The Effect of Intervention for Improving Colonoscopy Quality Is Associated with the Personality Traits of Endoscopists.

Background/Aims: This study investigated whether the personality traits of endoscopists are associated with the effect of interventions for the improvement of colonoscopy quality. Methods: This prospective, multicenter, single-blind study was performed with 13 endoscopists in three health screening centers over a 12-month period. Quality indicators (QIs), including adenoma detection rate (ADR), polyp detection rate (PDR), and withdrawal time, were measured every 3 months. Consecutive interventions for the improvement of colonoscopy quality were conducted every 3 months, which included the personal notification of QIs, the in-group notification of QIs, and finally a targeted "quality education" session. The personality traits of each endoscopist were evaluated for perfectionism, fear of negative evaluation, and cognitive flexibility after the last QI assessment. Results: A total of 4,095 colonoscopies were evaluated to measure the QIs of the individual endoscopists for 12 months. The mean ADR, PDR, and withdrawal time of the 13 endoscopists were 32.3%, 47.7%, and 394 seconds at baseline and increased to 39.0%, 55.1%, and 430 seconds by the end of the study (p=0.003, p=0.006, and p=0.004, respectively). Among the three interventions, only quality education significantly improved QIs: ADR, 36.0% to 39.0% (odds ratio, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.63). The improvement of ADR and PDR by education was significantly associated with perfectionism (r=0.617, p=0.033 and r=0.635, p=0.027, respectively) and fear of negative evaluation (r=0.704, p=0.011 and r=0.761, p=0.004, respectively). Conclusions: Education can improve colonoscopy quality, and its effect size is associated with an endoscopist's personal traits such as perfectionism and fear of negative evaluation (Clinical-Trials.gov Registry NCT03796169).

Mortality Risk Scoring System in Patients after Bleeding from Cancers in the Upper Gastrointestinal Tract.

Background/Aims: : Risk scoring systems for upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding have not been well validated for tumor bleeding. This study aimed to identify risk factors for mortality in patients with UGI cancer bleeding and to develop a predictive model. Methods: : Consecutive patients with UGI cancers who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy for suspected bleeding were retrospectively included. Patient characteristics, endoscopic findings and 30-day mortality were assessed. A predictive model was made based on risk factors for mortality using logistic regression, and the area under the curve (AUC) of this model was calculated. It was then compared with other risk scoring systems. Results: : In a total of 264 patients, 193 had tumor bleeding. Among them, 108 (56.0%), 76 (39.4%), and nine (4.7%) patients received conservative treatment, endoscopic therapy, and non-endoscopic hemostasis, respectively. Rebleeding occurred in 23 (21.3%), 26 (34.2%), and one (11.1%) patient(s), respectively. Our new model is composed of altered mental status, renal failure, rebleeding, age older than 65 years, and low serum albumin (all p<0.05). This model predicted 30-day mortality with an AUC of 0.79 (95% confidence interval, 0.72 to 0.86), which was significantly higher than AUCs of the Glasgow-Blatchford score, Rockall, and AIMS65 score (AUC=0.61, 0.64, and 0.69, respectively, all p<0.05). Conclusions: : Our new scoring system provides a better prediction of 30-day mortality than existing scoring systems in patients with UGI cancer bleeding. This new scoring system can be used to predict and prepare these patients who are known to have high mortality.

Factors influencing occurrence of metachronous gastric cancer after endoscopic resection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Metachronous gastric cancer (MGC) can occur after endoscopic resection for gastric cancer. Further studies on factors other than Helicobacter pylori infection are needed. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate risk factors for metachronous recurrence of endoscopically resected gastric cancer. METHODS: We searched medical literature published by February 2023 and identified patients with MGC after endoscopic resection for gastric cancer. The occurrence of MGC and the presence of intestinal metaplasia (IM), severe atrophic gastritis (AG), and H. pylori infection were quantitatively analyzed. RESULTS: We identified 2,755 patients from nine cohort studies who underwent endoscopic resection for gastric cancer by 2018. Those with severe AG or presence of IM had a significantly higher incidence of MGC than those without (RR 2.00, 95% CI 1.35-2.98, I2 = 52% for severe atrophy on antrum; RR 7.08, 95% CI 3.63-13.80, I2 = 0% for antral IM). Absolute risk difference of MGC occurrence was 7.1% in those with severe AG and 9.2% in those with IM. The difference in incidence rate per 1,000 person-years was 17.5 person-years for those with severe AG and 24.7 person-years for those with IM. However, H. pylori eradication did not significantly affect the occurrence of MGC (RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.88-1.59, I2 = 10%). CONCLUSION: Gastric cancer patients with severe AG or presence of IM had a 2.0-fold or 7.0-fold higher risk of MGC occurrence after endoscopic resection than those without, respectively. They need more stringent follow-up to monitor MGC occurrences (CRD42023410940).

