Search

Methods This was single-center, open-label, randomized trial. Patients who were undergoing ERCP and who were at high risk for the development of PEP were selected for the study. Patients were randomized into 3 treatment groups: diclofenac suppository group, RL group, and a combination group. Results Eight of 57 patients (14.03%) in the diclofenac group, 9 of 57 patients (15.78%) in the RL group, and 6 of 57 patients (10.52%) in the combination group developed PEP. The incidence of PEP between the three groups was not statistically significant (P = 0.70). Serum amylase level of >252 U/L had 91.3% sensitivity and 92.6% specificity for the diagnosis of PEP. Conclusions Post-ERCP pancreatitis is usually mild to moderate 95% times. Female sex, age younger than 50 years, a benign indication of ERCP, and low bilirubin levels have higher chances of PEP. A combination of rectal diclofenac and hydration with RL does not offer better protection for PEP, as compared with individual prophylaxis.

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a commonly encountered entity worldwide and is difficult to treat. Most of the treatment modalities have low-quality evidence for use, except for proton pump inhibitors. Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve the symptoms, but its direct effect on symptoms has never been studied. The objective was to study the effects of moderate aerobic exercise on symptoms of FD and to compare the effect of conventional treatment alone vs. exercise plus conventional treatment. Out of 112 patients, 72 were randomly divided into controls (conventional treatment; n=36) and experimental (aerobic exercise for 30 min per session, 5 times a week for 6 weeks with conventional treatment; n=36) groups. Both the groups were assessed on day 1 and at the end of 6 weeks, using Glasgow Dyspepsia Severity Score (GDSS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-42 (DASS-42), and visual analogue scale (VAS). Pre-treatment GDSS, DASS-42, and VAS in the experimental group were significantly different as compared to the post-treatment scores (p=0.00019, p=0.0002, p=0.00019, respectively). Even in the control group, pre- and post-treatment GDSS, DASS-42, and VAS scores were significantly different (p=0.00019, p=0.0002, p=0.00019, respectively). However, on the head-to-head comparison of the 2 groups, scores at the end of 6 weeks were significantly different (p< 0.05), in favor of the experimental group. Aerobic exercise as an auxiliary therapy to conventional treatment has better outcomes in the functional well-being of dyspepsia.

An important goal in management of acute pancreatitis (AP) is early prediction and recognition of disease severity. Various predictive scoring systems are in clinical use with their own limitations and there is always a quest for simple, practical, quantifiable, dynamic and readily available markers for predicting disease severity and outcome. Complete hemogram is routinely ordered in all patients with AP. In recent years red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) and platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been found to be independent predictors of prognosis in various benign and malignant conditions. This prospective study evaluated complete hemogram based markers in AP. Complete hemogram analysis was done and NLR, LMR, PLR values were calculated. Development of organ failure, the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and interventions, development of complications (local/systemic) and 100-day mortality were assessed. In this study 160 subjects of AP were included. Complete hemogram analysis was performed within 24 h after admission. C‑reactive protein, RDW, NLR, PLR and bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis (BISAP) values were higher in severe AP than moderate AP group than mild AP group, while LMR values were decreased in the corresponding severe, moderate and mild AP groups (p

Background: Vedolizumab is a humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody, which binds to α4β7 integrin on T lymphocytes, thus disturbing the interaction with mucosal vascular addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 on the intestinal endothelial cells to interfere with lymphocyte trafficking to the gut. Summary: Vedolizumab is a safe and effective drug to induce and maintain clinical remission in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in both clinical trials and real-world data. Various guidelines recommend vedolizumab as a first- or second-line treatment regimen for steroid-dependent, steroid, or immunomodulator refractory cases of UC and CD; however, it is more effective in anti-TNF-naive patients. The first head-to-head trial (VARSITY trial) comparing the efficacy of vedolizumab to adalimumab has shown better clinical remission and mucosal healing with vedolizumab. Key Messages: In this review, we have discussed guidelines recommendation of vedolizumab use, as well as its safety data, use in special population, in presence of extraintestinal complications, therapeutic drug monitoring, data from Asian patients, along with other evolving concepts. Because of its excellent safety data and low immunogenicity, vedolizumab is an impressive option for patients with prior malignancy and less chance of reactivation of tuberculosis; however, cost remains an issue.

