181 research outputs found
Efficacy of hemostatic powders as monotherapy or rescue therapy in gastrointestinal bleeding related to neoplastic or non-neoplastic lesions
Background Hemostatic powder (HP) in gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is mainly used as rescue therapy after failure of conventional hemostatic procedures (CHP). Aim To define the best field of application and the efficacy of HP as first choice monotherapy or rescue therapy. Methods We compared the efficacy of HP monotherapy, HP rescue therapy, and CHP in the management of active GIB due to neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions. Results A total of 108 patients, 43 treated with HP as either first choice or rescue therapy and 65 with CHP, were included in the study. The most frequent sources of bleeding were peptic ulcer and malignancy. Immediate hemostasis rates were: HP monotherapy = 100% in peptic ulcer and 100% in malignancy; HP rescue therapy = 93.2% in peptic ulcer and 85.7% in malignancy; CHP = 77.9% in peptic ulcer and 41.7 in malignancy. Definitive hemostasis rates were: HP monotherapy = 50% in peptic ulcer and 45.5% in malignancy; HP rescue therapy = 73.3% in peptic ulcer and 85.7% in malignancy; CHP = 69.1% in peptic ulcer and 33.3% in malignancy. No difference was found in terms of additional intervention between the three groups. Conclusions HP is highly effective as monotherapy and rescue therapy in GIB. GIB related to malignancy may be the best field of application of HP, but confirmatory studies are necessary
Factors influencing diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in pancreatic and biliary tumors
Background and aimDiagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is influenced by several factors, primarily operator expertise. Formal training in EUS-FNA, as suggested by the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines, is not always available and is often expensive and time-consuming. In this study we evaluate factors influencing the diagnostic accuracy of pancreatic EUS-FNA.MethodsIn a retrospective study, 557 consecutive EUS-FNAs were evaluated. Several variables relating to the procedures were considered to calculate the EUS-FNA performance over eight years.ResultsA total of 308 out of 557 EUS-FNAs were selected. Overall sensitivity of EUS-FNA was 66% (95% CI: 60.8-71.8), specificity 100%, and diagnostic accuracy 69% (95% CI: 64.0-74.4). An increase in diagnostic accuracy was observed to >90% using a new fine-needle biopsy (FNB) needle and in the case of simultaneous sampling of primary and metastatic lesions. Diagnostic accuracy >80% was observed after 250 procedures, in the absence of rapid on-site cytopathological examination (ROSE). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that the FNB needle, operator skill, and double EUS-FNA sampling are associated with high diagnostic accuracy.ConclusionsThe learning curve for EUS-FNA may be longer and a considerable number of procedures are needed to achieve high diagnostic accuracy in the absence of ROSE. However, the use of FNB needles and the simultaneous sampling of primary and metastatic lesions can rapidly improve the diagnostic accuracy of the procedure
Upper Endoscopy in Patients with Extra-Oesophageal Reflux Symptoms: A Multicentre Study
Background: There are no evidence-based recommendations for performing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) in patients with extra-oesophageal symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). However, UGIEs are often performed in clinical practice in these patients. We aimed to assess the prevalence of gastro-oesophageal lesions in patients with atypical GORD symptoms. Methods: Patients complaining of at least one extra-oesophageal GORD symptom and undergoing UGIE in seven centres were prospectively enrolled. Clinically relevant lesions (Barrett's oesophagus, erosive oesophagitis, gastric precancerous conditions, peptic ulcer, cancer, and H. pylori infection) were statistically compared between groups regarding GORD symptoms (atypical vs. both typical and atypical), type of atypical symptoms, age, and presence of hiatal hernia. Results: Two hundred eleven patients were enrolled (male/female: 74/137; mean age: 55.5 ± 14.7 years). Barrett's oesophagus was detected in 4 (1.9%), erosive oesophagitis in 12 (5.7%), gastric precancerous conditions in 22 (10.4%), and H. pylori infection in 38 (18%) patients. Prevalence of clinically relevant lesions was lower in patients with only atypical GORD symptoms (28.6 vs. 42.5%; p = 0.046; χ2 test), in patients ≤50 years (20 vs. 44.8%; p = 0.004; χ2 test), and in those in ongoing proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy (21.1 vs. 40.2%; p = 0.01; χ2 test). No clinically relevant lesions were detected in patients ≤50 years, without alarm symptoms, and receiving PPI therapy. Hiatal hernia was diagnosed in only 6 patients with cardiologic and in 41 patients with ear-nose-throat symptoms (11.3 vs. 35.1%; p = 0.03; χ2 test). Conclusions: Clinically relevant lesions are uncommon among young (≤50 years) patients with extra-oesophageal GORD symptoms. Hiatal hernia is not more prevalent in patients with cardiologic symptoms and suspicion of GORD. The usefulness of UGIE in these patients is questionable
