Integration of robotic in the reprocessing and transfer of endoscopes.

Background and study aims Optimal hygiene is crucial for patients undergoing flexible endoscopy. Reprocessing is currently influenced by manual procedures performed by endoscopy staff. To overcome this limitation, we designed and evaluated the integration of robotic application for an automated endoscope processing pathway. Methods We used an endoscope reprocessing pass through machine with drying cabinet and a Franka Emika Panda robot. The robot was programmed to interact with its environment in a compliant way, guaranteeing desired contact force thresholds and therefore ensuring safety of both robot and medical equipment. Results In an initial phase we tested the robots' ability to handle a modified tray holding an endoscope as well as certain challenges (correct positioning, connection of tubing, undesired collisions). We added another Panda robot arm resulting in a device featuring two independent manipulators and tested the accuracy of each individual step. We evaluated 50 consecutive processing and transfer procedures, simulating the average daily throughput of an endoscopic unit. The endoscopes were removed in adapted tray using a specially designed lifting device and placed in an endoscope storage and venting cabinet. The mean time for the handling of the scope was 104.2 ±â€Š1.2 seconds and an accuracy of 100 % (0 failures in 50 attempts) was achieved. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description and evaluation of an automated compliant robotic assistance in the processing of endoscopes. Further development could help to overcome shortcomings of the man handled endoscope processing and could lead to reproducible, standardized and certified endoscope processing.

Telemetric capsule-based upper gastrointestinal tract - blood detection - first multicentric experience.

INTRODUCTION: Risk stratification in upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) currently relies on clinical parameters and risk scores. HemoPill® acute (Ovesco Endoscopy, Tuebingen, Germany) is a pill-shaped, orally administered sensor capsule for real-time blood detection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the system in clinical routine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-one consecutive patients in whom the HemoPill® had been used at 12 international hospitals between July 2019 and March 2020 were retrospectively analysed. Indications for application were the clinical suspicion of UGIB, small bowel bleeding, of rebleeding after hemostasis. Primary endpoints were technical success and bleeding detection/exclusion. Secondary endpoints included adverse events and change of clinical course. RESULTS: The capsule was used in 45 (73%) patients with UGIB, in 12 (20%) patients with small bowel bleeding and in four (7%) patients for exclusion of rebleeding. Technical success was 98%. 35/60 (58%) cases were capsule-positive and among these, endoscopy showed bleeding in 20/35 (57%) cases. None of the 25 capsule-negative patients rebled. Emergency endoscopy could be avoided in 18/25 (72%) cases. Serious adverse events did not occur. CONCLUSION: HemoPill®-based blood detection is feasible and safe. Negative capsule results might 'downgrade' the need for urgent endoscopy.

[Palliative endoscopy]. / Palliative Endoskopie.

Endoscopy is the leading method in the diagnostics of gastrointestinal malignancies. With the increasing incidences of various tumor entities, a palliative treatment situation is already present in many patients despite an increasing number of screening strategies. Palliative endoscopy can make an essential contribution to alleviation of tumor-related symptoms, such as dysphagia, malnutrition, cholestasis, ileus and pain. Various approaches can be offered to safeguard the nutrition, e.g. percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and percutaneous endoscopic jejunostomy (PEJ), for maintenance of the gastrointestinal passage (stents) and secretion drainage or to drain congested hollow organs. Furthermore, in cases of inaccessibility or impassability of stenoses due to tumors, endosonographically assisted punctures offer the possibility to guarantee new drainage options or continuities by stent placement. In all interventions possible contraindications and complications must be taken into account.

Corona again? SSC after a severe COVID-disease.

Secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC) is a severe complication of intensive care treatment in critically ill patients. It is characterized by rapid onset and severe chlolestasis with elevation of gGT. In contrast to primary sclerosing cholangitis, SSC-CIP has a distinct and timely well defined trigger and can have a rapid progress to cirrhosis and liver failure. In context of the COVID-19-pandemic, there are reports about patients, who developed SSC after a severe COVID-infection and intensive care treatment.We report on a 62-year old patient without any relevant pre-existing illnesses, who suffered from severe COVID-19 pneumonia with the need for long term ventilation. In the course of the disease he developed a critical-illness-polyneuropathy a pronounced cholestasis. After recovery from COVID-pneumonia, the PNP regressed but the cholestasis progressed. MRCP showed only irregular intrahepatic bile ducts, while EUS showed echogenic intraductal longitudinal structures characteristic for intraductal casts and for SSC-CIP. This was confirmed with ERC, where the complete necrotic bile ducts could be extracted and retrieved for histological and molecular analysis.The patient was included in a scheduled ERC-program to prevent a progress of SSC and the concomitant cirrhosis.SSC is an often missed diagnosis, which obviously can also occur in COVID-patients. In case of elevated liver function tests with cholestasis, EUS might be the key diagnostic method to characterize intraductal casts and identify those patients who should undergo ERC.

