Herbal Medicines for the Treatment of Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Herbal medicines are used by patients with IBD despite limited evidence. We present a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating treatment with herbal medicines in active ulcerative colitis (UC). A search query designed by a library informationist was used to identify potential articles for inclusion. Articles were screened and data were extracted by at least two investigators. Outcomes of interest included clinical response, clinical remission, endoscopic response, endoscopic remission, and safety. We identified 28 RCTs for 18 herbs. In pooled analyses, when compared with placebo, clinical response rates were significantly higher for Indigo naturalis (IN) (RR 3.70, 95% CI 1.97-6.95), but not for Curcuma longa (CL) (RR 1.60, 95% CI 0.99-2.58) or Andrographis paniculata (AP) (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.71-1.26). There was a significantly higher rate of clinical remission for CL (RR 2.58, 95% CI 1.18-5.63), but not for AP (RR 1.31, 95% CI 0.86-2.01). Higher rates of endoscopic response (RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.08-2.26) and remission (RR 19.37, 95% CI 2.71-138.42) were significant for CL. CL has evidence supporting its use as an adjuvant therapy in active UC. Research with larger scale and well-designed RCTs, manufacturing regulations, and education are needed.

Prebiotics and Probiotics for Gastrointestinal Disorders.

The complex role of the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders is an emerging area of research, and there is considerable interest in understanding how diet can alter the composition and function of the microbiome. Prebiotics and probiotics have been shown to beneficially modulate the gut microbiome, which underlies their potential for benefit in GI conditions. Formulating specific recommendations for the public regarding these dietary supplements has been difficult due to the significant heterogeneity between strains, doses, and duration of treatment investigated across studies, as well as safety concerns with administering live organisms. This review aims to summarize the existing evidence for the use of prebiotics and probiotics in various GI disorders, paying special attention to strain-specific effects that emerged and any adverse effects noted.

Preventative and therapeutic potential of nutrition for inflammatory bowel diseases: A narrative review.

Diet strongly shapes the gut microbiome and metabolome, which in turn influence intestinal inflammation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Separate from inflammation and malnutrition, diet's direct interactions with the gastrointestinal system can also provoke or attenuate a host of nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms. Given these multifaceted effects of diet on inflammation and symptoms, nutrition has been investigated for its potential roles in the prevention and treatment of IBD. This review presents epidemiological, observational cohort, and clinical trial evidence that underlie our current understanding of nutrition for prevention and treatment of IBD.

Use of Biologics for the Treatment of Inflammatory Conditions of the Pouch: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Patients with medically-refractory ulcerative colitis or advanced neoplasia are often offered an ileal-pouch-anal anastomosis to restore bowel continuity. However, up to 50% of patients can suffer from inflammatory conditions of the pouch, some of which require biological therapy to treat. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of each biological agent for the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the pouch. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed in the major databases from inception through February 11, 2020, for studies assessing the efficacy of biologics in chronic antibiotic-refractory pouchitis (CARP) and Crohn's disease (CD) of the pouch. Both prospective and retrospective studies were included. The primary outcomes of interest were complete and partial responses were defined within each study. χ 2 test was used to compare variables. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Sixteen studies (N=247) evaluated the use of infliximab (IFX), showing complete response in 50.7% and partial response in 28.1% for CARP, and complete response in 66.7% and partial response in 20% for CD of the pouch. Seven studies (n=107) assessed the efficacy of adalimumab. For CARP, 33.3% of patients had a complete response, and 38.1% had a partial response, whereas for CD of the pouch, 47.7% experienced a complete response, and 24.6% had a partial response. Three studies (n=78) reported outcomes with the use of ustekinumab, showing 50% complete response and 3.8% partial response for CARP. For the CD of the pouch, 5.8% had a complete response and 78.8% had a partial response. Seven studies (n=151) reported the efficacy of vedolizumab, showing 28.4% complete response and 43.2% partial response in patients with CARP, whereas 63% of patients experienced partial response in CD of the pouch. IFX had higher rates of complete response in CARP compared with adalimumab ( P =0.04) and compared with vedolizumab ( P =0.005), but not compared with ustekinumab ( P =0.95). There were no new safety signals reported in any of the studies. CONCLUSIONS: Biologics are safe and efficacious in the treatment of chronic, refractory inflammatory conditions of the pouch. IFX seems to be more efficacious than adalimumab and vedolizumab for CARP. Further prospective, head-to-head evaluations are needed to compare biological therapies in the treatment of CARP and CD of the pouch.