Impact of Autoimmune Gastritis on Occurrence of Metachronous Gastric Neoplasms after Endoscopic Resection for Gastric Neoplasms.

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is characterized by antibody production against the gastric parietal cells, reducing the number of functional parietal cells. It is also associated with an increased susceptibility to gastric neuroendocrine tumors and gastric cancer. Endoscopic resection (ER) is an effective treatment for early gastric cancer; however, metachronous gastric neoplasms (MGN) can develop. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effect of AIG on the occurrence of MGN after ER for gastric neoplasms. We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent ER for gastric neoplasms. Patients with multiple lesions, recurrent lesions, or a history of partial gastrectomy were excluded. The presence of AIG was determined using anti-parietal cell antibody (APCA) testing. Follow-up endoscopy and metachronous tumor occurrence rates were compared between the AIG and non-AIG groups. Of the 569 patients, 282 underwent APCA testing and 20 (7.1%) were diagnosed with AIG. The incidence of MGN was significantly higher in the AIG group than in the non-AIG group (45.0% vs. 18.3%); however, the MGN occurrence pattern was similar between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that AIG (HR 3.32, 95% CI 1.55-7.10, p = 0.002) and a higher body mass index (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06-1.27, p = 0.002) were independent factors significantly associated with the occurrence of MGN. Patients with AIG have a higher risk of metachronous lesion occurrence after ER for gastric neoplasms. Positive results of APCA testing have independent clinical implications for predicting MGN. Proper monitoring and management are essential for early detection and treatment of recurrent lesions in patients with AIG.

Duodenal mucosal resurfacing with photodynamic therapy using methylene blue in a mouse model.

BACKGROUND: The duodenum has emerged as a key player in metabolic diseases. The objective was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intra-duodenal PDT using methylene blue in managing glycemic control and weight reduction. METHODS: Optimal concentration of methylene blue and conditions for intra-duodenal PDT were determined through in vitro experiments. After injecting methylene blue into the duodenum, we performed intra-duodenal PDT. High-fat diet rats were used to assess the efficacy of intra-duodenal PDT through measures of oral glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and weight change. Immunohistochemical staining was also conducted to examine GLP-1 and GIP-producing cells in the ileum and duodenum, respectively. RESULTS: Introduodenal PDT reduced villous height of duodenum at 48 h, which was fully recovered at 30 days without complications. Rats treated with PDT showed significantly lower blood glucose levels with glucose loading and improved insulin sensitivity than rats in the sham-treatment group. The PDT group also had a significant reduction in body weight compared to the sham-treatment group at 30 days after intervention, although food intake was not significantly different between the two groups. Numbers of GLP-1 and GIP producing cells in the ileum and irradiated area were significantly higher in the PDT group than in the sham-treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-duodenal PDT using methylene blue showed a feasible therapeutic modality in improving metabolic parameters. However, large animal experiments and mechanism studies are needed to determine the clinical relevance. The possibility of repeating this treatment every 30 days and its accompanying complications should be further studied.

Prognostic value of soluble PD-L1 and exosomal PD-L1 in advanced gastric cancer patients receiving systemic chemotherapy.

