619 HIGH DISCOVERY RATE OF GASTRODUODENAL EOSINOPHILIA BUT NOT EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Talley ◽  
Amol Kamboj ◽  
William Chey ◽  
Henrik Rasmussen ◽  
Brian Lacy ◽  
...  

Abstract   Although the prevalence of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) is increasing, there is evidence that eosinophilic gastritis and/or duodenitis (EG/EoD) are underdiagnosed. Patients with EG/EoD often present with chronic, non-specific gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, similar to patients with functional GI disorders. We hypothesized that systematic evaluation, including multiple esophageal, gastric and duodenal biopsies, of patients with chronic GI symptoms might reveal a high rate of gastroduodenal eosinophila, with or without eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Methods We performed a prospective multi-center study of patients with non-specific GI symptoms for ≥6 months, from 20 sites. Patients completed a questionnaire assessing abdominal pain, abdominal cramping, early satiety, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite. Those with daily average symptom severity scores ≥3/10 for any single symptom underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) with collection of 4 esophageal (EoE), 8 gastric, and 4 duodenal biopsies, analyzed by central pathologists. Histologic criteria for EoE was ≥15eos/hpf in ≥1 esophageal site and for EG/EoD was peak eosinophil counts ≥30/hpf in ≥5 gastric hpfs and/or 3 duodenal hpfs—criteria used in randomized trials. Results Of 556 patients screened, 405 (73%) met symptom criteria and underwent EGD; 181 patients (45%, mean age 45, 73% female) who underwent EGD met the histologic criteria for EG/EoD, and of these, 7% also had EoE diagnosed. Overall 2% met histologic criteria for EoE alone. Of patients who met the histologic criteria for EG/EoD, 93% were previously diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or functional dyspepsia (FD) (Figure 1). The average duration of GI symptoms in the screened population as well as those that met histologic criteria for EG/EoD was 11 years. Conclusion Forty-five percent of patients with moderate-to-severe GI symptoms who underwent EGD met histologic criteria for EG/EoD. Over 90% of these patients had previously been diagnosed with GERD, IBS, and/or FD, and had minimal overlap with EoE. EGD with systematic gastroduodenal biopsies, and intentional evaluation for tissue eosinophilia, should be performed in patients with chronic GI symptoms. Accurate diagnosis of EG/EoD is required for appropriate, targeted treatment and improved outcomes of patients with moderate-to-severe GI symptoms.

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1720-1724 ◽  
Author(s):  
ÖMER NURI PAMUK ◽  
HASAN ÜMIT ◽  
ORBAY HARMANDAR

Objective.To determine the frequency and severity of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia (FM).Methods.We included 152 women with FM (mean age 45.4 ± 12.2 yrs), 98 women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA; mean age 45.5 ± 12.3 yrs), and 60 healthy female controls (mean age 44 ± 11.3 yrs). All patients were questioned about the severity of their chronic widespread pain, symptoms of FM, symptoms of dyspepsia, using a visual analog scale (VAS), and anxiety-depression scale. Patients were asked self-reported (yes/no), symptom-based (≥ 2 criteria) constipation and severity of constipation questions, and about the severity of quality of life (QOL) disturbance secondary to dyspepsia and constipation.Results.Patients with FM had higher symptom severities for belching, reflux, bloating, sour taste, and vomiting than patients with RA and controls (all p values < 0.01). Patients with FM had significantly more dyspepsia-related QOL disturbances than the other 2 groups (p < 0.01). FM and RA patients had more frequent self-reported constipation than controls (respectively, 42.1%, 48%, 21.7%; p < 0.01). The frequency of symptom-based constipation was significantly higher in the RA group (49%) than in FM (29.6%) and control groups (23.3%) (p < 0.01). Constipation-related QOL disturbance was significantly higher in patients with FM than in controls (p < 0.01).Conclusion.In patients with FM, the severity scores of dyspepsia symptoms, constipation, and dyspepsia-related QOL disturbance were higher than in patients with RA and controls. The higher GI symptom severity in patients with FM might have negative effects on their QOL.


F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 301
Author(s):  
Fauzi Yusuf ◽  
Marhami Fahriani ◽  
Sukamto S. Mamada ◽  
Andri Frediansyah ◽  
Azzaki Abubakar ◽  
...  

