fulfilled eligibility criteria, representing 98 separate populations, comprising 338 383 subjects. Pooled prevalence ranged from 17.6% (95% CI 9.8%-27.1%) in studies defining uninvestigated dyspepsia according to Rome I criteria, to 6.9% (95% CI 5.7%-8.2%) in those using Rome IV criteria. Postprandial distress syndrome was the commonest subtype, occurring in 46.2% of participants using Rome III criteria, and 62.8% with Rome IV. Prevalence of uninvestigated dyspepsia was up to 1.5-fold higher in women, irrespective of the definition used. There was significant heterogeneity between studies in all our analyses, which persisted even when the same criteria were applied and similar methodology was used. CONCLUSIONS: Even when uniform symptom-based criteria are used to define the presence of uninvestigated dyspepsia, prevalence varies between countries. This suggests that there are environmental, cultural, ethnic, dietary or genetic influences determining symptoms.

Prospective serial diagnostic study: the effects of position and provocative tests on the diagnosis of oesophageal motility disorders by high-resolution manometry.

BACKGROUND: Standard high-resolution manometry (HRM) protocols are based on 10 single water swallows acquired in the supine position. AIMS: To assess the impact of position, rapid drink challenge and solid test meal on the diagnosis of oesophageal motility disorders. METHODS: Seventy-two healthy volunteers (20-76 years) and 366 consecutive patients (18-90 years) completed HRM with 10 single water swallows in the supine and upright positions. Rapid drink challenge was performed twice, before and after the solid test meal. Diagnosis based on single water swallows in the supine position (Chicago Classification v3.0) was compared with results in the upright position and with provocative tests. RESULTS: Overall, diagnostic agreement in the supine and upright positions was present in 296/438 (67.6%) subjects. This increased to 90.0% when ineffective oesophageal motility was considered with normal motility. Integrated relaxation pressure was 4 mm Hg higher in the supine position. There was a higher prevalence of inconsistent, likely false positive, diagnoses of outlet obstruction in the supine compared to the upright position (16/20 vs 1/4 patients, P = 0.0007). Similarly, the difference in concordance for the diagnosis of oesophago-gastric junction obstruction or achalasia between single water swallows in the supine and upright positions with solid test meal was significant (12/29 (41.4%) vs 12/14 (85.7%), P = 0.0087). CONCLUSION: Diagnostic agreement for oesophageal motility disorders based on single water swallows in the upright and supine positions was moderate, with frequent discordant findings for ineffective motility and outlet obstruction. HRM studies can be performed in either position, using appropriate reference values. Rapid drink challenge or solid test meal can resolve diagnostic discrepancies.

Clinical utility of mono-exponential model diffusion weighted imaging using two b-values compared to the bi- or stretched exponential model for the diagnosis of biliary atresia in infant liver MRI.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical utility of mono-exponential model diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) using two b-values compared to the bi- or stretched exponential model to differentiate biliary atresia (BA) from non-BA in pediatric liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Patients who underwent liver MRI with DWI for suspected BA from November 2017 to September 2018 were retrospectively included and divided into BA and non-BA groups. Laboratory results including γ-glutamyl transferase (γGT) were compared between the two groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test. The hepatic apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) 10 using ten b-values and ADC 2 using two b-values were obtained from the mono-exponential model. The slow diffusion coefficient (D), fast diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) were obtained from the bi-exponential model. The distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC) and heterogeneity index (α) were measured from the stretched exponential model. Parameters were compared between the two groups using a linear mixed model and diagnostic performance was assessed using the area under the curve (AUC) analysis. RESULTS: For 12 patients in the BA and five patients in the non-BA group, the ADC 10 (median 0.985 ×10-3 mm2/s vs. 1.332 ×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.008), ADC 2 (median 0.987 ×10-3 mm2/s vs. 1.335 ×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.017), D* (median 33.2 ×10-3 mm2/s vs. 55.3 ×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.021), f (median 13.4%, vs. 22.1%, p = 0.009), and DDC (median 0.889 ×10-3 mm2/s vs. 1.323 ×10-3 mm2/s, p = 0.009) values were lower and the γGT (median 368.0 IU/L vs. 93.5 IU/L, p = 0.02) and α (median 0.699 vs. 0.556, p = 0.023) values were higher in the BA group. The AUC values for γGT (AUC 0.867 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.616-0.984), ADC 10 (AUC 0.963, 95% CI 0.834-0.998), ADC 2 (AUC 0.925, 95% CI 0.781-0.987), f (AUC 0.850, 95% CI 0.686-0.949), and DDC (AUC 0.925, 95% CI 0.781-0.987) were not significantly different, except for the D* and α values. CONCLUSION: Patients with BA had lower ADC 10, ADC 2, D*, f, and DDC values and higher γGT and α values than those in the non-BA group. The diagnostic performance of ADC 2 using only two b-values showed excellent diagnostic performance and was not significantly different from that of γGT, ADC 10, f, and DDC for diagnosing BA.

