Advanced Endoscopic Tools

Author(s):  
Eleanor C. Fung

AbstractThe advent and success of therapeutic endoscopy has expanded the utilization of endoscopy as an effective alternative to surgical intervention in some cases with decreased morbidity, improved outcomes, and shortened length of hospital stay. Gastrointestinal bleeding, perforations, leaks, fistulas, and strictures have become increasingly managed by endoscopy with the evolution and development of endoscopic tools for effective closure of full-thickness gastrointestinal defects, dilation, and hemostasis. This article reviews the characteristics and role of endoscopic clips, stents, dilation balloons, endoscopic knives, and suturing devices.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 3387
Author(s):  
Aswin George Roy ◽  
Haridas T. V.

Background: Timing of enteral feeding in acute pancreatitis was always a matter of controversy. Increasing evidence suggests that early enteral feeding reduces systemic and local complications of pancreatitis and thereby hospital stay. Hence the study has been undertaken to determine the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of early enteral feeding in mild and moderate acute pancreatitis. Methods: Patients admitted with symptoms and signs suggestive of mild and moderate acute pancreatitis who were started on early enteral feeding (within 48 hours of admission) were included in study. Blood investigation results are used to classify patients accordingly to mild and moderate acute pancreatitis based on Ransons’s score. Patients were followed up and categorized based on development of complications, length of hospital stay.Results: Majority of the patients who were started on early enteral feeding showed significant decrease in complications and hospital stay. Study also suggested that age is a significant risk in development of complications. Gender is not significant in the development of complications.Conclusions: There is significant decrease in rate of systemic complication, local infective and non-infective complications, length of hospital stay among acute pancreatitis patients who were started on early enteral feeding (within 48 hours).


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 4997
Author(s):  
Madelon Dijkstra ◽  
Sanne Nieuwenhuizen ◽  
Robbert S. Puijk ◽  
Florentine E. F. Timmer ◽  
Bart Geboers ◽  
...  

This cohort study aimed to evaluate efficacy, safety, and survival outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by repeat local treatment compared to upfront repeat local treatment of recurrent colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). A total of 152 patients with 267 tumors from the prospective Amsterdam Colorectal Liver Met Registry (AmCORE) met the inclusion criteria. Two cohorts of patients with recurrent CRLM were compared: patients who received chemotherapy prior to repeat local treatment (32 patients) versus upfront repeat local treatment (120 patients). Data from May 2002 to December 2020 were collected. Results on the primary endpoint overall survival (OS) and secondary endpoints local tumor progression-free survival (LTPFS) and distant progression-free survival (DPFS) were reviewed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Subsequently, uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models, accounting for potential confounders, were estimated. Additionally, subgroup analyses, according to patient, initial and repeat local treatment characteristics, were conducted. Procedure-related complications and length of hospital stay were compared using chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS from date of diagnosis of recurrent disease was 98.6%, 72.5%, and 47.7% for both cohorts combined. The crude survival analysis did not reveal a significant difference in OS between the two cohorts (p = 0.834), with 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of 100.0%, 73.2%, and 57.5% for the NAC group and 98.2%, 72.3%, and 45.3% for the upfront repeat local treatment group, respectively. After adjusting for two confounders, comorbidities (p = 0.010) and primary tumor location (p = 0.023), the corrected HR in multivariable analysis was 0.839 (95% CI, 0.416–1.691; p = 0.624). No differences between the two cohorts were found with regards to LTPFS (HR = 0.662; 95% CI, 0.249–1.756; p = 0.407) and DPFS (HR = 0.798; 95% CI, 0.483–1.318; p = 0.378). No heterogeneous treatment effects were detected in subgroup analyses according to patient, disease, and treatment characteristics. No significant difference was found in periprocedural complications (p = 0.843) and median length of hospital stay (p = 0.600) between the two cohorts. Chemotherapy-related toxicity was reported in 46.7% of patients. Adding NAC prior to repeat local treatment did not improve OS, LTPFS, or DPFS, nor did it affect periprocedural morbidity or length of hospital stay. The results of this comparative assessment do not substantiate the routine use of NAC prior to repeat local treatment of CRLM. Because the exact role of NAC (in different subgroups) remains inconclusive, we are currently designing a phase III randomized controlled trial (RCT), COLLISION RELAPSE trial, directly comparing upfront repeat local treatment (control) to neoadjuvant systemic therapy followed by repeat local treatment (intervention).


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
Georgiana Cătălina Crișu ◽  
Vasile Daniel Balaban ◽  
Laura Elena Gaman ◽  
Mariana Jinga ◽  
Flavius Stefan Marin ◽  
...  

AbstractAcute pancreatitis (AP) represents an inflammatory condition,-with a wide spectrum of local and systemic complications. Early stratification of severity of pancreatitis is an important step in guiding the management of the disease and improving outcomes. Throughout the years many researchers have looked at various risk stratification parameters which could be used from the admission of patients, however current available scores are cumbersome.Our aim was to evaluate the role of biochemical and hematological parameters in the early stratification of severity of AP, regarding the length of hospitalization.We conducted an observational study which included 100 patients with AP admitted to the Gastroenterology Department over a period 18 months. AP diagnosis was set according to 2013 ACG criteria. Demographic, clinical and imaging data related to the pancreatitis flare were collected from their charts. Length of hospital stay was used as surrogate marker for severity of AP. We evaluated different biochemical and hematological parameters which influenced the length of hospitalization.Several hematological parameters and ratio did not correlate with length of hospital stay in our study cohort, however there was a significant relation of hyperglycemia and alkaline phosphatase levels with hospitalization duration.Early risk stratification in AP remains difficult with routine blood work done at admission. Glycemic control and serum level of alkaline phosphatase seems to be correlated with length of hospital stay.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rani Berry ◽  
James Han ◽  
Mohit Girotra ◽  
James H. Tabibian