The prognostic role of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) and exosomal PD-L1 (exoPD-L1) in patients with gastric cancer (GC) receiving systemic chemotherapy remains unelucidated. Thus, we examined their prognostic significance in patients with advanced GC. Blood samples were obtained from 99 patients with advanced GC receiving first-line chemotherapy. Serum-derived exosomes were isolated by centrifugation and polymer precipitation. The correlation between serum-derived exoPD-L1, plasma sPD-L1, immune-related markers, and circulating immune cells was evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups according to pretreatment sPD-L1 and exoPD-L1 levels: low sPD-L1 and high sPD-L1 groups, low exoPD-L1 and high exoPD-L1 groups. Patients with low sPD-L1 level before treatment (< 9.32 pg/mL) showed significantly better overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) than those with high sPD-L1 level (≥ 9.32 pg/mL). The low exoPD-L1 group (< 10.21 pg/mL) showed a tendency of longer PFS than the high exoPD-L1 group (≥ 10.21 pg/mL). Pretreatment sPD-L1 was an independent prognostic factor for OS in multivariate analysis. exoPD-L1 was associated with systemic inflammation markers, immunomodulatory cytokines, and T cells, while sPD-L1 was associated with tumor markers. Pretreatment plasma-derived sPD-L1 level could be used as a prognostic marker for patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy. Serum-derived exoPD-L1 may reflect the immunosuppressive state of patients with advanced GC.

Aortic Wall Abrasion Caused by Needle Injury after Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration of a Mediastinal Hemangioma.

Benign mediastinal cysts are challenging to diagnose. Although Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS) and EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) can accurately diagnose mediastinal foregut cysts, little is known about their complications. This paper reports a rare case in which EUS-FNA performed on mediastinal hemangioma resulted in an aortic hematoma. A 29-year-old female patient was commissioned for EUS of an asymptomatic accidental mediastinal lesion. Chest CT revealed a 4.9×2.9×10.1 cm thin-walled cystic mass in the posterior mediastinum. EUS revealed a large, anechoic cystic lesion with a regular thin wall with negative Doppler. EUS-guided FNA was performed using a single-use 19-gauge aspiration needle (EZ Shot 3; Olympus, Tokyo, Japan), and approximately 70 cc of serous pinkish fluid was aspirated. The patient was in a stable condition with no signs of acute complication. One day after EUS-FNA, thoracoscopic resection for mediastinal mass was conducted. The purple and multi-loculated large cyst was removed. Upon removal, however, an aortic hematoma caused by a focal descending aortic wall injury was observed. After a few days of close observation, the patient was discharged upon stable 3D aorta angio CT findings. This paper reports a rare and severe complication of EUS-FNA, in which an aspiration needle caused a direct injury to the aorta. The injection must be performed carefully to avoid damaging the adjacent organs or digestive tract walls.

Accuracy of administrative claim data for gastric adenoma after endoscopic resection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Administrative databases provide valuable information for large-cohort studies. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an administrative database for resected gastric adenomas. METHODS: Data of patients who underwent endoscopic resection for benign gastric lesions were collected from three hospitals. Gastric adenoma cases were identified in the hospital database using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 10-codes. The non-adenoma group included patients without gastric adenoma codes. The diagnostic accuracy for gastric adenoma was analyzed based on the pathological reports of the resected specimen. RESULTS: Among 5,095 endoscopic resections with codes for benign gastric lesions, 3,909 patients were included in the analysis. Among them, 2,831 and 1,078 patients were allocated to the adenoma and non-adenoma groups, respectively. Regarding the overall diagnosis of gastric adenoma with ICD-10 codes, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 98.7%, 88.5%, 95.2%, and 96.8%, respectively. There were no significant differences in these parameters between the tertiary and secondary centers. CONCLUSION: Administrative codes of gastric adenoma, according to ICD-10 codes, showed good accuracy and can serve as a useful tool to study prognosis of these patients in real-world data studies in the future.

Efficacy and Safety of Fexuprazan in Patients with Acute or Chronic Gastritis.

Background/Aims: Fexuprazan is a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker that could be of benefit to patients with gastric mucosal injury. The aim of this study was to assess the 2-week efficacy and safety of fexuprazan in patients with acute or chronic gastritis. Methods: In this study, 327 patients with acute or chronic gastritis who had one or more gastric erosions on endoscopy and subjective symptoms were randomized into three groups receiving fexuprazan 20 mg once a day (q.d.), fexuprazan 10 mg twice a day (b.i.d.), or placebo for 2 weeks. The posttreatment assessments were the primary endpoint (erosion improvement rate), secondary endpoints (cure rates of erosion and edema and improvement rates of redness, hemorrhage, and subjective symptoms), and drug-related adverse events. Results: Among the patients, 57.8% (59/102), 65.7% (67/102), and 40.6% (39/96) showed erosion improvement 2 weeks after receiving fexuprazan 20 mg q.d., fexuprazan 10 mg b.i.d., and placebo, respectively. Both fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. showed superior efficacy to the placebo (p=0.017 and p<0.001, respectively). Likewise, both fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. also showed higher erosion healing rates than the placebo (p=0.033 and p=0.010, respectively). No difference was noted in the edema healing rate and the improvement rates for redness, hemorrhage, and subjective symptoms between the fexuprazan and placebo groups. No significant difference was noted in the incidence of adverse drug reactions. Conclusions: Fexuprazan 20 mg q.d. and 10 mg b.i.d. for 2 weeks showed therapeutic efficacy superior to that of placebo in patients with acute or chronic gastritis (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04341454).