Background Pancreaticopleural fistulas are among the rarest complications of chronic pancreatitis. The main objective of the research, conducted on a total of seven patients, was to evaluate the effectiveness of early endoscopic management of pancreaticopleural fistula. Methods The diagnosis of fistula was reached when fistulous tract was demonstrated on imaging studies and/or pleural fluid amylase level was greater than 2,000 U/L. The data were retrospectively analyzed from the records. Results The prototype patient in our series was a chronic alcoholic male with median age of 45 years. Computed tomography scan was performed in all the seven patients but could diagnose leak only in four patients. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography was better in the remaining three patients for diagnosing fistula. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was the most sensitive test that diagnosed fistula in all the seven patients. Pancreatic duct (PD) cannulation was successful and pancreatic sphincterotomy with PD stenting was performed in all the seven patients. We could avoid surgical intervention in our patients. Conclusions We advise early endoscopic treatment within 7 days of symptom onset as opposed to 3 weeks, which was proposed previously. Medical therapies should be complimentary to PD stenting.

Esophageal mucosal bridge is an elastic stretchable structure, connecting across the lumen, extending either obliquely or horizontally, more commonly seen in the mid or lower esophagus. It can be either congenital or secondary (acquired). Acquired ones are secondary to reflux esophagitis, corrosive esophageal injury, drug-induced esophagitis, radiation esophagitis, Crohn’s disease, Mallory-Weiss syndrome, malignant tumors, and infections like candidiasis, HSV, CMV, or tuberculosis. We present a case of an elderly female, who presented with progressive dysphagia for 3 months, more commonly to solids without any history of anorexia or weight loss. No history of corrosive ingestion, radiation exposure, or prior history of any surgical or endoscopic intervention was present. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed esophageal mucosal bridge at 20 and 25 cm from incisors and mucosal tag. Endoscopic resection was carried out successfully with hot biopsy forceps and needle knife after prophylactic application of hemoclips at two ends of each bridge, without any adverse event. Esophageal mucosal bridge, though rarely reported, should be kept in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with dysphagia. Endoscopic resection with hot biopsy forceps or needle knife seems to be effective.

Aim of the study: Decompensated hepatitis C virus (HCV) cirrhosis is a difficult to treat cohort, and there is no gold standard predictor of response to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. We conducted this study to look for factors responsible for improvement in post-therapy status, i.e. attainment of Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class A from B or C, and devise a new model to predict post-therapy response. Material and methods: Prospective analysis of data from decompensated HCV cirrhotics was done and association of each parameter with patient outcomes at 36 weeks after treatment was assessed. Results 34 patients (54.8%) attained CTP class A after treatment. Factors that were independently associated with disease outcome included albumin (odds ratio [OR] = 4.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43-20.15, p = 0.018), alanine transaminase (ALT) (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1-1.04, p = 0.049), bilirubin (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.2-0.75, p = 0.007) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.0-1.06, p = 0.045). On multivariate analysis, bilirubin was significantly associated with treatment outcome (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.1-0.64, p = 0.006). A composite model was devised using demographic, biochemical, and clinical features, which has sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of 67.86%, 79.41%, 73.08%, 75%, and 73.63% respectively in predicting response to therapy. Only 7.6% of patients with a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score > 15 and none of the patients with CTP class C met the primary end-point of our study. Conclusions 55% of our cohort met the primary end-point at 36 weeks. Patients with CTP class C and a MELD score > 15 should be referred for liver transplantation followed by DAA therapy. Our model was good at predicting improvement in post-therapy liver function.

Background Splanchnic venous system thrombosis is a well recognized local vascular complication of acute pancreatitis (AP). It may involve thrombosis of splenic vein (SplV), portal vein (PV) and superior mesenteric vein (SMV), either separately or in combinations, and often detected incidentally, indeed some cases present with upper gastrointestinal bleed, bowel ischemia and hepatic decompensation. Incidence is variable depending on study subjects and diagnostic modalities. Pathogenesis is multifactorial centered on local and systemic inflammation. Management involves treatment of underlying AP and its complications. Universal use of anticoagulation may lead to increased risk of bleeding due to frequent need of interventions (radiologic/endoscopic/surgical). Literature on anticoagulation in setting of AP is sparse and at present there is no consensus guideline on it. Current article details our experience on splanchnic venous thrombosis (SVT) in AP in a well defined cohort of patients at a tertiary care center. Methods Hospitalized patients with AP from January 2018 to December 2018 were included in the study. Detailed information on demographic, clinical, laboratory, radiologic features, and indication of anticoagulation use were collected prospectively during the index admission. Outcome variables were analyzed at the end of 6 months. Results Twenty four out of 105 (22.85%) patients with AP develop SVT. Etiology of AP was alcohol use in 21/24 (87.5%) subjects. Most common vessel involved was isolated SplV in 11/24 (45.8%) patients followed by SplV along with PV and SMV 9/24 (37.50%, P < 0.001). Bowel ischemia 4/12 (33.3%), hepatic decompensation 3/12 (25%), triple vessel involvement 4/12 (33.3%) and pulmonary embolism 1/12 (8.3%) were reasons for anticoagulation. There was no statistical difference with respect to development of varices, collateral formation, recanalization, bleeding and mortality with use of anticoagulation (P > 0.05 with respect to all above variables). Conclusions SVT is commonly seen in alcohol-induced AP. Anticoagulation does not affect outcomes of SVT. Subset of patients may benefit with anticoagulation.