Background: This study aimed to determine the cumulative prevalence of prolonged gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, abdominal pain, and dysgeusia, in survivors of both mild and severe COVID-19 worldwide and to discuss the potential pathogenesis.   Methods: Three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched for relevant articles up to January 30, 2021. Data on study characteristics, clinical characteristics during follow-up, the number of patients with prolonged GI symptoms, and total number of COVID-19 survivors were retrieved according to PRISMA guidelines. The quality of eligible studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The pooled prevalence of specific prolonged GI symptoms was calculated and the association between COVID-19 severity and the occurrence of prolonged GI symptoms was assessed if appropriate.   Results: The global prevalence of prolonged nausea was 3.23% (95% CI: 0.54%–16.53%) among 527 COVID-19 survivors. Vomiting persisted in 93 of 2,238 COVID-19 survivors (3.19%, 95% CI: 1.62%–6.17%) and prolonged diarrhea was found in 34 of 1,073 survivors (4.12%, 95% CI: 1.07%–14.64%). A total of 156 patients among 2,238 COVID-19 survivors (4.41%, 95% CI: 1.91%–9.94%) complained of persistent decreased or loss of appetite. The cumulative prevalence of prolonged abdominal pain was 1.68% (95% CI: 0.84%–3.32%), whereas persistent dysgeusia was identified in 130 cases among 1,887 COVID-19 survivors (7.04%, 95% CI: 5.96%–8.30%). Data was insufficient to assess the relationship between COVID-19 severity and the occurrence of all prolonged GI symptoms.   Conclusion: Persistent GI symptoms among COVID-19 survivors after discharge or recovery raises a concern regarding the long-term impact of the COVID-19 infection on the quality of life of the survivors. Despite several potential explanations proposed, studies that aim to follow patients after recovery from COVID-19 and determine the pathogenesis of the prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 survivors are warranted.   PROSPERO registration: CRD42021239187.


Author(s):  
Hamideh Abbaspour Kasgari ◽  
Amir Mohammad Shabani ◽  
Hafez Fakheri ◽  
Parnian Mohammadzadeh

Background: Various digestive symptoms have been frequently reported in a significant portion of patients infected with the virus since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Most patients with COVID-19 have a fever accompanied by respiratory signs and symptoms, such as cough and dyspnea. We present 36 cases with a chief complaint of Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms along with respiratory symptoms. In this study, we aimed at investigating the prevalence and outcomes of COVID-19 patients with digestive symptoms. Methods: A variety of observed GI symptoms included nausea and vomiting (72.2%), diarrhea (25%), abdominal pain (19.4%), loss of appetite (14%), and anosmia (14%). The most nonGI symptoms were dyspnea (66.7%), fever (66.7%), dry cough (58.3%), myalgia (52.4%), and others. Six patients (16.6%) were critically ill, 7 (19.4%) were in stable condition, and 23 patients (64%) showed moderate symptoms. Among the patients, 7 (19.5%) needed critical care and were admitted to ICU. Leucopenia, lymphopenia, and elevated acute-phase proteins were other features observed in these patients. The most common antiviral regimen was hydroxychloroquine and oseltamivir. Finally, 32 patients (89%) were discharged, and 4 (11%) died. Conclusion: This case series study highlights that patients with COVID-19 are prone to GI symptoms along with fever and respiratory symptoms. Patients may even present with digestive symptoms and without any respiratory symptoms. Hence, clinicians should pay more attention to these patients and help diagnose COVID-19 earlier to start prompt treatment before the occurrence of severe disease.


Author(s):  
Shahida Naghma ◽  
Deepak Kumar

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), presents an ongoing global threat. Common clinical features reported in early confirmed infections included fever, cough, and myalgias or fatigue. But as testing capacity and case numbers have increased worldwide, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, and loss of appetite have been increasingly recognized. Authors present a case series of gastrointestinal symptoms in COVID-19 patients and how they were managed at the hospital. However, correlations between the presence of fecal virus RNA and severity of digestive symptoms, namely, diarrhoea severity could not be established due to unavailability of the test in the hospital setting. Although knowledge about the viability of SARS-CoV-2 is limited, the virus could remain viable in the environment for days, which could lead to faeco-oral transmission. Various studies conducted on COVID-19 patients recommended routine stool sample testing with real-time RT-PCR after the clearance of viral RNA in a patient’s respiratory samples. Strict precautions to prevent transmission should be taken for patients who are in hospital or self-quarantined if their faecal samples test positive. Optimally, testing for COVID-19 should be performed using both respiratory and stool samples, if available.