Recent trends and risk factors associated with Clostridioides difficile infections in hospitalized patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) are common among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can mimic and exacerbate IBD flares, thus warranting appropriate testing during flares. AIMS: To examine recent trends in rates of CDI and associated risk factors in hospitalized IBD patients, which may better inform targeted interventions to mitigate the risk of infection. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis using the Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2010 to 2020 of hospitalized individuals with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). Longitudinal changes in rates of CDI were evaluated using International Classification of Diseases codes. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association between patient- and hospital-related factors and CDI. RESULTS: There were 2,521,935 individuals with IBD who were hospitalized at least once during the study period. Rates of CDI in IBD-related hospitalizations increased from 2010 to 2015 (CD: 1.64%-3.32%, p < 0.001; UC: 4.15%-5.81%, p < 0.001), followed by a steady decline from 2016 to 2020 (CD: 3.15%-2.27%, p < 0.001; UC: 5.04%-4.27%, p < 0.001). In multivariable models, CDI was associated with the Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index, public insurance, and hospital size. CDI was associated with increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of CDI among hospitalized patients with IBD had initially increased, but have declined since 2015. Increased comorbidity, large hospital size, public insurance, and urban teaching hospitals were associated with higher rates of CDI. CDI was associated with increased mortality in hospitalized patients with IBD. Continued vigilance, infection control, and treatment of CDI can help continue the trend of declining infection rates.

Longitudinal Trends in Pregnancy Outcomes Among Women With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in the Era of Biologics: A 20-Year Nationwide Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are diagnosed by their reproductive years. Prior literature suggests that women with IBD may be at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Biologics have revolutionized IBD treatment, and current evidence favors continuation during pregnancy. We sought to examine trends in pregnancy outcomes over 20 years with the evolution of IBD treatment. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample, IBD and non-IBD obstetric hospitalizations were identified between 1998 and 2018 using International Classification of Diseases 9 and 10 codes. Outcomes of interest included cesarean delivery, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia/eclampsia, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), preterm delivery, fetal growth restriction (FGR), fetal distress, and stillbirth. Stratified by Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), and non-IBD deliveries, temporal trends and multivariable logistic regression were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 48 986 CD patients, 30 998 UC patients, and 69 963,805 non-IBD patients. Between 1998 and 2018, CD deliveries increased from 3.3 to 12.9 per 10 000 deliveries (P < 0.001) and UC deliveries increased from 2.3 to 8.6 per 10 000 deliveries (P < 0.001). Cesarean deliveries, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia/eclampsia, PROM, FGR, and fetal distress increased over time for IBD and non-IBD women, while preterm deliveries decreased (P < 0.001). Multivariable analyses demonstrated that IBD patients had higher risk of cesarean delivery, preeclampsia/eclampsia, PROM, and preterm delivery compared with non-IBD patients. CONCLUSION: Over a 20-year period, live deliveries amongst women with IBD have increased. Trends in pregnancy outcomes have followed a similar trajectory in patients with and without IBD. However, there is still demonstrable risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with IBD.