Diagnosis and treatment of neurogenic dysphagia - S1 guideline of the German Society of Neurology.

INTRODUCTION: Neurogenic dysphagia defines swallowing disorders caused by diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system, neuromuscular transmission, or muscles. Neurogenic dysphagia is one of the most common and at the same time most dangerous symptoms of many neurological diseases. Its most important sequelae include aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration, and affected patients more often require long-term care and are exposed to an increased mortality. Based on a systematic pubmed research of related original papers, review articles, international guidelines and surveys about the diagnostics and treatment of neurogenic dysphagia, a consensus process was initiated, which included dysphagia experts from 27 medical societies. RECOMMENDATIONS: This guideline consists of 53 recommendations covering in its first part the whole diagnostic spectrum from the dysphagia specific medical history, initial dysphagia screening and clinical assessment, to more refined instrumental procedures, such as flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, the videofluoroscopic swallowing study and high-resolution manometry. In addition, specific clinical scenarios are captured, among others the management of patients with nasogastric and tracheotomy tubes. The second part of this guideline is dedicated to the treatment of neurogenic dysphagia. Apart from dietary interventions and behavioral swallowing treatment, interventions to improve oral hygiene, pharmacological treatment options, different modalities of neurostimulation as well as minimally invasive and surgical therapies are dealt with. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis and treatment of neurogenic dysphagia is challenging and requires a joined effort of different medical professions. While the evidence supporting the implementation of dysphagia screening is rather convincing, further trials are needed to improve the quality of evidence for more refined methods of dysphagia diagnostics and, in particular, the different treatment options of neurogenic dysphagia. The present article is an abridged and translated version of the guideline recently published online ( https://www.awmf.org/uploads/tx_szleitlinien/030-111l_Neurogene-Dysphagie_2020-05.pdf ).

Multi-target Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with STW 5: Pharmacological Modes of Action.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a heterogeneous and complex functional gastrointestinal disorder with a global prevalence of approximately 11% and high geographic variation. IBS encompasses various symptom clusters considered to reflect complex patho-etiological mechanisms, and effective treatment options are limited, with most medications targeting individual mechanisms and symptoms. Therefore, multi-targeted treatment is required. IBS is currently viewed as a disorder of disturbed gut-brain interactions with abnormalities at different sites along the gut-brain axis, including altered gastrointestinal motility, visceral hypersensitivity, increased intestinal permeability, and altered gut microbiota. All of these abnormalities represent individual targets for STW 5, a herbal preparation with nine different extracts indicated for the treatment of functional dyspepsia and IBS. As a multi-targeted medicinal drug, STW 5 possesses multiple pharmacodynamic effects. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated STW 5 efficacy on numerous IBS patho-mechanisms targeting gastrointestinal smooth muscles, visceral afferent nerves, inflammation, gut permeability, and the gut microbiome.

Optimizing Screening Colonoscopy: Strategies and Alternatives.

Screening colonoscopy is the most effective screening procedure for the prevention of colorectal cancer. The efficacy of colonoscopy is highly dependent on the overall quality of how this procedure is indicated, planned, prepared, and performed. The quality is directly linked to the number of polyps and/or adenomas detected or, in other words, to the number of polyps or adenomas missed during the procedure. The quality has a direct impact on the rate of interval carcinoma and on the range of how the incidence and occurrence of colorectal cancer is reduced. This review summarizes the current status on general measures and procedure improvements and standards as well as technical advances which have been suggested and established to improve the quality of polyp and adenoma detection rate. This includes selection and preparation of the patients, planning, methodological and technical performance of the procedure, and technical advances of the endoscope technology in order to improve screening results. It also covers new technologies with wide angle endoscopes (Ewave) and IT-based approaches using artificial intelligence to such as ai4GI for the polyp detection and image analysis.

[Interpretation und performance of high-resolution esophageal manometry: Recommendations of the German Association of Neurogastroenterology and Motility (DGNM) and the German Association of Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS)]. / Interpretation und Durchführung der hochauflösenden Ösophagusmanometrie: Empfehlungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurogastroenterologie und Motilität (DGNM) sowie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie, Verdauungs- und Stoffwechselerkrankungen (DGVS).