Tumor heterogeneity and carcinoma in resected specimens of gastric low-grade dysplasia: A retrospective single center study.

Lesions diagnosed as gastric low-grade dysplasia (LGD) may be pathologically upgraded to early gastric cancer (EGC) or high-grade dysplasia (HGD) after endoscopic resection (ER). In this study, we investigated the risk factors for pathological upgrades after ER and assessed the reason for these upgrades by retrospectively analyzing ER data between January 1999 and December 2019. We enrolled patients with LGD confirmed by forceps biopsy; the patients were classified into pathologically concordant (LGD) and upgraded (HGD and EGC) groups according to the pathology of their resected specimen. To determine the risk factors for upgrade, we compared the endoscopic findings of the concordant and upgraded groups via 1:1 matched case-control design. To find the reasons for discordance, all upgraded cases were pathologically re-evaluated. Among 1,643 cases of LGD, pathological upgrades were observed in 423 (25.7%) resected specimens and EGC was found in 111 (6.7%) lesions. After matching the upgraded and concordant cases, lesion sizes exceeding 1.5 cm (odds ratio (OR): 1.8; 95% CI: 1.1-3.0), mucosal nodularity (OR: 10.8; 95% CI: 5.6-21.0), heterogeneous color (OR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.7-5.3), presence of erosion (OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.8-5.3), and open-type gastric atrophy (OR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.7-4.9) were noted to be significantly associated with upgraded pathology to EGC. Among the EGC cases, 99 (89.2%) were found to have pre-existing dysplasia. In conclusion, endoscopic evaluations should be performed because of possible pathological upgrades and co-existence of carcinomas in LGDs, especially when they exhibit surface nodularity, erosion, heterogeneous color, and large size.

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Control, Noninferiority, Multicenter, Phase 4 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Esomeprazole/Sodium Bicarbonate 20/800 mg in Patients with Nonerosive Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

Background/Aims: Efficacy of proton pump inhibitors is limited in patients with nonerosive reflux disease (NERD). The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the efficacy and safety of esomeprazole with sodium bicarbonate and esomeprazole alone. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, noninferiority comparative study. A total of 379 patients with NERD were randomly allocated to receive either EsoduoⓇ (esomeprazole 20 mg with sodium bicarbonate 800 mg) or NexiumⓇ (esomeprazole 20 mg) once daily for 4 weeks from January 2019 to December 2019. The patients had a history of heartburn for at least 2 days in the week before randomization as well as in the last 3 months and no esophageal mucosal breaks on endoscopy. The primary endpoint was a complete cure of heartburn at week 4. The secondary and exploratory endpoints as well as the safety profiles were compared in the groups at weeks 2 and 4. Results: A total of 355 patients completed the study (180 in the EsoduoⓇ group and 175 in the NexiumⓇ group). The proportions of patients without heartburn in the entire 4th week of treatment were not different between the two groups (33.33% in the EsoduoⓇ group and 35% in the NexiumⓇ group, p=0.737). There were no significant differences in most of the secondary and exploratory endpoints as well as the safety profiles. Conclusions: EsoduoⓇ is as effective and safe as NexiumⓇ for managing typical symptoms in patients with NERD (ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT03928470).

Efficacy of bougie dilation for normal diet in benign esophageal stricture.