Evaluation of blood adiponectin levels as an index for subacute ruminal acidosis in cows: a preliminary study.

The objective of this study was to evaluate blood levels of various hormones and compounds related to energy metabolism in cows with subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA). We investigated 11 lactating cows presumed to have SARA based on duration of ruminal pH <5.6 and reticulum pH <6.3 in 2015-2016. Kraft pulp (KP) was used to supplement feed of 7 of the cows studied in an effort to reduce SARA. We continuously monitored ruminal pH and measured blood concentrations of hormones and metabolites related to energy metabolism. Blood measurements included glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), free fatty acid (FFA), insulin, adiponectin (ADN), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Additionally, we analyzed milk data (milk yield, milk fat percentage, milk protein percentage, milk urea nitrogen, and protein fat ratio) and reproduction data. The results demonstrated that ADN levels at 4 weeks post-parturition correlated with the total amount of time that the ruminal or reticulum fluid pH was under the threshold during 1 week post-parturition, as well as the numbers of days the cows were diagnosed with SARA (SARA-positive days) up to 30 days post-parturition. SARA-positive days in 2016 were higher than those in 2015. In both years, numbers of SARA-positive days for cows supplemented with KP were lower than those for cows without KP. Increased ADN levels may be a compensatory reaction to frequent SARA which modulates the inflammatory response against high LPS levels and improves insulin resistance caused by LPS. ADN may serve as an estimative index for SARA.

AGA Technical Review on the Evaluation of Functional Diarrhea and Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Adults (IBS-D).

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The evaluation of patients with chronic watery diarrhea represents a diagnostic challenge for clinicians because organic causes, including inflammatory bowel disease, microscopic colitis, and chronic infection, must be differentiated from functional diarrhea and diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome. The purpose of this review is to summarize the available evidence on the usefulness of diagnostic tests in such patients. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE via OVID, from 1978 until April 2017. We included diagnostic test accuracy studies reporting on the use of fecal and blood tests for the evaluation of adult patients with functional diarrhea, including irritable bowel syndrome. We assessed the risk of bias of included studies using a modified version of the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies II, and the certainty in the evidence using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) approach. We calculated pooled sensitivity and specificity, and the proportion of patients with true and false positive and negative results. We evaluated the following tests: erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, fecal lactoferrin, fecal calprotectin, serologic tests for celiac disease, tests for bile acid diarrhea, the commercially available version of anti-cytolethal distending toxin B and anti-vinculin antibodies, and tests for Giardia infection. We did not evaluate breath tests for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, as they are not part of a standard diarrhea workup. RESULTS: Thirty-eight studies proved eligible to evaluate 1 or more of these tests. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein were similar at discriminating organic from functional disease, with sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of 0.54-0.78 and 0.46-0.95 for erythrocyte sedimentation rate and 0.73 and 0.78 for C-reactive protein. Among fecal tests, fecal calprotectin in a range of 50-60 µg/g (pooled sensitivity 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-0.86; pooled specificity 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78-0.92) and fecal lactoferrin in a range of 4.0-7.25 µg/g (pooled sensitivity 0.79; 95% CI, 0.73-0.84; pooled specificity 0.93; 95%CI 0.63-0.99) presented the lowest proportion of false-negative results (low certainty in the evidence). Among tests for celiac disease, IgA tissue transglutaminase presented the best diagnostic test accuracy (sensitivity range, 0.79-0.99; specificity range, 0.90-0.99) with moderate certainty in the evidence. Among tests for bile acid diarrhea, the 75selenium homotaurocholic acid test performed better than serum fibroblast growth factor 19 and 7α-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one, but is not available in the United States. There was insufficient evidence to recommend serologic tests for irritable bowel syndrome at this time. There are several good diagnostic tests for Giardia infection. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate to low certainty in the evidence indicates that available fecal and blood tests may play a role in the diagnostic workup of adult patients with functional diarrhea. At the moment, no tests are available to reliably rule in irritable bowel syndrome.