In this study examining pregnancy trends over 20 years, the proportion of live deliveries amongst women with IBD increased steadily. Despite advances in treatment, we found that IBD still confers a higher risk for many adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Vitamin D for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D possesses immunomodulatory properties and has been implicated in the pathogenesis and severity of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Animal studies and emerging epidemiological evidence have demonstrated an association between vitamin D deficiency and worse disease activity. However, the role of vitamin D for the treatment of IBD is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the benefits and harms of vitamin D supplementation as a treatment for IBD. SEARCH METHODS: We used standard, extensive Cochrane search methods. The latest search date was Jun 2023. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in people of all ages with active or inactive IBD comparing any dose of vitamin D with another dose of vitamin D, another intervention, placebo, or no intervention. We defined doses as: vitamin D (all doses), any-treatment-dose vitamin D (greater than 400 IU/day), high-treatment-dose vitamin D (greater than 1000 IU/day), low-treatment-dose vitamin D (400 IU/day to 1000 IU/day), and supplemental-dose vitamin D (less than 400 IU/day). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcomes were 1. clinical response for people with active disease, 2. clinical relapse for people in remission, 3. quality of life, and 4. withdrawals due to adverse events. Our secondary outcomes were 5. disease activity at end of study, 6. normalisation of vitamin D levels at end of study, and 7. total serious adverse events. We used GRADE to assess certainty of evidence for each outcome. MAIN RESULTS: We included 22 RCTs with 1874 participants. Study duration ranged from four to 52 weeks. Ten studies enroled people with Crohn's disease (CD), five enroled people with ulcerative colitis (UC), and seven enroled people with CD and people with UC. Seventeen studies included adults, three included children, and two included both. Four studies enroled people with active disease, six enroled people in remission, and 12 enroled both. We assessed each study for risk of bias across seven individual domains. Five studies were at low risk of bias across all seven domains. Ten studies were at unclear risk of bias in at least one domain but with no areas of high risk of bias. Seven studies were at high risk of bias for blinding of participants and assessors. Vitamin D (all doses) versus placebo or no treatment Thirteen studies compared vitamin D against placebo or no treatment. We could not draw any conclusions on clinical response for UC as the certainty of the evidence was very low (risk ratio (RR) 4.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51 to 10.57; 1 study, 60 participants). There were no data on CD. There may be fewer clinical relapses for IBD when using vitamin D compared to placebo or no treatment (RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.96; 3 studies, 310 participants). The certainty of the evidence was low. We could not draw any conclusions on quality of life for IBD (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.13, 95% CI -3.10 to 2.83 (the SMD value indicates a negligent decrease in quality of life, and the corresponding CIs indicate that the effect can range from a large decrease to a large increase in quality of life); 2 studies, 243 participants) or withdrawals due to adverse events for IBD (RR 1.97, 95% CI 0.18 to 21.27; 12 studies, 1251 participants; note 11 studies reported withdrawals but recorded 0 events in both groups. Thus, the RR and CIs were calculated from 1 study rather than 12). The certainty of the evidence was very low. High-treatment-dose vitamin D versus low-treatment-dose vitamin D Five studies compared high treatment vitamin D doses against low treatment vitamin D doses. There were no data on clinical response. There may be no difference in clinical relapse for CD (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.23 to 1.01; 1 study, 34 participants). The certainty of the evidence was low. We could not draw any conclusions on withdrawals due to adverse events for IBD as the certainty of the evidence was very low (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.06 to 13.08; 3 studies, 104 participants; note 2 studies reported withdrawals but recorded 0 events in both groups. Thus, the RR and CIs were calculated from 1 study rather than 3). The data on quality of life and disease activity could not be meta-analysed, were of very low certainty, and no conclusions could be drawn. Any-treatment-dose vitamin D versus supplemental-dose vitamin D Four studies compared treatment doses of vitamin D against supplemental doses. There were no data on clinical response and relapse. There were no data on quality of life that could be meta-analysed. We could not draw any conclusions on withdrawals due to adverse events for IBD as the certainty of the evidence was very low (RR 3.09, 95% CI 0.13 to 73.17; 4 studies, 233 participants; note 3 studies reported withdrawals but recorded 0 events in both groups. Thus, the RR and CIs were calculated from 1 study rather than 4). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There may be fewer clinical relapses when comparing vitamin D with placebo, but we cannot draw any conclusions on differences in clinical response, quality of life, or withdrawals, due to very low-certainty evidence. When comparing high and low doses of vitamin D, there were no data for clinical response, but there may be no difference in relapse for CD. We cannot draw conclusions on the other outcomes due to very low certainty evidence. Finally, comparing vitamin D (all doses) to supplemental-dose vitamin D, there were no data on clinical relapse or response, and we could not draw conclusions on other outcomes due to very low certainty evidence or missing data. It is difficult to make any clear recommendations for future research on the basis of the findings of this review. Future studies must be clear on the baseline populations, the purpose of vitamin D treatment, and, therefore, study an appropriate dosing strategy. Stakeholders in the field may wish to reach consensus on such issues prior to new studies.