Clinical care pathway program versus open-access system: a study on appropriateness, quality, and efficiency in the delivery of colonoscopy in the colorectal cancer
Open-access colonoscopy (OAC), whereby the colonoscopy is performed without a prior office visit with a gastroenterologist, is affected by inappropriateness which leads to overprescription and reduced availability of the procedure in case of alarming symptoms. The clinical care pathway (CCP) is a healthcare management tool promoted by national health systems to organize work-up of various morbidities. Recently, we started a CCP dedicated to colorectal cancer (CRC), including a colonoscopy session for CRC diagnosis and prevention. We aimed to evaluate the appropriateness, the quality, and the efficiency in the delivery of colonoscopy with the open-access system and a CCP program in the CRC. Quality indicators for colonoscopy in subjects in the CCP were compared to referrals by general practitioners (OAC) or by non-gastroenterologist physicians (non-gastroenterologist physician colonoscopy, NGPC). Attendance rate to colonoscopy was greater in the CCP group and NGPC group than in the OAC group (99%, 99%, and 86%, respectively). Waiting time in the CCP group was shorter than in the OAC group (3.88 +/- 2.27 vs. 32 +/- 22.31 weeks, respectively). Appropriateness of colonoscopy prescription was better in the CCP group than in the OAC group (92 vs. 50%, respectively). OAC is affected by the lack of timeliness and low appropriateness of prescription. A CCP reduces the number of inappropriate colonoscopies, especially for post-polypectomy surveillance, and improves the delivery of colonoscopy in patients requiring a fast-track examination. The high rate of inappropriate OAC suggests that this modality of healthcare should be widely reviewed
Use of probiotics in the Helicobacter pylori eradication in Italy: data from the Italian Registry on Helicobacter pylori treatment
Measurement of the branching fraction for the decay KS --> pi e nu
We present a measurement of the branching ratio BR(KS --> pi e nu) performed
using the KLOE detector. KS mesons are produced in the reaction e+ e- --> phi
--> KS KL at the DAFNE collider. In a sample of about 5 million KS-tagged
events we find 624 +- 30 semileptonic KS decays. Normalizing to the KS --> pi+
pi- count in the same data sample, we obtain BR(KS --> pi e nu) = (6.91 +-
0.37) 10^-4, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation.Comment: 9 pages, 5 Encapsulated Postscript figures. Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Measuring the hadronic cross section via radiative return
Recently it has been demonstrated that particle factories, such as DAPHNE and
PEP-II, operating at fixed center-of-mass energies, are able to measure
hadronic cross sections as a function of the hadronic system energy using the
raditive return. This paper is an experimental overview of the progress in this
aera. Preliminary results from KLOE for the process e+e- -> \rho \gamma ->
\pi+\pi-\gamma and a fit to the pion form factor are presented. Some first
results from the BABAR collaboration are also shown.Comment: Invited talk presented at RADCOR/Loops and Legs 2002, Kloster
Banz/Germany, September 8-13 2002, 6 pages, 2 Figures; v1: references added,
typos correcte
Measurement of Gamma(phi -> eta' gamma)/Gamma(phi -> eta gamma) and the pseudoscalar mixing angle
We have measured the radiative decays phi -> eta gamma, phi ->etaprime gamma
selecting pi+ pi- gamma gamma gamma final state in a sample of about 5 times
10^7 phi mesons produced at the Frascati phi factory DAFNE. We obtain Gamma(phi
-> etaprime gamma)/Gamma(phi -> eta gamma)=(4.70 +- 0.47 +- 0.31) times 10^-3.
From this result we derive new accurate values for the branching ratio BR(phi
->etaprime gamma) = (6.10 +- 0.61 +- 0.43) times 10^-5, and the mixing angle of
pseudoscalar mesons in the flavour basis phi_P=(41.8 +1.9 -1.6) degrees.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.
Study of the Decay phi --> eta pi0 gamma with the KLOE detector
In a sample of 5.3x10^7 phi-decays observed with the KLOE detector at the
Frascati phi-factory Dafne we find 605 eta pi0 gamma events with eta -->
gamma\gamma and 197 eta pi0 gamma events with eta --> pi+ pi- pi0. The decay
phi --> eta pi0 gamma is dominated by the process phi --> a0 gamma. From a fit
to the eta pi0 mass spectrum we find BR(phi --> ao(980) gamma)= (7.4 +-
0.7)x10^-5.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys.Lett.
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