Error traps and culture of safety in Hirschsprung disease.

Hirschsprung disease affects many children every year around the world. Currently, there is an extensive menu of diagnostic methods, and surgical treatments. This situation compels the physicians to follow the rationale of these interventions. The comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of Hirschsprung disease need singular procedures. The clear understanding of how to perform each of these techniques, as well as to read the results is mandatory. Otherwise, the medical team may perform unconscious errors and fall into traps. Many errors still happen in patients with Hirschsprung, resulting in a spectrum of problems; from delayed diagnosis to unnecessary colectomies. In other patients, the damage to the anal canal results in fecal incontinence. When this is established, it is an unreversed and devastating social problem. This article describes why these errors occur and how to prevent them.

Heterogeneity in the Definition and Clinical Characteristics of Dumping Syndrome: a Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: No real consensus regarding the definition of dumping syndrome (DS) seems to exist and few subtyping is used in clinical practice. Knowledge is needed for correct design of trials and establishment of uniform treatment strategies. The aim of this study is to explore the distribution of clinical characteristics related to the subtypes of DS. METHODS: A comprehensive search was performed in Cochrane, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ResearchGate. Data were collected on the definition and diagnostics of DS used in each study. RESULTS: Twenty-seven clinical trials were included. Seventeen articles clearly provided a definition of DS and ten of these differentiated between early and late DS. Diagnose of DS was based on clinical symptoms (24 articles), hemodynamic parameters (e.g., tachycardia, hypotension; 9 articles), and biochemical analysis (e.g., blood sugar level; 12 articles). Questionnaires were used in 13 articles. A total of 67 different symptoms were correlated with dumping syndrome. Two symptoms were exclusively correlated with early and nine with late DS. Nine articles differentiated between early and late dumping based on timing since the last meal. Hypoglycemia was correlated with late DS in ten articles. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a vast heterogeneity in the definition and clinical characteristics of DS after RYGB. We feel that a standardized definition is required to provide a firm parameter in the evaluation and setup of clinical trials. A better understanding and description of the definition and diagnostic criteria of DS after RYGB is crucial to improve scientific reporting.

Quantitative assessment of oral phase efficiency: validation of the Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS).

BACKGROUND: The Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS) has been developed to provide clinicians with objective data regarding the efficiency of oral phase function and solid bolus ingestion. AIMS: To determine if the TOMASS will detect changes in the oral phase of swallowing imposed by topical anaesthesia, thus providing validation of its clinical utility. METHODS & PROCEDURES: Per the standard protocol, 10 healthy participants ate one-quarter of an Arnotts SaladaTM biscuit. The number of bites per cracker, number of masticatory cycles, number of swallows and total time taken were recorded at baseline, following application of topical oral anaesthetic; this was additionally compared with a post-anaesthetic condition. Median and interquartile range (IQR) were calculated. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to evaluate trial effect, and Friedman's tests were used to detect differences in the number of bites, number of swallows, number of chews and time taken to eat the crackers. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Results indicated that the number of both bites and swallows did not significantly change across conditions (χ²(2) = 0.105, p = 0.949, χ²(2) = 1.357, p = 0.507); however, the number of chews for the anaesthetic condition was significantly higher when compared with the baseline (p = 0.02) and post-anaesthesia conditions (p = 0.02). Further, the durations of ingestion in the anaesthetic condition were significantly longer than the baseline (p = 0.01) and post-anaesthesia (p = 0.01) conditions. Across all measures, there were no differences between baseline and post-anaesthesia conditions. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Although further exploration is required, these early data suggest the TOMASS is a sensitive measure in the evaluation of the oral-phase preparation of solid textures.