OBJECTIVES: Bougination is one of the first-line treatments in benign esophageal stricture (BES). The aim of the study was to identify clinical and endoscopic factors affecting the achievement of a normal diet with only bougie dilation in patients with BES. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients treated with only bougination for BES at three hospitals were retrospectively investigated. Data including patient demographics, stricture and procedural characteristics were collected. Clinical success was defined as normal diet without additional procedures for two months after bougination. Clinical success rate and associated factors were assessed. RESULTS: A total of 121 patients with BES were included. The most common cause of BES was post-operative stricture (n = 55). Finally, 43 (36%) patients were able to eat a normal diet with only bougination. Of these patients, 42 (97.7%) achieved clinical success in the first three sessions or less. Among causes of stenosis, corrosive injury had the lowest success rate (9/40, 22.5%). Clinical success rate was significantly higher for those with the length of stricture of less than 2 cm (47.2%), those with pre-procedural dysphagia of semi-solid or soft diet (51.3%) and those with dilation of 13 mm or more (46.1%). However, the duration of symptom, the number of previous endoscopic treatments and the location of stenosis were not related to clinical success. CONCLUSIONS: Normal diet is possible in one-third of BES after bougination alone. Predictable factors for achieving a normal diet were less than four sessions of dilation, short length of stricture, pre-procedural dysphagia status and diameter of dilator.

Randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of fexuprazan compared with esomeprazole in erosive esophagitis.

BACKGROUND: Fexuprazan, a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker, reversibly suppresses the K+/H+-ATPase enzyme in proton pumps within gastric parietal cells. Fexuprazan's suppression of gastric acid was maintained in healthy individuals for 24 h in a dose-dependent manner. AIM: To compare fexuprazan to esomeprazole and establish its efficacy and safety in patients with erosive esophagitis (EE). METHODS: Korean adult patients with endoscopically confirmed EE were randomized 1:1 to receive fexuprazan 40 mg or esomeprazole 40 mg once daily for eight weeks. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with healed EE confirmed by endoscopy at week 8. The secondary endpoints included the healing rate of EE at week 4, symptom response, and quality of life assessment. Safety profiles and serum gastrin levels were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Of the 263 randomized, 218 completed the study per protocol (fexuprazan 40 mg, n = 107; esomeprazole 40 mg, n = 111). Fexuprazan was non-inferior to esomeprazole regarding the healing rate at week 8 [99.1% (106/107) vs 99.1% (110/111)]. There were no between-group differences in the EE healing rate at week 4 [90.3% (93/103) vs 88.5% (92/104)], symptom responses, and quality of life assessments. Additionally, serum gastrin levels at weeks 4 and 8 and drug-related side effects did not significantly differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Fexuprazan 40 mg is non-inferior to esomeprazole 40 mg in EE healing at week 8. We suggest that fexuprazan is an alternative promising treatment option to PPIs for patients with EE.

Collagenous Gastoduodenitis in the Form of a Gastric Ulcer.

Collagenous gastroduodenitis is a rare gastrointestinal disease diagnosed histologically by subepithelial collagen deposition in the lamina propria. Its clinical presentation is diverse. The authors encountered a 17-year-old female patient who complained of epigastric pain. Endoscopy revealed several deep ulcers in the gastric body. The gastric mucosa around the ulcer showed diffuse fine nodularity in the shape of cobblestones with open-type atrophy. The duodenal mucosa showed nodular lesions similar to those of the gastric mucosa. The gastric ulcer healed completely with proton pump inhibitor treatment. The patient was followed up, showing no remarkable mucosal change of stomach or duodenum for several years. Collagenous gastroduodenitis was diagnosed by repeated histologic examinations. This paper reports a rare case of chronic collagen gastritis with deep gastric ulcer and its long-term clinical progress.

Factors associated with the risk of colorectal neoplasia in young adults under age 40.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent epidemiologic studies have shown a continued increase in colorectal cancer incidence among younger adults. Little is known about the factors that contribute to the development of young-onset colorectal neoplasia (CRN). METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed for individuals younger than 40 years who underwent colonoscopy in Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and its affiliated health screening center. High-risk CRN was defined as adenoma or sessile serrated lesion ≥ 10 mm, with three or more adenomas, villous histology, high grade dysplasia, or carcinoma. RESULTS: Of these 13,621 included participants, 2,023 (14.9%) had one and more CRN. Young patients with CRN tended to be elderly, male, obese, smoker, having a habit of drinking, and having comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. In a multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, obesity, smoking status, and alcohol intake, old age (odds ratio [OR], 1.086; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.054 to 1.119), male sex (OR, 1.748; 95% CI, 1.247 to 2.451), obesity (OR, 1.439; 95% CI, 1.133 to 1.828), and smoking (OR, 1.654; 95% CI, 1.287 to 2.127) were independent risk factors for overall CRN. Obesity and smoking as two modifiable factors increased the risk for high-risk CRN even more than for overall CRN (OR, 1.734; 95% CI, 1.168 to 2.575 and OR, 1.797; 95% CI, 1.172 to 2.753, respectively). CONCLUSION: Obesity and smoking were modifiable risk factors for CRN in young adults. They increased the risk for highrisk CRN even more than for overall CRN. A colonoscopy might be beneficial for young individuals with these factors.