Use of oral diet and nutrition support in management of stricturing and fistulizing Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease (CD), a form of inflammatory bowel disease, involves chronic inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal strictures and fistulas are common complications of CD with varying severity in their presentations. Modifications in oral diet or use of exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) are common approaches to manage both stricturing and fistulizing disease, although supporting research evidence is generally limited. In the preoperative period, there is strong evidence that EEN can reduce surgical complications. Parenteral nutrition (PN) is often utilized in the management of enterocutaneous fistulas, given that oral diet and EEN may potentially increase output in proximal fistulas. This narrative review highlights the current practices and evidence for the roles of oral diet, EEN, and PN in treatment and management of stricturing and fistulizing CD.

Superior Efficacy of Infliximab Versus Adalimumab for First-Line Treatment of Crohn's Perianal Fistulae.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease perianal fistulae (CD-PAF) occur in 25% of patients and are notoriously challenging to manage. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors are first line agents. AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare infliximab (IFX) versus adalimumab (ADA) efficacy in CD-PAF healing over time. METHODS: A retrospective study at two large-tertiary medical centers was performed. Inclusion criteria were actively draining CD-PAF and initial treatment with IFX or ADA following CD-PAF diagnosis. The primary endpoints were perianal fistula response and remission at 6 and 12 months. Secondary endpoints included biologic persistence over time and dose escalation at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Among 151 patients included in the study, 92 received IFX and 59 received ADA as first line agents after CD-PAF diagnosis. At 6 months, the 64.9% of the IFX group and 34.8% of the ADA group demonstrated CD-PAF clinical improvement (p < 0.01). Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated significant differences among the IFX and ADA groups for clinical response at 6-months and 12-months (p = 0.002 and p = 0.042, respectively). There were no factors that predicted response, with the exception of concomitant immunomodulator affecting the 6-month clinical response (p = 0.021). Biologic persistence, characterized by Kaplan Meier methods, was significantly longer in the IFX group compared to the ADA group (Log-rank p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: IFX induction and maintenance is associated with higher rates of response and remission in CD-PAF healing as well as higher treatment persistence compared to ADA. Additionally, our study supports the use of concomitant immunomodulator therapy for CD-PAF healing and remission.

Machine Learning-based Characterization of Longitudinal Health Care Utilization Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with increased health care utilization. Forecasting of high resource utilizers could improve resource allocation. In this study, we aimed to develop machine learning models (1) to cluster patients according to clinical utilization patterns and (2) to predict longitudinal utilization patterns based on readily available baseline clinical characteristics. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of adults with IBD at 2 academic centers between 2015 and 2021. Outcomes included different clinical encounters, new prescriptions of corticosteroids, and initiation of biologic therapy. Machine learning models were developed to characterize health care utilization. Poisson regression compared frequencies of clinical encounters. RESULTS: A total of 1174 IBD patients were followed for more than 5673 12-month observational windows. The clustering method separated patients according to low, medium, and high resource utilizers. In Poisson regression models, compared with low resource utilizers, moderate and high resource utilizers had significantly higher rates of each encounter type. Comparing moderate and high resource utilizers, the latter had greater utilization of each encounter type, except for telephone encounters and biologic therapy initiation. Machine learning models predicted longitudinal health care utilization with 81% to 85% accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.84-0.90); these were superior to ordinal regression and random choice methods. CONCLUSION: Machine learning models were able to cluster individuals according to relative health care resource utilization and to accurately predict longitudinal resource utilization using baseline clinical factors. Integration of such models into the electronic medical records could provide a powerful semiautomated tool to guide patient risk assessment, targeted care coordination, and more efficient resource allocation.

Trends in the Prevalence of Hepatitis C Infection During Pregnancy and Maternal-Infant Outcomes in the US, 1998 to 2018.

