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November 2011 Briefing - Gastroenterology

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for November 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

IL-2 Tied to Regulatory T-Cell Expansion in Graft-Versus-Host

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Daily low-dose interleukin-2 is safe and induces regulatory T (Treg) cell expansion with suppression of clinical manifestations in patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and is also associated with Treg recovery and clinical improvement in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced vasculitis, according to two studies published in the Dec. 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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U.S. Patients Highly Satisfied With Outpatient Medical Care

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Patients in the United States are, in general, highly satisfied with their outpatient medical care, according to a study published online Oct. 3 in Health Outcomes Research in Medicine.

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Opioid Rx for Chronic Abdominal Pain Up Over Last Decade

TUESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The prevalence of opioid prescriptions for chronic abdominal pain more than doubled between 1997 and 2008 in the United States, with prescriptions most common for patients aged 25 to 40 years, according to a study published in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

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NSAID, Statin Use Cuts Cancer Risk in Barrett's Esophagus

TUESDAY, Nov. 29 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with Barrett's esophagus, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and statins reduces the risk of neoplastic progression, with combined use giving additional protection, according to a study published in the December issue of Gastroenterology.

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High-Performing Docs Learn Equally From Success, Failure

MONDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Among physicians making decisions in a medically-framed learning task, high and low performers show distinct behavioral and neural patterns of learning, according to a study published online Nov. 23 in PLoS One.

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Substance Abuse Health Programs Benefit Surgeons

FRIDAY, Nov. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Surgeons being monitored for diagnosed substance use disorders have similar outcomes to their non-surgeon counterparts, according to a study published in the November issue of the Archives of Surgery.

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Staggered Acetaminophen Overdose Tied to Poor Outcome

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Staggered acetaminophen overdose and delayed presentation after overdose are associated with adverse outcomes, according to a study published online Nov. 23 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

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BMI Predicts 30-Day Post-Surgery Mortality Risk

TUESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Body mass index (BMI) is a significant predictor of 30-day mortality after surgical procedures, irrespective of the type of surgery, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in the Archives of Surgery.

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Oliguria in Bariatric Surgery Not Tied to Intra-Op Fluids

TUESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Morbidly obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery have low urine output, irrespective of the intraoperative fluid volume administered, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in the Archives of Surgery.

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Black Patients Have Worse Diverticulitis Surgery Outcomes

TUESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Black patients who undergo surgery for diverticulitis have a higher risk of undergoing emergency procedures, and an increased mortality risk than white patients, according to a study published in the November issue of the Archives of Surgery.

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Plasma MicroRNA Panel ID'd for Diagnosing Hepatocellular Cancer

TUESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be diagnosed with high accuracy using a microRNA panel, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Adverse Effects of Pediatric Acupuncture Usually Mild

MONDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of adverse effects (AEs) associated with pediatric acupuncture are mild in severity, according to a review published online Nov. 21 in Pediatrics.

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Nonpunitive Method Improves Medical Error Reporting

MONDAY, Nov. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Medical error reporting in an academic pediatric ambulatory practice can be improved by a voluntary, nonpunitive, error-reporting system, according to a study published online Nov. 21 in Pediatrics.

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Hospital Readmission Common Post-Colorectal Surgery

FRIDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- For patients who undergo colorectal surgery, 30- and 90-day readmissions are common, and cost an average of $8,885 per stay, according to a study published in the December issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum.

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Patients Without Insurance Have Shorter Hospital Stays

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Patients without Medicaid or any other insurance, with ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSCs) or non-ACSCs, have shorter lengths of stay in hospitals than patients with insurance, according to a study published in the November/December issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

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Extended TNM Colon Cancer Staging Ups Prognostic Accuracy

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The prognostic accuracy and sensitivity of the seventh edition American Joint Committee on Cancer's (AJCC's) tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) staging for colon cancer is improved by inclusion of routinely available demographic and pathologic data, according to a study published online Nov. 14 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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CRC Screening Participation Up With CT Colonography

TUESDAY, Nov. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Participation rates for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening are significantly higher with computed-tomography (CT) colonography, but the diagnostic yield for advanced neoplasia among participants is higher in those who undergo colonoscopy, according to a study published online Nov. 15 in The Lancet Oncology.

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Anterior Cervical Surgery Ups GERD Incidence, Severity

FRIDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence and severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients undergoing anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) is higher than that of patients undergoing posterior lumbar decompression, according to a study published in the Nov. 15 issue of Spine.

