Gastroenterology

A new antibacterial drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections and complicated urinary tract infections.

The US Food and Drug Administration has announced the approval of a new combination treatment for hepatitis C virus.

A team of researchers recently reported that human genes may partially influence intestinal bacteria spurring inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) conditions like Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Hepatitis C does not contribute to mental impairment in patients who are coinfected with HIV when there is an absence of substantial liver damage, according to a study published online in the journal Neurology.

Researchers from the University of Missouri recently published study results indicating testosterone may play an integral role within colon cancer tumor formation.

An international team of researchers recently reported that inhibiting a nuclear receptor in the gut could spur favorable treatment for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in which buildup of fat in liver cells disrupts liver function.

Different brands of FITs with the same cutoff hemoglobin concentration have been reported to perform differently in detection of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Recent updates of guidelines for the treatment of Hepatitis C recommends priority to the sickest patients with advanced fibrosis, compensated cirrhosis or those in need of a liver transplant.

A Stanford University research team has developed mobile hepatitis B testing that can be conducted at home or in remote locations.

As electronic health records become more or less mandatory, the question moves from how widely they are adopted by practices across the country to whether the new versions are more effective than the old pen-and-paper way of doing business.

This is 52-year-old woman presented to the emergency with department with a 4-day history of upper abdominal cramping pain, nausea, vomiting, and distended abdomen.

A committee for the European Medicines Agency has recommended approval for a hepatitis C drug combination, a key step to winning European marketing authorization for the drug maker AbbVie. The recommendation for marketing authorization is for AbbVie's investigational drug named Exviera (dasabuvir) and Viekirax (ombitasvir, paritaprevir and ritonavir) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in combination with other medicine.

The US Food and Drug Administration recently rejected a bid by Bristol-Myers Squibb to win regulatory approval for its hepatitis C drug daclatasvir, pending further information requested in a Complete Response Letter issued by the agency.

Results from a recent study show that weak bile acid absorption leads to chronic diarrhea among cancer patients.

Individuals with airway diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to be diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal suggested.

Although the introduction of peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for the treatment of achalasia, a condition that affects the ability of the esophagus to move food into the stomach, has caused quite a stir, clinicians are reminded to consider additional factors when discussing therapeutic options.

Patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) suffer not only the pain and discomfort of frequent loose stools, but fear of incontinence. For many patients, that results in panic and anxiety.

Patients who have HCV infection are at high risk for arthralgia, myalgias, pruritus, neuropathy, and decompensated livers. Until recently the sole available treatment was interferon. After the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ribavirin, patients who took ribavirin plus interferon responded better. Now, the FDA has approved a small selection of oral antivirals to treat hepatitis C.

Modifying diet is one way to try to help patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). In a study reported in Gastroenterology, an Australian research team looked at the effects of lowering fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) vs. consuming a typical Australian diet.

Researchers have found that maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine may help prevent hepatitis C infection among injection drug users, a population with the highest risk of infection of the virus.

More than 23 million Americans who should be screened for colon cancer have not yet been screened. To the extent that lapse is due to patients' reluctance to submit to a colonoscopy, a non-invasive stool test could help – if it is effective. A research team looked at such a test, one made by Exact Sciences Corp. and approved in November, 2014 for Medicare reimbursement.

Dronabinol, commonly used as a nausea treatment, could be effective treatment for non-cardiac chest pain patients.

Study results published in the European Respiratory Journal show that rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) incidence have significantly increased in individuals with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Patients with advanced colorectal cancer previously only had access to limited treatment options; however, new research presented at the 26th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Barcelona, Spain, indicated a combination of 3 targeted drugs could potentially serve as a successful treatment.

The maker of Sovriad (simeprevir) has revised the drug's package insert labeling on the order of Japanese health officials following the deaths of three people who took the hepatitis C drug.

Patients with cirrhosis who took part in a study that tested a triple combination drug for hepatitis C with ribavirin saw normalization of key laboratory tests after three and six month treatment periods, an indication of improved liver condition.

As hospitals around the country deal with the newly instituted readmission penalties many are having to look at how they will handle providing the same level of care without some of the money they counted on in the past.

Researchers have found that maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine may help prevent hepatitis C infection among injection drug users, a population with the highest risk of infection of the virus.

Obese patients present several challenges when it comes to gastric bypass, kidney transplant, and other surgeries. Several recent advances have reduced the risk of complications in this population.

Affecting just one in every 100,000 people, ANCA-associated vasculitis is not one of the more common conditions nephrologists will encounter. However, without proper treatment it can have serious adverse effects on a patient's life.