Derivation and validation of a practical Bedside Score for the diagnosis of cholecystitis.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to develop a practical Bedside Score for the diagnosis of cholecystitis and test its accuracy against the Tokyo Guidelines (TG13). METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 438 patients undergoing urban, academic Emergency Department (ED) evaluation of RUQ pain. Symptoms, physical signs, ultrasound signs, and labs were scoring system candidates. A random split-sample approach was used to develop and validate a new clinical score. Multivariable regression analysis using development data was conducted to identify predictors of cholecystitis. Cutoff values were chosen to ensure positive/negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) of at least 0.95. The score was externally validated in 80 patients at a different hospital undergoing RUQ pain evaluation. RESULTS: 230 patients (53%) had cholecystitis. Five variables predicted cholecystitis and were included in the scores: gallstones, gallbladder thickening, clinical or ultrasonographic Murphy's sign, RUQ tenderness, and post-prandial symptoms. A clinical prediction score was developed. When dichotomized at 4, overall accuracy for acute cholecystitis was 90% for the development cohort, 82% and 86% for the internal and external validation cohorts; TG13 accuracy was 62%-79%. CONCLUSIONS: A clinical prediction score for cholecystitis demonstrates accuracy equivalent to TG13. Use of this score may streamline work-up by decreasing the need for comprehensive ultrasound evaluation and CRP measurement and may shorten ED length of stay.

Accuracy of invasive and noninvasive methods of Helicobacter pylori infection diagnosis in Saudi children.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is one of the most common chronic infections in the world. The prevalence of H. pylori is high in Saudi Arabia, but there are no studies in children on the accuracy of invasive and noninvasive methods to diagnose H. pylori infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of six methods for diagnosis of H. pylori infection; four invasive [rapid urease test (RUT), histology, antral nodularity (AD), and biopsy culture (BC)] and two noninvasive methods [serologic test and stool antigen test (SAT)]. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional study was performed among symptomatic children in National Guard hospitals who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy from 2010 to 2013. The gold standard diagnosis of H. pylori was positive tissue culture. If the culture was unsuccessful or not done, concordant-positive results for histology and RUT were considered to indicate a positive H. pylori. The variables analyzed as diagnostic methods included RUT, BC, histology, AD, serologic test, and SAT. RESULTS: A total of 303 children were included in the study. The overall prevalence of H. pylori infection was 49.8%. Most diagnostic tests showed high specificity and moderate-to-low sensitivity when compared to the gold standard test. Sensitivity of AD, SAT, and RUT to detect H. pylori were 62% (95% CI: 0.51-0.74), 69% (95% CI: 0.58-0.79), and 87% (95% CI: 0.79-0.95), respectively (P value 0.040, 0.0023, and <0.0001, respectively). RUT showed the lowest specificity, 65% (95% CI: 0.58-0.71) in contrast to BC and histology which showed moderate-to-high specificities of 88% (95% CI: 0.82-0.95) and 89% (95% CI: 0.82-0.95), respectively (P <0.0001). CONCLUSION: RUT is a valuable diagnostic method for identifying H. pylori with the highest sensitivity compared to AD and SAT. All diagnostic tests showed moderate-to-high specificities but BC and histology showed the highest specificity.

International standardisation of the test of masticating and swallowing solids in children.

The Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS) is a validated assessment tool measuring the efficiency of solid bolus intake by four quantitative parameters: discrete bites, masticatory cycles, swallows and time to ingest a single cracker. A normative database for adults (20-80+ years) has previously been established. The objective of this study was to investigate the applicability and reliability of the TOMASS in children and adolescents (TOMASS-C) and to establish the normative database for this younger population. We collected data from 638 participants (male: 311, female: 327) in five age groups (4-18 years) with five different but very similar test crackers in four countries. Significant effects of bolus type (cracker), age group and gender on the TOMASS parameters were identified, requiring stratification of the TOMASS-C database by these variables. Intra-rater reliability was excellent (ICC > 0.94) for all parameters; inter-rater reliability was moderate for "number of swallows" (ICC = 0.54), good for "bites" (ICC = 0.78) and "time" (ICC = 0.82), and excellent for "masticatory cycles" (ICC = 0.96). The "Test of Masticating and Swallowing Solids in Children (TOMASS-C)" was identified to be a reliable diagnostic tool for the comprehensive measurement of discrete oral stage components of solid bolus ingestion, standardised by a large normative database that covers age groups from preschoolers to young adults. While differences between gender groups were less pronounced than in the adult population, previous results relating to changes in masticatory and swallowing as a function of age are confirmed by our data.

The diagnostic accuracy of routine clinical findings for detection of esophageal varices in rural sub-Saharan Africa where schistosomiasis is endemic.