Esophageal manometry provides a detailed evaluation of esophageal contractility and, therefore, represents the reference method for diagnosis of esophageal motility disorders. Significance and clinical relevance have been further increased by implementation of high-resolution esophageal manometry (HRM), which reveals the functional anatomy of the esophagus in a visually-intuitive manner. The current 3 rd version of the international Chicago Classification (CC v3.0) gives standardized recommendations on performance and interpretation of HRM and serves as the basis for much of this expert consensus document. However, CC v3.0 gives only limited information with regards to the function of the lower and upper esophageal sphincters, the use of adjunctive tests including solid test meals and long-term ambulatory HRM measurements. In this expert consensus, we describe how to perform and interpret HRM on the basis of the CC v3.0 with additional recommendations based on the results of recent, high-quality clinical studies concerning the use of this technology to assess the causes of esophageal symptoms in a variety of clinical scenarios.

Impact of 2 generational improvements in colonoscopes on adenoma miss rates: results of a prospective randomized multicenter tandem study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Numerous randomized studies have shown that changing certain features of colonoscopes, usually incorporated when switching from one endoscope generation to the next, mostly do not increase adenoma yield. There is, however, indirect evidence that it may be necessary to skip one instrument generation (ie, changing from one generation to the next but one) to achieve this effect. METHODS: We compared the latest-generation colonoscopes from one company (Olympus Exera III, 190-C) with the next to last one (Olympus 160/5-C) in a prospective multicenter study randomized for the order of colonoscopes in a tandem fashion, involving 2 different examiners. Patients with increased risk for colorectal neoplasia undergoing colonoscopy (positive fecal occult blood test, personal/familial history of colorectal cancer/adenoma, rectal bleeding, recent change in bowel movements) were included. The primary outcome was the adenoma miss rate with the 190 (190-C) colonoscope in comparison with the 160/5 colonoscope (160/5-C). RESULTS: A total of 856 patients (48.8% male; mean age, 58.3 years) with a personal (41%) or family (38%) history of colorectal neoplasia, rectal bleeding (19%), and other indications were included. Of the 429 patients in the 190-C first group, 16.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.0%-20.1%) had at least one adenoma missed during the first procedure, compared with 30.2% (95% CI, 25.9%-34.6%) in the group with 160/5-C first (P < .001). Similarly, the adenoma detection rate during the first colonoscopy was 43.8% versus 36.5% (P = .030) for 190-C versus 160/5-C, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This randomized tandem trial showed lower adenoma miss rates and higher adenoma detection rates for the newer 190 colonoscopes compared with the 160/5 series. These results suggest that it takes multiple improvements, such as those implemented over 2 instrument generations, before an effect on adenoma (miss) rate can be observed. (Study registration number: ISRCTN 2010-A01256-33.).

[Proton pump inhibitor - side effects and complications of long-term proton pump inhibitor administration]. / Protonenpumpenhemmer ­ Nebenwirkungen und Komplikationen der langfristigen Protonenpumpenhemmereinnahme.

Proton Pump Inhibitors are among the most common drugs taken. The indication is for treatment of heartburn, reflux disease, prophylaxis and treatment of peptic ulcers, in combination with NSAIDs and steroids as well as H. pylori-eradication. PPI's are widely used, even with non-specific symptoms. This certainly has to do with good tolerability and a previously considered low side effect profile. At the moment, there is growing evidence that the long-term intake of PPI's may not be as safe as assumed. In addition to interactions with some drugs, including platelet aggregation inhibitors, recent studies have shown an increased risk of myocardial infarction, interstitial nephritis, chronic renal injury, infections, vitamin deficiencies and electrolyte shifts as well developing dementia.

Mechanism of Action of STW 5 in Functional Dyspepsia and IBS: The Origin of Multi-Target.

BACKGROUND: STW 5 is a complex herbal combination preparation composed of 9 different herbal extracts. As an herbal medicinal product, this preparation is indicated for treating functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Its efficacy and practical applicability was demonstrated in several clinical studies. SUMMARY: Each herbal constituent of STW 5 has distinct effects on the gastrointestinal tract, and each shows activity through different mechanisms of action: among others, the single extracts have effects on nerves, smooth muscles, epithelial, and inflammatory cells. For example, they have relaxing or tonicizing effects on gastrointestinal muscles, and they counteract inflammation through different physiological systems, contributing to the clinical efficacy through modulation of multiple therapeutic targets. Key Messages: STW 5 is a role model for the concept of multi-targeting in therapy. Especially in complex syndromes such as FD and IBS, simultaneous multi-targeting of different functional causes seems to be a more promising approach than the classical paradigm of one disease - one receptor - one effect.

