Low Vitamin K and Vitamin D Dietary Intake in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The inadequate dietary intake of Vitamin D and Vitamin K is an easily reversible factor favoring IBD-associated bone loss, but data on Vitamin K are lacking. A 28-item quantitative food frequency questionnaire was administered to 193 IBD patients (89 Crohn’s disease and 104 ulcerative colitis), and 199 controls. Patients’ demographics, clinical and laboratory findings were analyzed in relation to recommended daily allowances. VitD intake was inadequate both in the IBD and control patients (8.3 ± 4.5 µg/day in IBD, 53.1% RDA, and 9.7 ± 5.9 µg/day, 63.2% RDA, respectively). Conversely, the mean ViK intake was less than adequate in IBD, at 116.7 ± 116.3 µg/day (78.7% RDA), and high in controls, at 203.1 ± 166.9 µg/day (138.8% RDA). Nonetheless, due to marked interindividual differences, diets were severely lacking VitK in 40% of UC and 49% of CD patients, more so in females and those with active disease. The intake of Vit D was non-significantly lower in colitis than that in Crohn’s disease (7.9 vs. 8.7 µg/day). The opposite was observed for VitK (123.5 vs. 107.0 µg/day). Thus, the diet lacks the micronutrients involved in bone wellbeing in a large proportion of IBD patients. While VitD supplementation is the rule, VitK shortages need proactive nutritional intervention. Keywords: IBD; vitamin K; vitamin D; diet in IB

Defecatory dysfunction after colon cancer resection. The role of inferior mesenteric artery tie

Background: Although oncological results for resection of colon cancer with inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) ligation at its origin (high tie) or immediately below the left colic artery (low tie) are similar, injury of the superior hypogastric plexus may be caused when the IMA is tied at its origin, thus impairing defecatory functions. Aim: The importance of IMA tie location on defecatory dysfunction in patients undergoing laparoscopic sigmoidal resection without preoperative radiation therapy was studied. Patients and Methods: From February 2013 to December 2018, 56 consecutive patients submitted to curative laparoscopic resection for stage II and III, M0, sigmoidal cancer were randomized to a high or low tie of the IMA. All demographic data and information on symptoms and comorbidity, intra- and post-operative outcomes and defecatory function before and after surgery [according to the following scales: Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life (FIQL) scale, Jorge-Wexner incontinence and Agachan- Wexner constipation scores] were collected into a computerized database. Results: All patients completed the questionnaires. The educational and social status, and lifestyle habits (defined as active or sedentary) of our groups were similar. A significant difference in total score of FIQL scale was observed between the high and low tie groups at 1 month [88±6 and 93±7, p=0.005, confidence interval for the difference between mean values (CIΔ)=1.706-9.065] and 6 months (93±7 and 97±6, p=0.030, CIΔ=0.390-7.547). The Jorge-Wexner incontinence scores showed a significant decrease in patients of the high group (1 month: 0.59±0.76 and 6 months: 0.62±0.79, respectively) when compared to those of the low tie group (1 month 0.17±0.38 and 6 months 0.17±0.38, respectively) (p=0.008 and p=0.006 at 1 and 6 months, respectively). At 1, 6 and 12 months, the overall Agachan-Wexner constipation scores were significantly higher in patients of the high tie group when compared to those of the low tie group (1 month: 5.1±1.1 and 4.3±0.86, p=0.002, CIΔ=-1.350-0.316; 6 months: 7.4±1.4 and 6.2±1.4, p=0.003, CIΔ=-1.959-0.436; and 12 months: 7.2±1.3 and 6±1.1, p=0.001, CIΔ=-1.840-0.576, respectively). Conclusion: Patients affected with stage II and III sigmoidal cancer had a better fecal continence at the short- to medium-term and less abdominal pain in the medium- to long-term when a low tie technique was utilized

Acute uncomplicated diverticulitis: key points for early management. A single-centre retrospective study

OBJECTIVE: Acute uncomplicated diverticulitis is an important clinical condition usually managed in clinical practice with antibiotic therapies and hospitalization in ward. In this setting, recent papers and guidelines suggest to limit the use of antibiotics in selected cases and encourage an early discharge in low-risk patients. The purpose of this retrospective study is to identify serological inflammatory markers and CT findings of acute uncomplicated diverticulitis (AUD) at the onset of the disease and the correlation with the need for in-patient or out-patient management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: It was used a database drawn from the collection of the patients admitted to our Emergency Room from January 2016 to 2019 and undergoing urgent abdominal CT-scan for suspicious of acute diverticulitis. For each patient we considered biochemical and radiological parameters at the onset of the disease and if patients were managed as in-patients (hospitalization in ward) or as out-patient (early discharged or after observation in Short Stay Unit). RESULTS: Among patients with early diagnosis of AUD, 108 (65%) were hospitalized in ward with mean time of in-stay of 6.94 days, while only 58 (35%) patients with same diagnosis were managed as out-patient and early discharged from emergency room or after observation in short stay unit with a mean time of in-stay significantly shorter (3.39 days, p-value 0.0007). Higher levels of C reactive protein and the length of colon involved considered as percentage (%) in comparison with the entire colon were significantly related to the need for hospitalization (p-value 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Biochemical parameters and a more advanced radiological evaluation, as the length (%) of colon involved, could allow a stratification of patients with diagnosis of AUD at the admission and help physicians in the early management