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About 15,000 Intentional Poisoning ER Visits in 2009

FRIDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- In 2009, there were an estimated 14,720 emergency department visits due to intentional drug poisoning, with alcohol and drug combinations involved in 60 percent of these cases, according to a report published online Nov. 3 by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

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Evidence Shows Certain Dietary Fiber Intake Lowers CRC Risk

FRIDAY, Nov. 11 (HealthDay News) -- High intake of dietary fibers, in particular cereals and whole grains, is associated with a small reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer, according to a meta-analysis published online Nov. 10 in the BMJ.

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FDA: Manufacturer Recalls Operating Room Tables

THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Mizuho OSI Modular Table Systems are the subject of a class I recall following reports of patient injury, according to a recall notice issued Nov. 9 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Half of U.S. Adult Smokers Tried to Quit Last Year

THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The majority of adults who smoke would like to quit, but only about a third of them seek medical help and/or support to do so, according to research published in the Nov. 11 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report.

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Glove Use Linked to Reduced Hand Hygiene Compliance

THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Glove usage among healthcare workers is often inappropriate, and hand hygiene compliance is worse when gloves are worn, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

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Alcoholic Hepatitis Combo Meds Don't Help Six-Month Survival

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with severe acute alcoholic hepatitis, prednisolone plus N-acetylcysteine therapy does not improve six-month survival, but early liver transplant after a first episode of severe alcoholic hepatitis not responding to medical therapy does, according to two studies published in the Nov. 10 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Wait-and-See Policy Feasible for Some With Rectal Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- For patients who have complete clinical response (cCR) following chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer, a wait-and-see-policy is feasible and promising if strict selection criteria and follow-up are implemented, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Adjuvant Bevacizumab Feasible in Ovarian Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Addition of bevacizumab to first-line intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy is feasible in ovarian cancer but increases the risk of bowel obstruction/perforation, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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Great Achievement at Young Age Function of Time, Not Field

MONDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The frequency of great scientific achievements at young age is a function of time, and not related to the field, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Lab Variables Predict Clinical Outcomes in Hepatitis C

MONDAY, Nov. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Clinical outcomes of patients with advanced hepatitis C can be predicted by models using baseline values of routine laboratory variables along with magnitude of change in their values over time, according to a study published in the November issue of Hepatology.

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Renin-Angiotensin Systems Tied to Obesity

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Both the systemic and adipose tissue renin-angiotensin systems (RASs) are associated with obesity and insulin resistance, according to research published online Oct. 31 in Obesity Reviews.

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FDA Enhancing Surveillance for Anti-TNF Malignancy

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is stepping up their safety surveillance of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, such as infliximab and adalimumab, amidst ongoing reports of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in children and young adults, according to a safety alert issued Nov. 4 by the agency.

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Receptionists Contribute to Safety of Repeat Prescriptions

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Receptionists and administrative staff of general practices in the United Kingdom make important contributions to quality and safety in repeat prescribing, which are often unknown to clinicians, according to a study published online Nov. 3 in BMJ.

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Hepatitis C Birth Cohort Screening is Cost-Effective

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Birth cohort screening can be a cost-effective strategy to identify individuals infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to a study published online Nov. 4 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Rooms of Patients With A. baumannii Often Contaminated

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of rooms of patients colonized or infected with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) (MDR-AB) have surfaces which are positive for A. baumannii, even in patients with a remote history of infection, according to a study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

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ADT Plus Radiotherapy Tied to Improved Prostate CA Survival

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of radiotherapy (RT) to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is associated with improved overall survival in patients with locally advanced prostate cancer, according to a study published online Nov. 3 in The Lancet.

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Risks for C. difficile Infection, Colonization Identified

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Health care-associated Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection and colonization are differentially associated with defined host and pathogen variables, according to a study published in the Nov. 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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No Medicare Savings From Disease-Management Hotline

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Commercial disease-management companies using nurse-based call centers modestly improve quality-of-care measures in Medicare fee-for-service programs with no evident reduction in costs of care or acute care utilization, according to a study published in the Nov. 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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C1 Esterase Inhibitor Effective in Hereditary Angioedema

THURSDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A single dose of 20 U/kg C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) concentrate is safe and effective for treatment of successive hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks at any body location, according to a study published in the December issue of Allergy.

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CDC: Opioid Overdoses Have Reached Epidemic Proportions

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Opioid pain relievers (OPR) are involved in most drug overdose deaths; and OPR-related deaths, sales, and treatment admissions have increased in the last decade, according to a report published in the Nov. 1 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Solid Organ Transplantation Tied to Increased Risk of Cancer

TUESDAY, Nov. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Recipients of kidney, liver, heart, or lung transplants are at an increased risk for both infection-related and unrelated cancers, according to a study published in the Nov. 2 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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