Importance: Injection drug use is the primary risk factor for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in adults. More than one-third of newly reported HCV cases occur in women, particularly among persons aged 20 to 39 years. However, nationally representative data on HCV during pregnancy are limited. Objective: To estimate the temporal trend of HCV-positive pregnancies during the opioid epidemic and identify HCV-associated maternal and perinatal outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: A cross-sectional study was performed with data from the US, from calendar year 1998 through 2018. Data analysis was conducted from November 14, 2021, to May 14, 2023. Participants included women during in-hospital childbirth or spontaneous abortion in the National Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Exposure: Maternal HCV infection. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the temporal trend, measured as change in the annual prevalence, in the prevalence of HCV positivity among pregnant women since the start of the opioid epidemic in the late 1990s. Secondary outcomes were the associations shown as relative odds between maternal HCV infection and maternal and perinatal adverse events. Results: During the study period, more than 70 million hospital admissions resulted in childbirth or spontaneous abortion. Among them, 137 259 (0.20%; 95% CI, 0.19%-0.21%) involved mothers with HCV; these individuals were more often White (77.4%; 95% CI, 76.1%-78.6%), low-income (40.0%; 95% CI, 38.6%-41.5%), and likely to have histories of tobacco (41.7%; 95% CI, 40.6%-42.9%), alcohol (1.8%; 95% CI, 1.6%-2.0%), and opioid (28.9%; 95% CI, 27.3%-30.6%) use compared with HCV-negative mothers. The median age of women with HCV was 28.0 (IQR, 24.3-32.2) years, and the median age of HCV-negative women was 27.2 (IQR, 22.7-31.8) years. The prevalence of HCV-positive pregnancies increased 16-fold during the study period, reaching 5.3 (95% CI, 4.9-5.7) cases per 1000 pregnancies in 2018. Age-specific prevalence increases ranged from 3-fold (age, 41-50 years) to 31-fold (age, 21-30 years). Higher odds of cesarean delivery, preterm labor, poor fetal growth, or fetal distress were associated with HCV-positivity during pregnancy. However, no significant differences were observed in gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, eclampsia, or stillbirths. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence of HCV-positive pregnancies increased markedly, and maternal HCV infection was associated with increased risks for adverse perinatal outcomes. These data may support recent recommendations for universal HCV screening with each pregnancy.

Acute Liver Failure Guidelines.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a rare, acute, potentially reversible condition resulting in severe liver impairment and rapid clinical deterioration in patients without preexisting liver disease. Due to the rarity of this condition, published studies are limited by the use of retrospective or prospective cohorts and lack of randomized controlled trials. Current guidelines represent the suggested approach to the identification, treatment, and management of ALF and represent the official practice recommendations of the American College of Gastroenterology. The scientific evidence was reviewed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation process to develop recommendations. When no robust evidence was available, expert opinions were summarized using Key Concepts. Considering the variety of clinical presentations of ALF, individualization of care should be applied in specific clinical scenarios.

ACG Clinical Guideline: Diagnosis and Management of Biliary Strictures.

A biliary stricture is an abnormal narrowing in the ductal drainage system of the liver that can result in clinically and physiologically relevant obstruction to the flow of bile. The most common and ominous etiology is malignancy, underscoring the importance of a high index of suspicion in the evaluation of this condition. The goals of care in patients with a biliary stricture are confirming or excluding malignancy (diagnosis) and reestablishing flow of bile to the duodenum (drainage); the approach to diagnosis and drainage varies according to anatomic location (extrahepatic vs perihilar). For extrahepatic strictures, endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition is highly accurate and has become the diagnostic mainstay. In contrast, the diagnosis of perihilar strictures remains a challenge. Similarly, the drainage of extrahepatic strictures tends to be more straightforward and safer and less controversial than that of perihilar strictures. Recent evidence has provided some clarity in multiple important areas pertaining to biliary strictures, whereas several remaining controversies require additional research. The goal of this guideline is to provide practicing clinicians with the most evidence-based guidance on the approach to patients with extrahepatic and perihilar strictures, focusing on diagnosis and drainage.

Pneumococcal Vaccination Recommendation and Completion Rates Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Barriers to Vaccination.