Crigler–Najjar is a rare genetic autosomal recessive disorder caused by deficiency of enzyme Uridine 5-Diphosphate Glucuronosyl Transferase (UDP-GT). We report the case of a 24-year-old female with two consecutive pregnancies with a high level of total bilirubin level of 15.1 mg/dl and a direct bilirubin level of 0.8 mg/dl during the first pregnancy. As she was diagnosed case of Crigler Najjar type 2, she was on phenobarbitone 60 mg daily. With careful monitoring, she continued with the same dose. We concluded that even with high bilirubin level (15.1 mg/dl) in pregnancy, no adverse effects to the baby and mother were seen.

Thiopurines by their glucocorticoid-sparing property help in maintaining remission for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), when glucocorticoids are reduced and withdrawn. However, due to bone marrow suppression, it cannot be used in various conditions where it is indicated. A 17-year-old patient presented with pancytopenia with neutropenic sepsis and alopecia after 3 weeks of starting azathioprine for her underlying Crohn's disease. Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT;*2, *3A, *3C) analysis resulted in a wild-type genotype, whereas homozygous Nudix hydrolase 15 (NUDT 15 C415T) variant was positive. Azathioprine was stopped immediately, and she was started on broad-spectrum antibiotics that led to some clinical improvements initially, but later on, the patient developed intestinal obstruction along with postoperative complications leading to death. In this report, we highlight a case of serious hematological toxicity associated with azathioprine use in a patient with Crohn's disease with homozygous NUDT 15 variant, thus favoring the implementation of a pharmacogenomic approach before starting azathioprine, particularly in the Asian population. How to cite this article Debnath P, Nair S, Jain S, Udgirkar S, Contractor Q, Rathi P. Thiopurine-induced Myelosuppression with Severe Sepsis in a Patient with Crohn's Disease: A Case Report. Indian J Crit Care Med 2021;25(2):228-230. Prior presentation of case report at professional meeting The case was presented in abstract form at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting, held at San Antonio, TX, USA 2019. Informed consent for publication of case details Obtained from patient's relatives.

Esophageal perforation is a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate. First described around 300 years ago, management of this fatal condition has emerged from surgical to endoscopic modalities with much less morbidity and mortality when instituted early. We present this case of 55-year-old male, with double esophageal perforation by meat bone, perforating lower esophageal wall, leading to localized hydropneumothorax on right side with mild bilateral pleural effusion managed endoscopically with Over-the-Scope-Clip. Endoscopic management of esophageal perforation has been well mentioned in literature, without any mention of such management in case of double esophageal perforation. Surgery with or without endoscopy remains the main stay of management of such cases.

BACKGROUND Endoscopic remission is the current treatment target in patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Literature on adequacy of sigmoidoscopy in comparison to colonoscopy to assess endoscopic and histologic activity during follow up is sparse. METHODS This is an interim analysis of a prospective study of patients diagnosed with UC with disease extent proximal to the sigmoid colon. Fifty adult patients underwent a complete colonoscopy with segmental biopsies. Endoscopic disease activity was graded using Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (MES) and the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity score (UCEIS). The histological grading was done using the Nancy score, Robarts Histopathology Index (RHI) and Simplified Geboes Score (SGS). The maximum rectosigmoid disease activity was compared with the maximum disease activity in the rest of the colon. RESULTS Endoscopic Correlation: Sigmoidoscopic evaluation using MES showed good correlation with pan colonoscopic evaluation for disease activity with a sensitivity of 92.11%, specificity of 66.67%, accuracy of 86% (95% CI – 73.26% to 94.18%), kappa value (k) of 0.58 (p value < 0.001) and Area under curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95% CI- 0.74 to 0.942). Similarly, sigmoidoscopic evaluation using UCEIS score showed good correlation with pan colonoscopic evaluation for disease activity with a sensitivity of 95.0%, specificity of 70%, accuracy of 90% (95% CI – 78.19% to 96.67%), k of 0.68 (p value < 0.001) and AUC of 0.895 (95% CI- 0.805 to 0.924). Disease activity in the colon missed by performing a sigmoidoscopy using MES and UCEIS score is only 6% and 4% respectively. Histological Correlation: Histologic findings in rectosigmoid showed good correlation with histologic findings in rest of the colon using Nancy’s score [Sensitivity of 97.96%, specificity of 100%, accuracy of 98% (95% CI – 89.35% to 99.95%), k of 0.658 (p value < 0.001) and AUC of 0.99 (95% CI- 0.959 to 1.0)], Simplified Geboes Score [Sensitivity of 97.92%, specificity of 100%, accuracy of 98% (95% CI – 89.35% to 99.95%), k of 0.79 (p value < 0.001) and AUC of 0.99 (95% CI- 0.962 to 1.0)], and Robarts Histopathology Index [Sensitivity of 95.56%, specificity of 80%, accuracy of 94% (95% CI – 83.45% to 98.75%), k of 0.694 (p value < 0.001) and AUC of 0.878 (95% CI- 0.667 to 1.0) ]. Histologic disease activity in the colon missed by performing a sigmoidoscopy using Nancy score, SGS and RHI is only 2%, 2% and 4% respectively. CONCLUSION In patients diagnosed with UC and having disease extent proximal to the sigmoid colon, sigmoidoscopic evaluation has good correlation with pan colonoscopic evaluation for grading endoscopic and histological disease activity. A sigmoidoscopic examination is adequate to assess the disease activity in patients with disease extent proximal to the sigmoid colon.

