SP7.1.16 Endoscopy and biopsy for chronic diarrhoea: an audit and cost analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shadi Abdelrahman ◽  
Woo Jae Kim ◽  
Adam Daneshyar ◽  
Stephen Odogwu

Abstract Aims The aim of the study is to analyse the costs of performing diagnostic endoscopy with histopathological sampling for patients suffering with chronic or persistent diarrhoea. Methods 300 patients were identified who required an endoscopy in 2019 according to the British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines. Patient’s presenting complaint, endoscopic and histological diagnosis and follow up plans were noted. 147 patients were included into our study whose presenting complaint was solely chronic or persistent diarrhoea. Those who presented with acute diarrhoea, PR bleeding or other concomitant indication for lower gastrointestinal endoscopy were excluded. Data from the national schedule of NHS costs was used to calculate expenditure. Results The total expenditure calculated for the 147 patients was £55,973. There was a total of 126 colonoscopies and 21 flexible sigmoidoscopies performed by the department. The number of patients who received medical treatment following endoscopy was 13/147 (9%) 8 of whom had nonspecific colitis on histology. There were 29 patients (20%) who required symptomatic treatment and there were 98 patients (66%) who received no intervention or were discharged immediately and 7 patients (5%) that required surgical intervention. The total cost of procedures not leading to surgical or medical management with steroids or immunomodulators was £47733 which is 85.3% of the total expenditure. Conclusion A significantly large proportion of investigations lead to no intervention or symptomatic treatment of the patient. Given this lack of diagnostic yield and financial burden, there could be room for advancement in the current guidelines for managing persistent diarrhoea.

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 320-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnes Shin-Man Choy ◽  
Philip Kam-Tao Li

In Hong Kong, the average annual cost of haemodialysis (HD) per patient is more than double of that of peritoneal dialysis (PD). As the number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has surged, it has posed a great financial burden to the government and society. A PD-first policy has been implemented in Hong Kong for three decades based on its cost-effectiveness, and has achieved successful outcomes throughout the years. A successful PD-first policy requires medical expertise in PD, the support of dedicated staff and a well-designed patient training programme. Addressing patients' PD problems is the key to sustainability of the PD-first policy. In this article, we highlight three important groups of patients: those with frequent peritonitis, ultrafiltration failure or inadequate dialysis. Potential strategies to improve the outcomes of these groups will be discussed. Moreover, enhancing HD as back-up support and promoting organ transplantation are needed in order to maintain sustainability of the PD-first policy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-272
Author(s):  
Ben Limbu ◽  
Benjamin Sim ◽  
Mohan K. Shrestha ◽  
Geoffrey Tabin ◽  
Rohit Saiju

Introduction: Many patients in Nepal travel vast distances to have their surgeries in Kathmandu. They often remain close by until their follow-up visit for their silicone tube removal, which contributes to a large financial burden on them and their families. Hence, reducing the time for which silicone tubes remain in situ following external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR) provides significant benefits to patients. Furthermore, this is the first comparative study which has successfully demonstrated the earliest timeframe for which silicone tubes can be removed following DCR in the medical literature. Methods: A randomized controlled trial consisting of 144 patients was designed to compare patient outcomes after early (2 weeks postoperatively) versus standard (6 weeks postoperatively) removal of silicone stents. The success of their procedures was determined when patients were assessed both symptomatically and anatomically at their 6-month follow-up. Results: The surgical success in both groups was high at 97.8% collectively in both groups and there were only a small number of patients who were lost to follow-up (5 patients) at 6 months. There was no statistical difference at removing silicone stents at 2 or 6 weeks postoperatively. Conclusion: These results were consistent with our pilot study, which showed no statistical difference in long-term success following silicone tube removal at 2 and 6 weeks.


Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Maragkoudaki ◽  
George Chouliaras ◽  
Antonia Moutafi ◽  
Athanasios Thomas ◽  
Archodoula Orfanakou ◽  
...  

The efficacy of oral rehydration solution (ORS) enriched with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc in infants with acute gastroenteritis, is poorly defined. The aim of this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, was to assess the efficacy of an ORS enriched with Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc (ORS+Lr&Z) in well-nourished, non-hospitalized infants with acute diarrhoea. Fifty one infants with acute diarrhoea were randomly assigned to receive either ORS+Lr&Z (28 infants, mean ± SD age 1.7 ± 0.7 years, 21 males), or standard ORS (ORS−Lr&Z; 23 infants, mean ± SD age 1.8 ± 0.7 years, 16 males). Stools volume and consistency were recorded pre- and posttreatment using the Amsterdam Infant Stool Scale and were compared between the two groups, as well as lost work/day care days, drug administration and need for hospitalization. Both groups showed reduction in the severity of diarrhoea on day two (p < 0.001) while, all outcomes showed a trend to be better in the ORS+Lr&Z group, without reaching statistical significance, probably due to the relatively small number of patients. No adverse effects were recorded. In conclusion, both ORS were effective in managing acute diarrhoea in well-nourished, non-hospitalized infants. ORS enriched with L. reuteri DSM 17938 and zinc was well tolerated with no adverse effects.


Gut ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 1380-1399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh P Arasaradnam ◽  
Steven Brown ◽  
Alastair Forbes ◽  
Mark R Fox ◽  
Pali Hungin ◽  
...  

Chronic diarrhoea is a common problem, hence clear guidance on investigations is required. This is an updated guideline from 2003 for the investigations of chronic diarrhoea commissioned by the Clinical Services and Standards Committee of the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG). This document has undergone significant revision in content through input by 13 members of the Guideline Development Group (GDG) representing various institutions. The GRADE system was used to appraise the quality of evidence and grading of recommendations.