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients receiving immunosuppression encouraged both the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). We aimed to evaluate which pneumococcal vaccines are recommended and administered, and to understand provider and IBD patient knowledge regarding pneumococcal vaccinations. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of 357 adult IBD patients on immunosuppression in our health care system. Patient demographics and clinical characteristics were collected. The primary outcome was rate of documented vaccinations recommended by providers; the secondary outcome was rate of receipt of the vaccines. We identified factors associated with receipt of any pneumococcal vaccine through multivariable logistic regression. We also performed provider and IBD patient surveys to understand provider and patient knowledge regarding pneumococcal vaccines. We used χ 2 and Fisher exact tests to assess survey responses. RESULTS: Fifty seven percent of IBD patients had any pneumococcal vaccination recommended and 35% had recommendations for both PPSV23 and PCV13. Forty percent received any pneumococcal vaccine and 18% received both vaccines. In multivariable analyses, increasing age (adjusted odds ratio: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05) was associated with receipt of any pneumococcal vaccine, after adjusting for gender, race, insurance, disease activity, and time seen in our gastroenterology clinics. In the survey study, on average, 59% of providers correctly answered questions regarding pneumococcal vaccination indications. CONCLUSION: In our health care system, while recommendation for any pneumococcal vaccination was >50%, receipt of both PPSV23 and PCV13 was low. Simplified vaccine regimens (ie, PCV20) will likely improve vaccination rates.

American College of Gastroenterology Guidelines Update: Diagnosis and Management of Celiac Disease.

This guideline presents an update to the 2013 American College of Gastroenterology Guideline on the Diagnosis and Management of Celiac Disease with updated recommendations for the evaluation and management of patients with celiac disease (CD). CD is defined as a permanent immune-mediated response to gluten present in wheat, barley, and rye. CD has a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations that resemble a multisystemic disorder rather than an isolated intestinal disease, and is characterized by small bowel injury and the presence of specific antibodies. Detection of CD-specific antibodies (e.g., tissue transglutaminase) in the serum is very helpful for the initial screening of patients with suspicion of CD. Intestinal biopsy is required in most patients to confirm the diagnosis. A nonbiopsy strategy for the diagnosis of CD in selected children is suggested and discussed in detail. Current treatment for CD requires strict adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) and lifelong medical follow-up. Most patients have excellent clinical response to a GFD. Nonresponsive CD is defined by persistent or recurrent symptoms despite being on a GFD. These patients require a systematic workup to rule out specific conditions that may cause persistent or recurrent symptoms, especially unintentional gluten contamination. Refractory CD is a rare cause of nonresponsive CD often associated with poor prognosis.

Impact of malnutrition and nutrition support in hospitalised patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has been associated with worse clinical outcomes. AIMS: This observational study examines trends in protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) amongst hospitalised IBD and non-IBD patients, and the association between (1) malnutrition and (2) nutrition support and hospitalisation outcomes. METHODS: We queried the Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2010 to 2018 for hospitalisations with and without IBD. Amongst patients with IBD and concurrent PCM, we identified those who received nutrition support. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards and Kaplan-Meier analyses evaluated the associations between PCM and nutrition support and readmission and mortality. Multiple linear regression described the association between compared variables and length of stay (LOS) and total hospitalisation costs. RESULTS: This study included 1,216,033 patients (1,820,023 hospitalisations) with Crohn's disease (CD), 832,931 patients (1,089,853 hospitalizations) with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 240,488,656 patients (321,220,427 hospitalisations) without IBD. Admitted IBD patients were 2.9-3.1 times more likely to have PCM than non-IBD patients. IBD patients with PCM had a higher risk of readmission and mortality, as well as longer LOS and higher hospitalisation costs. Nutrition support (parenteral and enteral) was associated with a reduced risk of readmission, but higher mortality increased LOS and higher total hospitalisation costs. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition in hospitalised IBD patients remains an important contributor to readmission, mortality, LOS and healthcare costs. Providing nutrition support to IBD patients may reduce the risk of readmission. Further studies are needed to evaluate the role of nutrition support amongst hospitalised IBD patients to optimise disease and healthcare outcomes.