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Background: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a safe alternative to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for diagnostic biliary imaging in choledocholithiasis. Evidence linking a decline in diagnostic ERCP with the introduction of EUS in clinical practice is limited., Objective: To assess the clinical impact and cost implications of a new EUS program on diagnostic ERCP at a tertiary referral centre., Patients and Methods: A retrospective review was performed of data collected during the first year of EUS at the University of Alberta Hospital (Edmonton, Alberta). Patients were referred for ERCP because of suspicion of choledocholithiasis based on clinical, biochemical and/or radiological parameters. If they were assessed to have an intermediate probability of choledocholithiasis, EUS was performed first. ERCP was performed if EUS suggested choledocholithiasis, whereas patients were clinically followed for six months if their EUS was normal. Cost data were assessed from a third-party payer perspective, and cost savings were expressed in terms of ERCP procedures avoided., Results: Over 12 months, 90 patients (63 female, mean age 58 years) underwent EUS for suspected biliary tract abnormalities. EUS suggested choledocholithiasis in 20 patients (22%), and this was confirmed by ERCP in 17 of the 20 patients. EUS was normal in 69 patients, and none underwent a subsequent ERCP during a six-month follow-up period. One patient had pancreatic cancer and did not undergo ERCP. The sensitivity and specificity of EUS for choledocholithiasis were 100% and 96%, respectively. A total of 440 ERCP procedures were performed over the same 12-month period, suggesting that EUS resulted in a 14% reduction in ERCP procedures (70 of 510). There were no complications of EUS. The cost of 90 EUS procedures was $42,840, compared with $108,854 for 70 ERCP procedures. The cost savings for the first year were $66,014., Conclusion: EUS appears to be accurate, safe and cost effective in diagnostic biliary imaging for suspected choledocholithiasis. The impact of EUS is the avoidance of ERCP in selected cases, thereby preventing the risk of complications. Diagnostic ERCP should not be performed in centres and regions with physicians trained in EUS.

Objective: To determine whether the clinical efficacy and safety of infliximab in diverse clinical referral practices was similar to that seen in the randomized, controlled clinical trials., Methods: Data were gathered from a review of charts of 109 consecutive patients with inflammatory and/or fistulizing Crohn's disease who received infliximab infusions. Responses were recorded based on the physician's global clinical assessment and classified as complete, partial or nonresponse., Results: One hundred nine patients were treated with one to nine infusions of infliximab at a dose of 5 mg/kg and followed up for a median of 24 weeks (range one to 40 weeks). Fifty-four patients were treated for inflammatory disease, 38 for fistulizing disease and 17 for both. Clinical response occurred in 73% (17% complete response, 55% partial response). The clinical response rate did not vary relative to patient demographics, disease distribution, indication for infliximab, or the concomitant use of corticosteroids or immune modifiers. For those taking concomitant immune modifiers, the response rate was 75%. The median time to response was two weeks (range one to six weeks). The median duration of response was 12 weeks (range six to 88 weeks). Reduction or cessation of steroids was possible in 17 of 32 patients. Adverse events related to infliximab occurred in 7% of patients. These events were characterized as mild and did not require stoppage of infliximab therapy, except in one patient who had a treatable anaphylactic-like infusion reaction., Conclusions: The patient group in the present study realized significant clinical benefit, with minimal adverse effects, following treatment with infliximab. Clinical response rates paralleled those previously described in placebo controlled trials and retrospective clinical practice reviews. Nevertheless, the complete response rate (ie, remission) in this patient group was lower than that previously described.