A randomised, double-blind trial comparing budesonide formulations and dosages for short-term treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of two different budesonide formulations (effervescent tablet for orodispersible use (BET) and viscous suspension (BVS)) with different daily dosages for short-term treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE). DESIGN: Adults with active EoE (n=76) randomly received 14 days' treatment with either BET 2×1 mg/day (BET1, n=19) or BET 2×2 mg/day (BET2, n=19), or BVS 2×5 mL (0.4 mg/mL)/day (BVS, n=19) or placebo (n=19) in a double-blind, double-dummy fashion, with a 2-week follow-up. Primary end point was histological remission (mean of <16 eosinophils/mm(2 )hpf). Secondary end points included endoscopy score, dysphagia score, drug safety and patient's preference for drug formulation. RESULTS: Histological remission occurred in 100%, 94.7% and 94.7% of budesonide (BET1, BET2, BVS, respectively) and in 0% of placebo recipients (p<0.0001). The improvement in total endoscopic intensity score was significantly higher in the three budesonide groups compared with placebo. Dysphagia improved in all groups at the end of treatment; however, improvement of dysphagia persisted only in those treated with BET1 (p=0.0196 vs placebo). There were no serious adverse events. Local fungal infection (stained fungi) occurred in two patients of each budesonide group (10.5%). The effervescent tablet was preferred by 80% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: BET or BVS was highly effective and safe for short-term treatment of EoE. The 1 mg (twice daily) dosage was equally effective as the 2 mg twice daily dosage. The majority of patients preferred the effervescent tablet formulation. CLINICALTRIALSGOV NUMBER: NCT02280616; EudraCT number, 2009-016692-29.

Common variants in the HLA-DQ region confer susceptibility to idiopathic achalasia.

Idiopathic achalasia is characterized by a failure of the lower esophageal sphincter to relax due to a loss of neurons in the myenteric plexus. This ultimately leads to massive dilatation and an irreversibly impaired megaesophagus. We performed a genetic association study in 1,068 achalasia cases and 4,242 controls and fine-mapped a strong MHC association signal by imputing classical HLA haplotypes and amino acid polymorphisms. An eight-residue insertion at position 227-234 in the cytoplasmic tail of HLA-DQß1 (encoded by HLA-DQB1*05:03 and HLA-DQB1*06:01) confers the strongest risk for achalasia (P=1.73×10(-19)). In addition, two amino acid substitutions in the extracellular domain of HLA-DQα1 at position 41 (lysine encoded by HLA-DQA1*01:03; P=5.60×10(-10)) and of HLA-DQß1 at position 45 (glutamic acid encoded by HLA-DQB1*03:01 and HLA-DQB1*03:04; P=1.20×10(-9)) independently confer achalasia risk. Our study implies that immune-mediated processes are involved in the pathophysiology of achalasia.

The endocannabinoid anandamide regulates the peristaltic reflex by reducing neuro-neuronal and neuro-muscular neurotransmission in ascending myenteric reflex pathways in rats.

BACKGROUND: Endocannabinoids (EC) and the cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptor are involved in the regulation of motility in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms are not completely resolved. The purpose of this work was to study the physiological influence of the endocannabinoid anandamide, the putative endogenous CB1 active cannabinoid, and of the CB1 receptor on ascending peristaltic activity and to identify the involved neuro-neuronal, neuro-muscular and electrophysiological mechanisms. METHODS: The effects of anandamide and the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A were investigated on contractions of the circular smooth muscle of rat ileum and in longitudinal rat ileum segments where the ascending myenteric part of the peristaltic reflex was studied in a newly designed organ bath. Additionally intracellular recordings were performed in ileum and colon. RESULTS: Anandamide significantly reduced cholinergic twitch contractions of ileum smooth muscle whereas SR141716A caused an increase. Anandamide reduced the ascending peristaltic contraction by affecting neuro-neuronal and neuro-muscular neurotransmission. SR141716A showed opposite effects and all anandamide effects were antagonized by SR141716A (1 µM). Anandamide reduced excitatory junction potentials (EJP) and inhibitory junction potentials (IJP), whereas intestinal slow waves were not affected. CONCLUSIONS: CB1 receptors regulate force and timing of the intestinal peristaltic reflex and these actions involve interneurons and motor-neurons. The endogenous cannabinoid anandamide mediates these effects by activation of CB1 receptors. The endogenous cannabinoid system is permanently active, suggesting the CB1 receptor being a possible target for the treatment of motility related disorders.