Clinical impact of routine CT esophagogram after peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for esophageal motility disorders

Background and study aims Per oral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) of the lower esophageal sphincter has become a major treatment for esophageal motility disorders, especially achalasia. POEM can result in esophageal bleeding or perforation and pleural and mediastinal effusion. Early routine computed tomography (CT) esophagogram is frequently performed to assess these adverse events (AEs) before resuming oral food intake. We sought to evaluate the value of routine CT esophagogram on postoperative day (POD) 1 after POEM. Patients and methods This single-center retrospective study was performed in a tertiary referral center for interventional digestive endoscopy. We included consecutive patients with POEM and routine CT esophagogram on POD 1 between July 2018 and July 2019. Results Fifty-eight patients were included in the study, 79 % of whom had achalasia. Twenty patients (34 %) presented post-endoscopic AEs, including two patients with severe AEs requiring intensive care admission (one compressive pneumothorax and one mediastinitis); no deaths occurred. Of the 58 CT esophagograms performed, only one was normal. The 57 others (98 %) showed at least one abnormal finding: pneumoperitoneum or retroperitoneal air (91 %), pneumomediastinum (78 %), pleural effusion (34 %), pneumothorax (14 %), pneumonia (7 %), pericardial effusion (2 %), and mediastinal collection (2 %). CT esophagograms revealed AEs and modified therapeutic management in eight patients of 58 (14 %), all of whom had clinical symptoms prior to CT. Conclusions POD 1 CT esophagogram after POEM for esophageal motility disorders diagnosed clinically meaningful AEs in 14 % of patients, all associated with persistent clinical symptoms. Routine use of CT esophagogram after POEM in asymptomatic patients is questionable.

Removal of Migrated Esophageal Stents in the Stomach Under the Guidance of Fluoroscopy: a Single-center Retrospective Study

Background: Migrated esophageal self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) increase the risk of bowel obstruction or perforation. The endoscopic removal of migrated stents is extremely difficult due to the inability to observe the distal end of the stent during retrieval. Here, we report our experience removing migrated esophageal stents in the stomach under the guidance of fluoroscopy.Material and methods: The clinical data of patients with esophageal stents that migrated to the stomach between January 2016 and March 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 27 patients (9 females and 18 males) were included in this study. Three methods of retrieval were considered: direct removal via a fixed string, direct removal via a retrieval hook, and retrieval via guide wire and gooseneck snare.Results: A total of 28 migrated esophageal stents in the stomachs of 27 patients were successfully removed under the guidance of fluoroscopy by the three methods mentioned above: 10 cases of direct removal via a fixed string, 14 cases of direct removal via a retrieval hook, and 3 cases of retrieval via a guide wire. The stent removal time was 18 (7-60) minutes. During the operation, one patient had a small amount of esophageal bleeding that was cured after symptomatic treatment, and one patient had a residual fracture stent wire that was removed under endoscopy.Conclusion: The removal of migrated esophageal stents in the stomach under the guidance of fluoroscopy is a feasible and safe procedure.

Endoscopic hemostasis with self-expanding nitinol stents (literature review)

Aim. A critical analysis of modern scientific publications on the application in complex treatment program of patients with acute bleeding from esophageal varices endoscopic hemostasis with self-expanding nitinol Danish stents.Methods. Literature data are presented on the results of treating patients at the height of esophageal bleeding or with a high risk of recurrence by installing self-expanding nitinol Danish stents.Results. The advantages of Danish stent include low trauma; good tolerance; physiological saliva drainage and the possibility of receiving fluid and food through the mouth; repeated endoscopic examination of the esophagus and stomach after the introduction of the stent; reducing the risk of aspiration pneumonia; the impossibility of removal or displacement by the patient in a state of excitement. The disadvantages of self-expanding nitinol Danish stents, in addition to the risk of migration from the esophagus to the stomach with loss of its plugging function, include the limitation of the therapeutic effect only to varicose veins of the esophagus, the development of small erosions or ulcers on the mucous membrane of the esophagus after stent removal.Conclusion. The extent to which endoscopic hemostasis with self-expanding nitinol Danish stents will take a strong place in the treatment of patients with variceal bleeding is not clear. In the recommendations of the Baveno VI Consensus the method is considered as an attractive alternative to Sengstaken–Blackmore balloon tamponade, however, the need for confirmation of the initial clinical results by further comparative randomized controlled trials is indicated.

Safety of Transesophageal Echocardiography Performed by Intensivists and Emergency Physicians in Critically Ill Patients With Coagulopathy and Thrombocytopenia: A Single-Center Experience

Introduction: The use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) by intensivist physicians (IPs) and emergency physicians (EPs) in critically ill patients is increasing in the intensive care unit, emergency department, and prehospital environments. Coagulopathy and thrombocytopenia are common in critically ill patients. The risk of performing TEE in these patients is unknown. The goal of this study was to assess whether TEE is safe when performed by IPs or EPs in critically ill patients with high bleeding risk (HBR). Methods: All TEEs performed by an IP or EP between January 1, 2016, and July 31, 2019, were reviewed as part of a quality assurance database. A TEE performed on a patient was deemed HBR if the patient met at least one of the following criteria: undergoing therapeutic anticoagulation, had an INR > 2, activated partial thromboplastin time >40 seconds, fibrinogen <150 mg/dL, and/or platelet count <50 000/μL. The medical record was reviewed on each patient to determine whether upper esophageal bleeding, oropharyngeal bleeding, esophageal perforation, or dislodgement of an artificial airway occurred during or after the TEE. Results: A total of 228 examinations were reviewed: 80 in the high-risk group and 148 in the low-risk group (LBR). There were complications potentially attributable to TEE in 8 (4%) of the 228 exams. Total complications were not different between groups: 4 (5%) in the HBR group versus 4 (3%) in the LBR group (odds ratio [OR] = 1.89 [0.34-10.44], P =.368). Upper esophageal bleeding occurred in 5 total examinations (2%), which was not different between groups: 3 (4%) in the HBR group and 2 (1%) in the LBR group (OR = 2.84 [0.31-34.55], P = .238). There were no deaths attributable to TEE in either group. Conclusion: Transesophageal echocardiography can be safely performed by IPs and EPs in critically ill patients at high risk of bleeding with minimal complications.

Risk Factors of Esophageal Bleeding in Children with Various Etiologies of Liver Cirrhosis – A Single-Center Report from Iran

Esophageal bleeding is a common complication in patients with liver cirrhosis. In thee present study, our aim was to divulge major factors predicting esophageal bleeding in Iranian children with liver cirrhosis. This was a cross-sectional study including 101 children < 18 years old referred to the Pediatric Endoscopy Unit of Nemazee Teaching Hospital of Shiraz from 2014 until 2016. Children with esophageal varices were included. The patients were divided into two groups including those with and without history of esophageal bleeding. Statistical methods were performed in SPSS 16 software. There were 49 boys and 52 girls. The mean age was 7.74±5.26 years old. A history of esophageal bleeding was observed in 53 (52.4%). In univariate analyses, significant relationships were found between esophageal bleeding and varices size (P=0.001), Child-Pugh score (P=0.01), age of bleeding initiation (P<0.001), serum creatinine (P=0.01), and serum sodium (P=0.002). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean of PELD/MELD score among children with (12.34±12) and without (14.61±17.51) history of esophageal bleeding (P=0.5). Among various etiologies of cirrhosis, a significant association was observed between autoimmune hepatitis and the history of esophageal bleeding (P=0.01). Regarding the clinical importance of esophageal bleedings in children with liver cirrhosis, it is recommended to further divulge the risk factors pre-disposing to this event.