BACKGROUND: Variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is common in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, poor access to endoscopy services precludes the diagnosis of varices. OBJECTIVES: We determined the diagnostic accuracy of routine clinical findings for detection of esophageal varices among patients with UGIB in rural SSA where schistosomiasis is endemic. METHODS: We studied patients with a history of UGIB. The index tests included routine clinical findings and the reference test was diagnostic endoscopy. Multivariable regression with post-estimation provided measures of association and diagnostic accuracy. RESULTS: We studied 107 participants with UGIB and 21% had active bleeding. One hundred and three (96%) had liver disease and 86(80%) varices. Factors associated with varices (p-value <0.05) were ≥ 4 lifetime episodes of UGIB, prior blood transfusion, splenomegaly, liver fibrosis, thrombocytopenia, platelet count spleen diameter ratio <909, and a dilated portal vein. Two models showed an overall diagnostic accuracy of > 90% in detection of varices with a number needed to misdiagnose of 13(number of patients who needed to be tested in order for one to be misdiagnosed by the test). CONCLUSION: Where access to endoscopy is limited, routine clinical findings could improve the diagnosis of patients with UGIB in Africa.The diagnostic accuracy of routine clinical findings for detection of esophageal varices in rural sub-Saharan Africa where schistosomiasis is endemic.

A comparison of techniques to address the frequency of Helicobacter pylori positive dyspeptic patient.

OBJECTIVES: The study was aimed to compare the diagnostic techniques, for the detection of Helicobacter pylori infection, available in low-income countries, where molecular testing is not available or inaccessible to anyone. RESULTS: Of total enrolled patient, with the mean age of 41.4 ± 13.33 years, 24 (14 female; 10 male) were diagnosed to have been infected. The diagnosis was established based upon the gold standard test [either two of three tests: Rapid Urease Test (RUT), culture and histological examinations]. Of clinical presentation, the epigastric pain (75%) was the commonest; nevertheless, the endoscopic findings had shown an equivocal specificity since the larger percentile (58.3%) reported as normal findings, in a presumed dyspepsia. Based on the premise-with calculated sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values; the accuracy order observed as histology > RUT > serology > stool antigen test, in H. pylori detection from the clinical samples. The accuracy order of the diagnostic test may vary depending upon the laboratory settings and study population. Therefore, in reference to low-income countries, the clinicians must resort any available positive test so that the supporting positive rudiments would be an ancillary in augmenting the diagnostic accuracy.

Examining Balloon Expulsion Testing as an Office-Based, Screening Test for Dyssynergic Defecation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Balloon expulsion testing (BET) is recommended to evaluate for dyssynergic defecation in patients with chronic constipation (CC). However, it remains poorly standardized and is limited to specialized centers. Our goal was to assess the clinical utility of balloon expulsion as an initial test for dyssynergic defecation and to determine appropriate testing parameters. METHODS: We performed a literature search to identify cohort studies of unselected subjects with CC and case-control studies of subjects with/without dyssynergic defecation. We defined dyssynergic defecation by constipation symptoms and a positive reference test (anorectal manometry [ARM], defecography, or electromyography [EMG]). We performed a meta-analysis using a bivariate mixed-effects regression model to assess summary sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We conducted a meta-regression to investigate individual test parameters and demographic variables. RESULTS: We identified 15 eligible studies comprising 2090 individual assessments of BET. Among cohort studies, the AUC was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.61-0.91) with 70% sensitivity (95% CI: 52-83%) and 77% specificity (95% CI: 70-82%). In pooling cohort and case-control studies, the AUC was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.68-0.93) with 70% sensitivity (95% CI: 53-82%) and 81% specificity (95% CI: 75-86%). Subject positioning (seated vs. left lateral decubitus) did not significantly affect test performance in cohort (p = 0.82) or case-control (p = 0.43) analysis. Most studies evaluated 50-60 mL water insufflation. Test performance was not significantly affected by varying the maximum allowed expulsion time between 1 to 5 min. Age and gender likely accounted for significant study heterogeneity between studies. Choice of reference test, continent of study, and year of study did not significantly affect test performance. DISCUSSION: We report an optimized BET protocol. The performance characteristics of BET could support its use as a point of service test to screen for dyssynergic defecation in chronically constipated subjects.