Hemobilia refers to bleeding from and/or into the biliary tract and is an uncommon cause of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Hemobilia has been documented since the 1600s, but due to its relative rarity, it has only been more critically examined in recent decades. Most cases of hemobilia are iatrogenic and caused by procedures involving the liver, pancreas, bile ducts, and/or the hepatopancreatobiliary vasculature, with trauma and malignancy representing the two other major causes. A classic triad of right upper quadrant pain, jaundice, and overt upper gastrointestinal bleeding has been described, but this is present in only 25–30% of patients with hemobilia. Historically, the gold standard for diagnosis and treatment has been angiography and interventional radiologic intervention, respectively. However, the paradigm is shifting, at least in select cases, towards first-line reliance on noninvasive imaging (e.g., computed tomography) and therapeutic endoscopy, owing to advances in and the less invasive nature of both, while saving interventional radiological and/or surgical intervention for refractory or imminently life-threatening cases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 580-586
Author(s):  
Alina T Jaeger ◽  
James E Connelly ◽  
Ruyun Jin ◽  
Samuel N Jacobson ◽  
Rom S Leidner

Background/objective National guidelines do not recommend the routine use of antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients with solid tumors, yet prophylactic agents are still sometimes prescribed for head and neck cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of prophylactic antimicrobials on the incidence of infection in patients undergoing chemoradiation for head and neck cancer. Methods Between 2013 and 2016, patients receiving chemoradiation for head and neck cancer at three outpatient oncology clinics were identified by retrospective review. Cohorts were based on administration or absence of prophylactic antimicrobials. The primary outcome of this study was incidence of infection. Secondary outcomes included incidence of hospitalization and length of hospital stay. Results Seventy-seven patients were analyzed, 47% (n = 36) were not prescribed antimicrobial prophylaxis and 53% (n = 41) were prescribed prophylaxis. Infection occurred in 31 patients in the no prophylaxis cohort and in 34 patients in the prophylaxis cohort (86.1% vs. 82.9%, p = 0.945). Twenty patients in the no prophylaxis cohort were hospitalized versus 16 patients in the prophylaxis cohort ( p = 0.222). The average length of hospital stay was 6 days in the no prophylaxis cohort and 10.6 days in the prophylaxis cohort ( p = 0.007). Conclusion The use of antimicrobial prophylaxis did not significantly impact the incidence of infection when compared to patients who were not prescribed prophylaxis. There was no difference in the incidence of hospitalization, however, the patients in the prescribed prophylactic group had longer length of hospital stay.


2006 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 405-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Pietzik ◽  
I Qureshi ◽  
J Langdon ◽  
S Molloy ◽  
M Solan

INTRODUCTION Ankle fractures are common and many require surgical intervention. It has been well documented that a delay in fracture fixation results in increased length of hospital stay and increased complication rate. Initial delay can also allow swelling or blistering to develop which may necessitate a further delay in operative fixation for up to 1 week. The aim of the current study was to review the length of hospital in-patient stay for operative ankle fractures over the previous 12-month period at our hospital and compare this to the length of hospital stay following the introduction of a fast-track system for the fixation of these fractures (all fractures fixed within 48 h). PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective review of all ankle fractures managed by open reduction and internal fixation over a 12-month period was undertaken. A protocol was then agreed to openly reduce and fix these fractures at the earliest possible opportunity over the next 6-month period. We then collected the data on all ankle fractures that needed open reduction and internal fixation over this 6-month period. The pre-protocol and post-protocol groups were then compared for total hospital length of stay and complication rate. RESULTS In the 12-month retrospective review, there were 83 ankle fractures that required surgical intervention. Sixty-two of these had surgery within 48 h (mean length of stay, 5.4 days), and 21 had surgery after 48 h (mean length of stay, 9.5 days). There were 39 ankle fractures in the post-protocol group who all had surgery within 48 h (mean length of stay, 5 days). There was no increase in complication rate after implementation of the fast-track system. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that early operative intervention for ankle fractures reduces the length of hospital stay. Intensive physiotherapy and co-ordinated discharge planning are also essential ingredients for early discharge. Early operative fixation for unstable ankle fractures has substantial cost-saving implications with no increase in complication rate.


2016 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Oakland ◽  
R Nadler ◽  
L Cresswell ◽  
D Jackson ◽  
PA Coughlin

Introduction Frailty is becoming increasingly prevalent in the elderly population although a lack of consensus regarding a clinical definition hampers comparison of clinical studies. More elderly patients are being assessed for surgical intervention but the effect of frailty on surgical related outcomes is still not clear. Methods A systematic literature search for studies prospectively reporting frailty and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing surgical intervention was performed with data collated from a total of 12 studies. Random effects meta-analysis modelling was undertaken to estimate the association between frailty and mortality rates (in-hospital and one-year), length of hospital stay and the need for step-down care for further rehabilitation/nursing home placement. Results Frailty was associated with a higher in-hospital mortality rate (pooled odds ratio [OR]: 2.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62–4.73), a higher one-year mortality rate (pooled OR: 1.99, 95% CI: 1.49–2.66), a longer hospital stay (pooled mean difference: 1.05 days, 95% CI: 0.02–2.07 days) and a higher discharge rate to further rehabilitation/step-down care (pooled OR: 5.71, 95% CI: 3.41–9.55). Conclusions The presence of frailty in patients undergoing surgical intervention is associated with poorer outcomes with regard to mortality and return to independence. Further in-depth studies are required to identify factors that can be optimised to reduce the burden of frailty in surgical patients.


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