Escalating complexity of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography over the last decade with increasing reliance on advanced cannulation techniques

At our academic tertiary care medical center, we have noted patients referred for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) who increasingly require advanced cannulation techniques. This trend is noted despite increased endoscopist experience and annual ERCP volume over the same period. To evaluate this phenomenon of perceived escalation in complexity of cannulation at ERCP and assessed potential underlying factors. Demographic/clinical variables and records of ERCP patients at the beginning (2008), middle (2013) and end (2018) of the last decade were reviewed retrospectively. Cannulation approaches were classified as "standard" or "advanced" and duodenoscope position was labeled as "standard" (short position) or "non-standard" ( long, semi-long). Patients undergoing ERCP were older in 2018 compared to 2008 (69.7 ± 15.2 years 55.1 ± 14.7, < 0.05). Increased ampullary distortion and peri-ampullary diverticula were noted in 2018 ( < 0.001). ERCPs were increasingly performed with a non-standard duodenoscope position, from 2.2% (2008) to 5.6% (2013) and 16.1% (2018) ( < 0.001). Utilization of more than one advanced cannulation technique for a given ERCP increased from 0.7% (2008) to 0.9% (2013) to 6.6% (2018) ( 4 cm, pancreatic uncinate mass, and bilirubin > 10 mg/dL predicted use of advanced cannulation techniques ( < 0.03 for each). Complexity of cannulation at ERCP has sharply increased over the past 5 years, with an increased proportion of elderly patients and those with malignancy requiring advanced cannulation approaches. These data suggest that complexity of cannulation at ERCP may be predicted based on patient/ampulla characteristics. This may inform selection of experienced, high-volume endoscopists to perform these complex procedures

Drug-Induced Pancreatic Injury (DIPI): Redefining Drug-Induced Pancreatitis in Adult and Pediatric Populations

Purpose of review Drug-induced pancreatitis is the second most common cause of acute pancreatitis (AP) in children and ranks as the third in adults. The aims of this targeted review are to provide a basis for conceptualizing drug-induced pancreatic injury (DIPI), to highlight specific drugs that are common or emerging risk factors, and to suggest a framework for future studies of DIPI. Recent findings We challenge the traditional notion of diagnosing a drug exposure as the etiology of pancreatitis only after other etiologies could not be identified. Instead, we propose rethinking the disease process as a continuum of pancreatic injury due to drug exposure that can be concomitant with other risk factors. Summary We favor a shift to use of the term drug-induced pancreatic injury (DIPI). There is a need to better characterize DIPI and to probe the mechanisms underlying the various types of DIPI, for the safer use of the DIPI inducing drugs by thwarting the adverse event of pancreatitis

The Majority of Patients Who Undergo ERCP When Large Duct Obstruction Is Evident on Liver Biopsy Have Biliary Findings Amenable to Endoscopic Intervention

(1) Background: Abnormal liver function tests are commonly encountered in clinical practice, often leading to additional workup to determine the underlying etiology of these abnormal laboratory studies. As part of this evaluation, if less invasive imaging studies are performed and are without evidence of biliary obstruction, liver biopsy may be performed, and the finding of large duct obstruction on liver biopsy is commonly encountered. The utility of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for evaluation and management of possible biliary obstruction in patients with large duct obstruction on liver biopsy has not been studied to date. (2) Methods: To assess the utility of ERCP in patients with large bile duct obstruction on liver biopsy, we retrospectively evaluated patients with large duct obstruction on liver biopsy from 2010–2019 at our tertiary care and transplant center. Demographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated for all patients, with sub-group analysis for patients who underwent ERCP and those who had intervenable findings at the time of ERCP. Descriptive statistics with proportions, means, and standard deviations were performed for demographics and clinical variables using absolute standardized difference. (3) Results: During the study period, 189 liver biopsies with evidence of large duct obstruction were performed. After exclusion criteria were applied, 166 unique patients were eligible for the study. Ninety-one patients with evidence of large duct obstruction on liver biopsy underwent ERCP and 75 did not. Of the 91 patients who underwent ERCP, 76 patients (84%) had an intervenable finding at ERCP. Patients who underwent ERCP were overall more likely to have had a liver transplant (65% ASD 0.63), have previously undergone cholecystectomy (80%, ASD 0.56), and be immunocompromised (80%, ASD 0.56). (4) Conclusions: ERCP is high yield when large duct obstruction is apparent on liver biopsy, with the majority of patients (84%) who undergo ERCP in this clinical context having a biliary finding necessitating therapeutic endoscopic intervention

Role of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in the Diagnosis and Management of Cholestatic Liver Diseases.

