Gastroenterology

Prolonged treatment with combination antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors resulted in an eradication rate of greater than 90% in treated patients.

Patients taking linaclotide experience clinically meaningful improvement in abdominal and bowel symptoms, which closely correlate with the US Food and Drug Administration's new criteria for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).

Growing evidence suggests increased cardiovascular risk in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) - in particular nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASN) - but no data exists to support a specific management approach.

Esophageal pH monitoring is more cost effective than the long-term use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), since it can help rule out gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD) and avoid the unneeded costs associated with prolonged medication therapy.

While it's important for nutrition and an integral part of patients' lives, food also plays a role in functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Andrew J. Muir, MD, MHS, said having more antiviral hepatitis C drugs in the pipeline could spur more people to accept treatment and improve patient outcomes.

Presenters at Digestive Disease Week 2013, held May 18-21, 2013, in Orlando, Fla., differed on the risks of surgical complications from the use of biologic agents.

Inpatient management of patients with increasingly virulent community acquired and nosocomial infections, ranging from bacteremia to C. difficile colitis, presents hospitalists with challenging choices.

Many accepted practices in hospital medicine, ranging from electrolyte management to the components of a syncope workup, may have scant or equivocal evidence to support their use.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today expanded approval of Simponi (golimumab) to treat moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects some 620,000 Americans.

Researchers using fMRI to study neural activity in IBS patients report that the processing and perception of visceral stimuli can be modulated by psychological and cognitive treatment.

Patients who have IBD, even those who are in clinical remission, often exhibit symptoms consistent with IBS, which can complicate the assessment and management of IBD and lead to unnecessary interventions.

Study supports the current practice of post-surgery H. pylori eradication in patients with perforated peptic ulcers.

Phase III study results show patients with chronic non-cancer pain and opioid-induced constipation (OIC) experienced improvements in spontaneous bowel movement frequency and other symptoms of OIC.

Genome studies provide clues about variation in individual risk for H. pylori infection.

Citing an increased risk of liver injury observed in recent clinical trials, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has limited Samsca (tolvaptan) treatment to 30 days and recommended the oral selective vasopressin V2-receptor antagonist be discontinued in patients with signs of liver disease or symptoms of liver injury.

Researchers claim that restricting dietary intake of fermentable short-chain carbohydrates improves GI symptoms in patients with IBS.

Researchers comparing scoring systems find considerable variation in performance and several factors that complicate direct comparison of systems.

After noticing the ample adverse effects of second-line Helicobacter pylori eradication treatments that utilize tetracycline, furazolidone and proton-pump inhibitors, one group of gastroenterologists set to work adding a probiotic compound to the regimen in an attempt to increase the stomach bacteria's eradication rate while curbing those unwanted effects.

The stigma attached to chronic diseases such as IBS has been shown to negatively affect patients' self-image and sense of worth, leading to worse outcomes. Being aware of this and working to counteract the psychological effects of stigma can improve the patient-physician relationship and lead to better outcomes.

Researchers will use MRI to identify structural brain changes that correlate with symptom relief in patients with IBS.

Researchers say that new insight into the microbiome will lead to new opportunities for treating a variety of medical conditions, both within and outside the gut.

Pharmacist and runner Jay Sochoka, BSPharm, RPh, reflects on his experiences competing in the Boston Marathon and shares his thoughts on the tragedy that occurred at this year's race.

Studies showing improvements in GI symptoms in patients with IBS treated with antibiotics such as rifaximin and neomycin also provide evidence for the role of altered gut flora in this condition.

The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD) has created several useful resources for patients and physicians for IBS Awareness Month.

Data show that prevalence of concurrent IBS is actually higher in younger patients with OAB.

Results from a mouse model study suggest that altering host gut microbiota via antibiotic treatment may reduce inflammation and other pathologies caused by H. pylori.

Researchers investigating the development of peptic ulcers in patients with liver cirrhosis reported that H. pylori is not the predominant etiology in this population.

Researchers in Taiwan report that type 2 diabetes is independently associated with increased risk of peptic ulcer bleeding.

Recent studies on the effectiveness of current IBS medications and various non-drug interventions, including hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, suggest that a combined approach may work best for this pathophysiologically complicated condition.