2007 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 605-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
HR Chowdhury ◽  
M Yunus ◽  
K Zaman ◽  
A Rahman ◽  
SM Faruque ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadi Massoud ◽  
Julie Eve Desmarais ◽  
Serge Gauthier

ABSTRACTBackground: Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) represent the mainstay of symptomatic treatment in Alzheimer's disease. Three medications belonging to this class are presently widely available. These agents differ in their individual mechanisms of action and pharmacokinetic properties. Switching ChEIs can be a reasonable option in cases of intolerance or lack of clinical benefit.Methods: A systematic literature search of switching ChEIs was conducted, and all studies specifically evaluating this issue were identified. Published consensus guidelines were also searched for recommendations on ChEI switching.Results: Eight clinical studies are summarized and discussed. All of these studies are open-label or retrospective and they cannot be readily compared because of heterogeneity in design, number of patients, agents used, and endpoints. Switching in most of these studies was done for both “lack of benefit” or “loss of response” after up to 29 months of treatment. Nevertheless, the majority of studies did not include individuals switched for lack of response after several years of treatment. Lack of satisfactory response or intolerance with the initial agent was not predictive of similar results with the second agent.Conclusions: In light of these findings, we propose the following practical approach to switching ChEIs: (1) in the case of intolerance, switching to a second agent should be done only after the complete resolution of side-effects following discontinuation of the initial agent; (2) in the case of lack of efficacy, switching can be done overnight, with a quicker titration scheme thereafter; (3) switching ChEIs is not recommended in individuals who show loss of benefit several years after initiation of treatment.


Author(s):  
A.P. Porsteinsson ◽  
E.D. Clark

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains one of our greatest unmet medical needs, without any approved disease-modifying therapies. The emotional and financial burden of AD is enormous and predicted to grow exponentially with increasing median population age, posing a major public health problem. The potential to prevent or improve cognitive decline due to AD has important implications. There are medications currently approved for symptomatic treatment of AD, but they have limited clinical benefits and do not change the ultimate trajectory of the disease. The need to find effective treatments for AD that can prevent, slow, arrest, or even reverse the disease is ever more urgent and interventions that delay the symptomatic onset of AD would have a major public health impact (1).


Author(s):  
Sergey M. Pukhlik ◽  
Anatoly P. Shchelkunov ◽  
A.A. Shchelkunov

Relevance: Styloid process syndrome – a disease which is caused by irritation of the styloid process of the temporal bone surrounding the nerve, vascular and muscle structures. The syndrome is manifested by chronic painin deep division of the facial area referred to the root of the tongue, throat and ear, dysphagia, symptoms of circulatory disorders of the brain. Because of the low awareness of the disease practical specialists usually miss the diagnoses. Patients with different diagnoses are treated by different specialists; most often the prescribed symptomatic treatment is ineffective or does not give any result at all. The syndrome causes severe suffering to patients, reduces the quality of life. Purpose of the study: Assess the most significant clinical signs of the disease, mutual work between hypertrophied styloid process with the neurovascular neck formations, the effectiveness of conservative and surgical treatment. Materials and methods: 144 people were examined and treated by us. Of these, 103 women (71,5%), 41 men (28,5%), aged 25 to 70 years. The disease lasts from one year until 10-15 years. Tomography of the styloid processes with 3D reconstruction and contrasting of the main vessels of the neck was used. Results of the study and the discussion: we proposed a grading scale for the quality of the treatment, the five-point scale. The quality of the treatment was assessed by the number of reduction in scores and, accordingly, patient complaints. Of the total number of patients – 144 people, the success of the treatment by 0 points was assessed by 60 people (that is, absence of any symptomatology) (41,7%), 1 point – 44 (30,5%), 2-3 points – 27 (18,7%), 4-5 points – 13 (9%), that is significant effect of the treatment was not achieved. To all those people with the result of the treatment was estimated at 4-5 points, respectively, was proposed an operative method of the treatment – the resection of the styloid process from the corresponding side. Conclusions: Because of the lack of knowledge of such important topic it is necessary to improve diagnostic methods. Hypertrophy of the styloid process is not the main reason of the development of styloid syndrome; the degree of deviation of the process is important. Conservative treatment in most cases has a lasting effect, but has repeated symptoms after a certain period of time; surgical treatment should be directed to the maximal resection of styloid process for decreasing the axis pressure on the neurovascular bundle of the neck.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Xin ◽  
Liangshan Wang ◽  
Xiaqiu Tian ◽  
Dengbang Hou ◽  
Hong Wang ◽  
...  

Background: Limited research is available on the pattern of double distal perfusion catheters in patients on venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) with an intra-aortic balloon pump(IABP). Here, we compared the outcomes of a double distal perfusion catheter and conventional treatment in patients who received VA-ECMO with IABP and had severe lower limb ischemia on the IABP side.Methods: We reviewed the data of 15 adult patients with postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock who received VA-ECMO via femoral cannulation combined with an IABP in the contralateral artery that was complicated with severe acute limb ischemia (ALI) on the same side as the IABP between January 2004 and December 2016. Patients underwent symptomatic treatment (conventional group, n = 9) and double distal perfusion catheterization treatment (DDPC group, n = 6). ALI was monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy placed on both calves after double distal perfusion catheters. The outcomes were compared.Results: All 6 patients who underwent double distal perfusion catheters were successfully decannulated without the development of osteofascial compartment syndrome, amputation, or bleeding and infection of the double distal perfusion catheters. The number of patients who weaned from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation successfully in the DDPC and conventional groups was 6 (100%) and 3 (33%, p = 0.028), respectively. The in-hospital mortality rates were 17% and 89% for the DDPC and conventional groups, respectively (p = 0.011).Conclusions: DDPC can be considered a strategy for severe limb ischemia on the IABP side in patients who received femoro-femoral VA-ECMO with IABP.


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