Cholestatic liver diseases (CLDs) occur as a result of bile duct injury, emanating into duct obstruction and bile stasis. Advances in radiological imaging in the last decade has replaced endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as the first diagnostic tool, except in certain groups of patients, such as those with ischemic cholangiopathy (IsC) or early stages of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). ERCP provides an opportunity for targeted tissue acquisition for histopathological evaluation and carries a diverse therapeutic profile to restore bile flow. The aim of this review article is to appraise the diagnostic and therapeutic roles of ERCP in CLDs

Adverse Events of Endoscopic Clip Placement: A MAUDE Database Analysis

Background: Clips are endoscopic mechanical devices with tensile and closure strength that can approximate tissue and provide hemostasis through a tamponade effect. Clips are ubiquitously used in endoscopic practice, and numerous studies have validated the clinical efficacy of clips, with recent guidelines recommending them as a first-line intervention for recurrent and persistent nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding. However, the safety profile for these devices has yet to be delineated, thus, we aim to investigate this feature by examining the adverse events reported to the Food and Drug Administration. Methods: Postmarketing surveillance data from the Food and Drug Administration Manufacturer And User Facility Device Experience database were analyzed from January 2012 to January 2021. The Manufacturer And User Facility Device Experience database is a reporting software and does not independently verify the details of complications. Results: Two thousand five hundred forty reports were issued, of which 287 were patient adverse events and 2766 were device problems. Activation, separation, and positioning issues were most common. No consequences or clinically significant impact on patients were seen in 1968 reports. Foreign bodies were seen in 97 cases, hemorrhage in 57 cases, tissue damage in 42 cases, embedded clips in tissues/plaques in 16 cases, perforation in 15 cases, lacerations in 6 cases, and infection in 3 cases. Conclusions: While the most commonly reported device problems involved activation, separation, and positioning, most patients were clinically unaffected. Moreover, perforation and infection were exceedingly rare, further highlighting the safety profile of endoscopic clips

Influence of Frailty in Patients Undergoing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography for Biliary Stone Disease: A Nationwide Study

Background and aims: Pancreaticobiliary diseases are common in the elderly. To this end, frailty represents a state of vulnerability that should be considered when assessing the risks and benefits of therapeutic endoscopic procedures. We aim to determine the rate of readmissions and clinical outcomes using the validated Hospital Frailty Risk Score in patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Methods: Using the National Readmissions Database, we identified patients with an admission diagnosis of cholangitis with obstructive stone from 2016 to 2019. Patients were determined to be of low frailty risk with a score of &lt; 5, while patients of medium to high frailty risk had a score of &gt; 5. Results: During the study period, 5751 patients were identified with acute cholangitis with obstructing stone. Mean age of index admissions was 69.4&nbsp;years and 51.8% were female. From the total cohort, 5119 (89.2%) patients underwent therapeutic ERCP, 38.0% (n = 1947) of whom were regarded as frail (risk score &gt; 5). Following ERCP, frail patients had a less but statistically insignificant readmission rate compared to non-frail patients (2.76% vs 4.05%, p = 0.450). However, compared to non-frail patients, frail patients experienced higher post-ERCP complications (6.20% vs 14.63%, p &lt; 0.001). Frail patients were more likely to have longer lengths of stay, higher hospital cost, and mortality risk. Conclusion: ERCP is not a risk factor for readmission among frail patients. However, frail patients are at higher risk for procedure-related complications, healthcare utilization, and mortality