Kyoto international consensus report on anatomy, pathophysiology and clinical significance of the gastro-oesophageal junction.

OBJECTIVE: An international meeting was organised to develop consensus on (1) the landmarks to define the gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ), (2) the occurrence and pathophysiological significance of the cardiac gland, (3) the definition of the gastro-oesophageal junctional zone (GOJZ) and (4) the causes of inflammation, metaplasia and neoplasia occurring in the GOJZ. DESIGN: Clinical questions relevant to the afore-mentioned major issues were drafted for which expert panels formulated relevant statements and textural explanations.A Delphi method using an anonymous system was employed to develop the consensus, the level of which was predefined as ≥80% of agreement. Two rounds of voting and amendments were completed before the meeting at which clinical questions and consensus were finalised. RESULTS: Twenty eight clinical questions and statements were finalised after extensive amendments. Critical consensus was achieved: (1) definition for the GOJ, (2) definition of the GOJZ spanning 1 cm proximal and distal to the GOJ as defined by the end of palisade vessels was accepted based on the anatomical distribution of cardiac type gland, (3) chemical and bacterial (Helicobacter pylori) factors as the primary causes of inflammation, metaplasia and neoplasia occurring in the GOJZ, (4) a new definition of Barrett's oesophagus (BO). CONCLUSIONS: This international consensus on the new definitions of BO, GOJ and the GOJZ will be instrumental in future studies aiming to resolve many issues on this important anatomic area and hopefully will lead to better classification and management of the diseases surrounding the GOJ.

Infectious events after endoscopic procedures in patients with neutropenia and hematologic diseases.

BACKGROUND: Few studies evaluated the post-endoscopic adverse events in patients with neutropenia. We investigated the development of infectious events after endoscopic procedures in neutropenic patients with hematologic diseases. METHODS: Patients with neutropenia and hematologic diseases who underwent endoscopic procedures were enrolled. Neutropenia was defined as an absolute neutrophil count < 1500 cells/mm3 and its severity was subdivided as mild, moderate (< 1000 cells/mm3), and severe (< 500 cells/mm3). Infectious events were defined as fever or bacteremia within 7 days after endoscopy. We assessed the development and risk factors of infectious events after endoscopic procedures. RESULTS: We identified 528 procedures in 479 patients (51.0 ± 1.0 years). Antibiotics were used in 455 (95.0%) cases within 3 days of endoscopy. Infectious events were observed in 154 patients (32.2%): 22.9% in mild, 29.5% in moderate, and 43.1% in severe neutropenia. Fever developed in 147 cases (30.7%). Among patients with blood culture studies (n = 267), bacteremia was found in 22 cases (8.2%). In univariate analysis, patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, poor performance status, severe neutropenia, non-use of immunosuppressive drugs, and without history of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and colony-stimulating factor use were positively correlated with infectious events. Poor performance status was the strongest factor for the development of infectious events in multivariate analysis (OR 10.3; 95% CI 4.4-23.3; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Procedural invasiveness and severity of neutropenia did not appear to affect infectious events after endoscopic procedure with the use of antibiotics. Neutropenic patients who have poor performance status require careful evaluation for appropriate indications of endoscopic evaluation.