2014 ◽  
Vol 146 (5) ◽  
pp. S-674
Author(s):  
Fouad J. Moawad ◽  
Mirna Chehade ◽  
Daniel J. Green ◽  
Tony Ljuldjuraj ◽  
Sami R. Achem ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salva N Balbale ◽  
Lishan Cao ◽  
Itishree Trivedi ◽  
Jonah J Stulberg ◽  
Katie J Suda ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Introduction Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and disorders affect an increasingly large group of veterans. Opioid use may be rising in this population, but this is concerning from a patient safety perspective, given the risk of dependence and lack of evidence supporting opioid use to manage chronic pain. We examined the characteristics of opioid prescriptions and factors associated with chronic opioid use among chronic GI patients dually enrolled in the DVA and Medicare Part D. Materials and Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we used linked, national patient-level data (from April 1, 2011, to December 31, 2014) from the VA and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to identify chronic GI patients and observe opioid use. Veterans who had a chronic GI symptom or disorder were dually enrolled in VA and Part D and received ≥1 opioid prescription dispensed through the VA, Part D, or both. Chronic GI symptoms and disorders included chronic abdominal pain, chronic pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, and functional GI disorders. Key outcome measures were outpatient opioid prescription dispensing overall and chronic opioid use, defined as ≥90 consecutive days of opioid receipt over 12 months. We described patient characteristics and opioid use measures using descriptive statistics. Using multiple logistic regression modeling, we generated adjusted odds ratios and 95% CIs to determine variables independently associated with chronic opioid use. The final model included variables outlined in the literature and our conceptual framework. Results We identified 141,805 veterans who had a chronic GI symptom or disorder, were dually enrolled in VA and Part D, and received ≥1 opioid prescription dispensed from the VA, Part D, or both. Twenty-six percent received opioids from the VA only, 69% received opioids from Medicare Part D only, and 5% were “dual users,” receiving opioids through both VA and Part D. Compared to veterans who received opioids from the VA or Part D only, dual users had a greater likelihood of potentially unsafe opioid use outcomes, including greater number of days on opioids, higher daily doses, and higher odds of chronic use. Conclusions Chronic GI patients in the VA may be frequent users of opioids and may have a unique set of risk factors for unsafe opioid use. Careful monitoring of opioid use among chronic GI patients may help to begin risk stratifying this group. and develop tailored approaches to minimize chronic use. The findings underscore potential nuances within the opioid epidemic and suggest that components of the VA’s Opioid Safety Initiative may need to be adapted around veterans at a higher risk of opioid-related adverse events.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Peterson ◽  
Robert Genta ◽  
Henrik Rasmussen ◽  
Bradford Youngblood ◽  
Amol Kamboj

Abstract   Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is currently thought to be the most common Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorder. EoE patients often present with non-esophageal GI symptoms. Presence of EoE increases one’s risk of developing distal eosinophilia, including eosinophilic gastritis (EG) and duodenitis (EoD). A diagnosis of EG/EoD often takes years due to lack of provider awareness and absence of consensus diagnostic guidelines. The aim was to evaluate the prevalence of EG/EoD in patients with EoE and functional abdominal symptoms. Methods 52 EoE patients with extra-esophageal GI symptoms (i.e. abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, irritable bowel) who had stomach and small bowel biopsies interpreted as non-specific inflammation or normal were identified (‘EoE + S’). 15 EoE patients without extra-esophageal complaints who had routine screening stomach and small bowel biopsies at their initial endoscopies were included as a control group (‘EoE-S’). Biopsies taken at initial work up were identified and blocks were cut for H&E staining and assessment by an independent, blinded GI pathologist skilled in eosinophil (eos) assessment. Results 45 EoE + S and 12 EoE-S patients were evaluated (Table 1). Common symptoms were abdominal pain, bloating and nausea. All prior pathology reports were consistent with non-specific inflammation or normal tissue. Upon blinded re-assessment, 8/45 (17.8%) EoE + S patients met criteria for EG (≥30 eos/hpf in ≥5 gastric hpfs). None of the EoE-S patients met criteria for EG. 24/45 (53%) EoE + S patients met criteria for EoD (≥30 eos/hpf in ≥3 duodenal hpfs). 7 patients had concomitant EG + EoD. 3/12 EoE-S patients met criteria for EoD. Peak gastric and duodenal eos counts for the EoE + S group were higher than for the EoE-S group. Conclusion In patients with EoE and extra-esophageal GI complaints, review of gastric and duodenal biopsies previously reported as normal or ‘non-specific inflammation’ demonstrated a high discovery rate of gastroduodenal eosinophilia. These findings suggest that intentional evaluation of gastric and duodenal eos is indicated in patients with EoE and persistent non-esophageal GI symptoms. Increased awareness of EG/EoD and consensus diagnostic criteria may lead to the identification of currently undiagnosed patients with EG/EoD.