INTRODUCTION Ulcerative colitis (UC) is associated with liver disorders due to various etiologies. Some are diagnosed on basis of deranged liver function tests, imaging, and/or histology. Data on fibroscan in UC is scarce. A previous study had shown no significant differences in liver stiffness (LS) on fibroscan between the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cases and non-IBD control groups. AIMS We aimed to evaluate UC patients for the prevalence of clinically significant liver disease which is defined by an increased liver stiffness measurement (LS) ≥8 kPa using transient elastography (TE) and to evaluate the effect of UC treatment on liver stiffness at 6 months. METHODS All individuals (UC and non-IBD) had their LS recorded using FibroScan® (EchoSense, Paris, France) by a single-blinded operator trained in TE. RESULTS 120 UC patients and 60 non-IBD control subjects were included. All demographic variables were comparable between the two groups. Thirty-five UC patients (29.9%) had an LS over 8 kPa at baseline and 24 had persistently elevated LS at 6 months after treatment. This suggests a significant reduction in TE values among 31.4% of cases after starting treatment. Four patients had LS in the cirrhotic range (>14 kPa). On fibroscan, difference in LS (mean ± standard deviation in group UC = 7.57 ± 2.77 vs non-IBD group = 5.37 ± 2.32, p < .001). CONCLUSION TE in UC at the time of diagnosis can detect clinically significant fibrosis. With treatment, TE values regress below

Retrorectal cystic hamartomas or tailgut cysts are infrequent congenital lesions presenting as presacral masses originating from the embryonic hindgut. They are commonly diagnosed in middle-aged women. Physicians must have a high index of suspicion to diagnose this rare tumor. We report a case of retrorectal hamartoma in a 70-year-old male presenting as rectal bleeding instead of the usual compressive symptoms. The utility of imaging modalities and the paramount importance of histopathology has been described. The treatment modality is surgical excision to prevent the potential malignant transformation.

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS)is a rare non-hereditary hamartomatous polyposis syndrome of unknown aetiology. It is characterized by diffuse gastrointestinal polyps, dystrophic nail changes, alopecia, cutaneous hyperpigmentation, chronic diarrhoea, anorexia and hypogeusia. It is associated with a high incidence of gastrointestinal malignancies, mortality and morbidity. Early clinical suspicion and treatment is important. We report an elderly male with CCS who showed clinical and endoscopic improvement with long term corticosteroid therapy.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the most common hepatotropic viral infection affecting the patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Treatment of chronic HCV infection in stage 4 and 5 CKD includes a combination of elbasvir/grazoprevir and glecaprevir/pibrentasvir, which are not available in many countries. OBJECTIVE: Hence, we have conducted this study to look for the safety and efficacy of sofosbuvir combination therapy in this difficult to treat population. METHODS: We conducted a single-center, prospective, open-label study in which Stage 5 CKD patients on maintenance hemodialysis with HCV infection. Total of 18 patients was included. sofosbuvir with daclatasvir or ledipasvir was used according to genotype for 12 weeks. HCV RNA, genotype, transient elastography (TE) was considered for every patient. HCV RNA was quantified at 4th week, 12th week and 12 weeks post-treatment to look for sustained virologic response (SVR 12). RESULTS: Infection due to genotype 1 was seen in 12 (66.7%) patients followed by genotype 3 in 4 (22.3%) with each patient of genotype 2 and 5. The median value of HCV RNA was 2,35,000 IU/mL. On TE, all had liver stiffness of