Assessment of Cimetropium Bromide Use for the Detection of Gastric Neoplasms During Esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Importance: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is a common procedure used to examine upper gastrointestinal diseases. Although cimetropium bromide and other antispasmodic agents are commonly administered as premedication to inhibit peristalsis during EGD examination, there are few data regarding the benefits of cimetropium bromide for the detection of gastric neoplasms. Objective: To investigate the association between the use of cimetropium bromide as premedication and gastric neoplasm detection rates during EGD examination. Design, Setting, and Participants: This propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study included 67 683 participants who received EGD screening at the Health Promotion Center of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, from January 2, 2010, to June 30, 2017. Data were analyzed from April 1 to December 30, 2021. Exposures: Participants were divided into 2 groups: those who received cimetropium bromide before EGD examination (intervention group) and those who did not (control group). Main Outcomes and Measures: Gastric neoplasm detection rates. Results: Among 67 683 participants, the mean (SD) age was 48.6 (10.8) years, and 36 517 participants (54.0%) were male; all participants were Asian (a racially homogenous population). Of those, 28 280 participants (41.8%; mean [SD] age, 50.3 [10.6] years; 57.8% male) received cimetropium bromide, and 39 403 participants (58.2%; mean [SD] age, 47.4 [10.8] years; 51.2% male) did not. Propensity score matching based on confounding variables yielded 41 670 matched participants (20 835 pairs). Detected lesions included 52 dysplasias (0.12%), 40 early cancers (0.10%), 7 advanced cancers (0.02%), and 3 lymphomas (0.01%). Gastric neoplasm detection rates were significantly higher in the intervention group (63 participants [0.30%]) vs the control group (39 participants [0.19%]; P = .02). A significant difference in the combined detection rate of dysplasia and early gastric cancer was found between those in the intervention group (57 participants [0.27%]) vs the control group (35 participants [0.17%]; P = .02). For small gastric lesions (<1 cm), those who received cimetropium bromide had higher detection rates (24 participants [0.12%]) than those who did not (11 participants [0.05%]; P = .03). Lesions in the gastric body were detected significantly more often in the intervention group (34 participants [0.16%]) vs the control group (15 participants [0.07%]; P = .007). In multivariate analyses involving all 67 683 participants, the use of cimetropium bromide was more likely to detect gastric neoplasms compared with nonuse (odds ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.04-1.95; P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, the use of cimetropium bromide as premedication was significantly associated with increased gastric neoplasm detection rates during EGD screening, and lesions in the gastric body were detected more frequently among those who received cimetropium bromide compared with those who did not. These findings suggest that cimetropium bromide may be considered as premedication before EGD examination among individuals with no contraindications.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Korea.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a highly efficacious and safe modality for the treatment of recurrent or refractory Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), with overall success rates of 90%. Thus, FMT has been widely used for 10 years. The incidence and clinical characteristics of CDI, the main indication for FMT, differ between countries. To date, several guidelines have been published. However, most of them were published in Western countries and therefore cannot represent the Korean national healthcare systems. One of the barriers to performing FMT is a lack of national guidelines. Accordingly, multidisciplinary experts in this field have developed practical guidelines for FMT. The purpose of these guidelines is to aid physicians performing FMT, which can be adapted to treat CDI and other conditions.

Development and Validity Assessment of a Self-evaluation Questionnaire for Functional Dyspepsia: A Multicenter Prospective Study in Korea.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are essential for clinical decision making, conduction of clinical research, and drug application acquisition in functional gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study is to develop a PRO instrument and to determine the respondents' perception of the efficacy of therapeutic agents for functional dyspepsia (FD). METHODS: A self-evaluation questionnaire for dyspepsia (SEQ-DYSPEPSIA) was developed and validated through a structured process. The 2-week reproducibility was evaluated, and the construct validity was assessed by correlating the scores of SEQ-DYSPEPSIA (including typical and major FD symptom subscales). Finally, the response to medication was assessed by comparing the changes after 4 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 193 Korean patients (age 48.5 ± 13.6 years, 69.4% women) completed the questionnaire. SEQ-DYSPEPSIA with 11 items had a good internal consistency (alpha = 0.770-0.905) and an acceptable test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.733-0.859). The self-evaluation questionnaire (SEQ)-major FD score highly correlated with the postprandial fullness/early satiety domain of the Patient Assessment of Gastrointestinal Symptom Severity Index (correlation coefficient r = 0.741, P < 0.001), Nepean Dyspepsia Index-Korean version (NDI-K) (r = 0.839, P < 0.001), and NDI-K quality of life (r = -0.275 to -0.344, P < 0.001). After medical treatment, decrease in the SEQ-typical FD and SEQ-major FD was significantly greater in the responder group than in nonresponder group (P = 0.019 and P = 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the Korean version of SEQ-DYSPEPSIA has good reliability and validity, and can be a useful PRO measurement tool in patients with FD.