Endoscopes are electro-optical devices that are used to visualize the internal body cavities. The specialized endoscopic procedure of the upper gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus down to the duodenum is called an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). EGD visualizes the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. During the EGD, a flexible hose with a small video camera, lighting, and other special components is inserted through the patient’s mouth or nose. The diameter of the endoscope hose ranges from $\sim 6$ to 10 mm. EGD is usually done when the patient is in the left lateral position, and it can be performed without sedation, using only topical anesthesia, or under sedation, which generally results in better patient tolerance and comfort.

Background and Objectives: Severe non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeding is a life-threatening condition with complicated treatment if endoscopic therapy fails. In such cases, transcatheter arterial embolization is recommended. The technical and clinical effects of this technique were analyzed in this group of patients, as well as its complication rate and 30-day mortality. Materials and Methods: Patient data over a one-decade period (from 2010 to 2019) were analyzed retrospectively; 27 patients (18 men and 9 women; median age 61 years) treated by endovascular embolization in our institution, with clinically significant gastrointestinal hemorrhage after unsuccessful or impossible endoscopic treatment, were identified, and their data were collected. Results: The source of bleeding was found in 88% of patients, but embolization was performed in 96% of them. The overall technical success rate was 96.8%, and the clinical success was 88.5%. Re-bleeding occurred in eight cases, five of whom had re-embolization that was technically successful in four cases. The incidence of re-bleeding was significantly higher in patients with two or more comorbidities (p = 0.043). There was one serious complication (4%) in the group, and minor difficulties occurred in 18% of patients; 30-day mortality reached 22%. Mortality was significantly higher in the group of patients with re-bleeding (p = 0.044). Conclusions: Transcatheter arterial embolization is a mini-invasive method with high technical success in patients with endoscopically untreatable gastrointestinal bleeding; it is also suitable for high-risk cases. Mortality (to a significant extent) depends on the occurrence of re-bleeding and the patient’s comorbidities.

Background Globus pharyngeus could be described as a benign sensation of lump or foreign object in the throat. The etiology of the globus as a solitary syndrome is still unknown, but it is proposed that stress could have an important role in symptom emergence. Aims To evaluate the autonomic nervous regulation in patients with globus compared to healthy controls in reaction to stress. Methods Patients included in the study were diagnosed based on ROME IV criteria for Disorders of Gut Brain Interaction. Besides globus, the patients did not suffer any other substantial medical condition. As a control group, measurement of healthy volunteers was performed. Both groups underwent the same stress protocol assessment in the same laboratory settings. The protocol consist of two types of stressors: cold pressor test and mental arithmetic test to test different types of autonomic reactivity. Results Baroreflex sensitivity was significantly decreased in patients compared to controls in all phases of the protocol. Low-frequency band of systolic blood pressure variability was significantly increased during both stress phases in patients compared to controls. High-frequency band of heart rate variability was significantly decreased in patients compared to controls during the both of the stress phases. Conclusion The results of this study shows discrete abnormalities in complex autonomic reflex control which are predominantly manifested in response to stressful stimuli indicating altered neurocardiac regulation as a reaction to stress associated with globus pharynegus. This fact could have an important role in the personalized management of globus patients such as biofeedback.

Background: Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) affects 4.8% of the global population. Among these patients, between 13.4% and 19.6% suffer from alcoholic hepatitis (AH), which, in its severe form, is associated with significant short- and long-term mortality. Current therapeutic options are limited, offering only modest short-term survival benefits. Recent studies suggest that microbiota-based therapies may offer a novel therapeutic opportunity for patients with ALD. Methods: Databases including Embase, Medline, and CENTRAL were searched until 4 February 2026. The pre-registered protocol on PROSPERO (CRD42023467455) was followed without deviation. Studies comparing adult patients with ALD, treated with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) or standard of care (SOC), were included. Outcomes investigated included overall survival, alcoholic recidivism, adverse events (AEs), and disease severity scores. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using the ROBINS-I and ROB 2 tools. Hazard ratios (HR) were calculated for FMT versus SOC groups. Results: Overall, 10 studies were eligible for inclusion, with 339 patients eligible for synthesis. In these patients, FMT was associated with significantly improved overall survival compared to the SOC, with an HR of 0.50 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.35–0.72; p = 0.0002). When comparing FMT with pentoxifylline, the HR was 0.45 (95% CI: 0.21–0.96; p = 0.0345), and when FMT was compared with nutritional support alone, the HR was 0.36 (95% CI: 0.19–0.66; p = 0.0001). But FMT did not reach statistical significance when compared to glucocorticoids. ROB analysis showed a moderate to high risk of bias, and the overall certainty of evidence was low. Discussion: FMT is a promising therapeutic option for improving short- and medium-term survival in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH), particularly in those who are ineligible or unresponsive to corticosteroid therapy. However, given the risk of bias and low certainty of evidence, clinical significance remains uncertain. Confirmation in well-designed studies is needed.