Epidemiological and clinical profile of irritable bowel syndrome in India: report of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology Task Force.

AIMS: To study the profile of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and the frequency of such symptoms among the general population, in India. METHODS: In this prospective, multi-center study, data were obtained from 2785 patients with chronic lower gastrointestinal symptoms (complainants) with no alarm feature and negative investigations for organic causes visiting physicians at 30 centers, and from 4500 community subjects (non-complainants), using separate questionnaires. RESULTS: Most complainants were middle-aged (mean age 39.4 years) and male (1891; 68%). The common symptoms were: abdominal pain or discomfort (1958; 70%), abdominal fullness (1951; 70%); subjective feeling of constipation (1404 of 2656; 53%), or diarrhea (1252 of 2656, 47%), incomplete evacuation (2134; 77%), mucus with stools (1506; 54%), straining at stools (1271; 46%), epigastric pain (1364; 49%) and milk intolerance (906; 32%). Median stool frequency was similar in patients who felt they had constipation or those who felt they had diarrhea. Information to subtype symptoms using standard criteria was available in 1301 patients; of these, 507 (39%) had constipation-predominant IBS ( 3 3 stools/day) and 744 (57%) had indeterminate symptoms. Among non-complainants, most subjects reported daily defecation frequency of one (2520 [56%]) or two (1535 [34%]). Among non-complainants, 567 (12.6%) reported abdominal pain, 503 (11%) irregular bowel, 1030 (23%) incomplete evacuation, 167 (4%) mucus and 846 (18%) straining at stools; a combination of abdominal pain or discomfort relieved by defecation, and incomplete evacuation was present in 189/4500 (4.2%) community subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Most patients with IBS in India are middle-aged men, and have a sense of incomplete evacuation and mucus with stools. Abdominal pain or discomfort is frequent but not universal. Importantly, stool frequency was similar irrespective of whether the patients felt having constipation or diarrhea. Most (90%) non-complainant subjects had 1 or 2 stools per day; symptoms complex suggestive of IBS was present in 4.2% of community subjects.

Erythema annulare centrifugum following pancreatico-biliary surgery.

Annular erythemas are distinct cutaneous eruptions associated with a variety of causes. Occurrence of erythema annulare centrifugum, a variant of annular erythemas, in the immediate post-operative period in a patient with surgical intervention in the gall bladder and pancreas region is being described for the first time. Its probable association with surgical trauma is discussed.

The effect of sedation during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

BACKGROUND/AIM: We aimed to study whether sedation reduces discomfort during endoscopy and a comparison of longer-acting diazepam with shorter-acting midazolam. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, randomized, single-blinded study was conducted at the Department of Medicine at Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, and was completed over a period of 6 months. The patients were randomized to receive either placebo or sedation with midazolam or diazepam before endoscopy. The endoscopist and the observer recording patient's/physician's responses were blinded to the drugs administered. Two hundred and fifty two consecutive patients undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were recruited. The patient's discomfort and the physician's comfort during the procedure were recorded on a visual analogue scale rated from 1-10 with-in 10 minutes of the procedure by an independent observer. The Patient's discomfort ratings were further divided into 3 groups, comfortable (score, 1-3), satisfactory (score, 4-7) and uncomfortable (a score of >7). Similarly the physician's ease of performing the procedure was also recorded on the same scale. This was again divided into 3 groups: easy (score, 1-3), satisfactory (score, 4-7) and difficult (a score of >7). RESULTS: Out of the total of 252 patients, 82 patients received no sedation (group I), 85 received diazepam (group II) and 85 received midazolam (group III). There was no statistical difference in the discomfort experienced by the patients during endoscopy when sedation was used (P=0.0754). Out of 252 patients, 49 underwent endoscopic procedures. Nineteen patients were included in group I, 18 in group II and 12 in group III. Only 10 (20%) patients undergoing endoscopic procedures complained of significant discomfort, but there was no difference in the ones undergoing interventions with or without sedation (P=0.854). The physicians were more comfortable in performing endoscopic procedure in sedated patients, however, the difference between patients in group II and group III was not statistically significant (P=0.0461). Both diazepam and midazolam fared equally well in increasing physician's comfort (P=0.617). CONCLUSION: There was no difference in the patient's discomfort with regard to the sedative used (midazolam or diazepam). Although endoscopy was easy or satisfactory in the majority of patients in the unsedated as well as the sedated groups, more often the endoscopist found it difficult to do endoscopy on the unsedated patients.