Author(s):  
Gözde Derviş Hakim ◽  
Şükran Köse ◽  
Pınar Şamlıoğlu ◽  
Cengiz Ceylan ◽  
Mehmet Can Uğur ◽  
...  

Objective: Although Covid-19 which has been identified as the disease caused by SARS COV-2 virus mainly affects the respiratory tract, it was observed that many systems were affected. The gastrointestinal system is one of the main systems involved. The aim of this manuscript was to perform epidemiological, virological, and clinical analysis of 59 Covid 19-positive patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. Method: Covid-19 diagnosed patients have been started to be admitted since March, 20, 2020. Epidemiological, demographical, clinical findings, laboratory analyses as well as hospitalization periods and disease progression of the patients presenting gastrointestinal system (GIS) symptoms admitted between March, 31, 2020 and August, 1, 2020. Results: Totally 710 Covid 19-positive patients hospitalized were screened. Among these patients, those with incomplete medical history and deficient data were excluded. The analysis of 281 patients admitted due to Covid-19 diagnosis with complete data since admission revealed that 59 patients presented GIS symptoms at admission. The aforesaid patients were compared with 222 patients admitted due to Covid-19 without GIS symptoms within the same period. GIS symptoms were detected on 59 (59/281) (20.99%) patients admitted due to Covid-19. Detailed review of these patients revealed that 18 (18/59) (30.50%) patients had nausea-vomiting, 10 (10/59) (16.95%) patients had abdominal pain, and 31 (31/59) (52.55%) patients had GIS bleeding. It was observed that vomiting was added into the clinical presentation in 7 of 18 patients. Although there is not any diarrhea symptom alone, total number of cases with diarrhea+abdominal pain, diarrhea+nausea-vomiting, diarrhea+nausea-vomiting+abdominal pain was 17 (17/59) (28.81%) of 59 patients. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, we have found 20.99% gi symptoms in the hospitalizated patients due to Covid 19. Although GIS symptoms are not associated with disease severity, they are important for the identification and spread of the disease, along with respiratory symptoms.


Pharmacia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 401-409
Author(s):  
Enrico Keber ◽  
Paolo Rocco ◽  
Umberto M. Musazzi ◽  
Antonio M. Morselli-Labate ◽  
Nicolina P. Floris ◽  
...  

Upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are usual complaints among patients presenting to Italian community pharmacies. However, information on treatment history of those patients is often lacking. This descriptive, cross-sectional study aims at exploring the medication history of individuals with upper GI tract symptoms visiting one of the 20 enrolled community pharmacies, over a period of 7 months, based on the administration of a questionnaire. Of 1,020 interviewees, 62.1% had asked for a medical consultation. The most frequent symptom was epigastric burning (31.8%), followed by acid regurgitation (14.6%) and post-prandial fullness (12.0%). Of the 1,609 therapies, proton pump inhibitors constituted the most represented therapeutic class (35.6%) followed by antacids (17.5%) and alginate-based products (17.2%). In treating symptoms, 38.1% of the patients do not seek medical advice, while 42.0% rely on non-prescription therapies. As findings suggest, support to patients with GI disorders in community pharmacies can be enhanced for a safer self-medication.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 218-218
Author(s):  
Alexa Evenson ◽  
Katherine Johnson ◽  
Catherine Bohn-Gettler ◽  
Trevor Keyler

Abstract Objectives To determine the impact of State and Trait anxiety and dietary intake on college students' gastrointestinal symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A total of 455 students, aged 18–23, from two residential colleges in the midwestern United States participated in the study during April 2021. An online questionnaire that included the National Cancer Institute Dietary Screener, State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety, and an adapted version of the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Questionnaire was used. Stepwise multiple regression analyses was used to analyze the data. Results The mean score for GI symptoms was 5.57 ± 5.25. Moderate to severe symptoms of abdominal bloating (31.8%), nausea (16.2%), passing gas (29.1%), abdominal rumbling (28.1%), abdominal cramping (20.4%), diarrhea (18.8%), and constipation (14.7%) were reported by our participants. High rates of State-somatic, State-cognitive, and Trait-somatic anxiety were present in our study population. These anxiety subscales and dietary intake predicted 26% and 3.8% of the GI symptoms variance, respectively. Conclusions State-anxiety and Trait-somatic anxiety are large factors in predicting GI symptoms compared to dietary intake. College students could seek anxiety-reducing techniques to ease GI symptoms. Funding Sources None


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