Update on the strategy for intravenous fluid treatment in acute pancreatitis

Background: Colonoscopy is a standard procedure for evaluating colon diseases and screening for colorectal cancer, and bowel cleanliness prior to colonoscopy is key. The aim of this study was to compare the bowel cleansing efficacy of low-volume (2 L) split-dose polyethylene glycol (PEG) plus single-dose (24 µg) lubiprostone (LB) and high-volume (4 L) split-dose PEG. Methods: Patients scheduled to undergo outpatient colonoscopy between December 2019 and June 2021 at Rajavithi Hospital were enrolled and randomized into two groups: 2 L PEG + LB or 4 L PEG. Colon cleanliness was evaluated using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) by reviewing images of the colon after completion of colonoscopy. Secondary outcomes comprised cecal intubation rate, procedure time, withdrawal time, polyp detection rate, adenoma detection rate, patient satisfaction, compliance (based on complete ingestion of bowel preparation regimen), willingness to repeat the preparation regimen, and associated adverse events. Results: One hundred and forty patients were included, with 70 in each group. The mean total and segment-specific BBPS scores were not significantly different between groups. However, the rate of adequate bowel preparation was significantly higher in the 2 L PEG + LB group than the 4 L PEG group (100% [95% CI 94.6–100] versus 88.4% [95% CI 78.4–94.9], p = 0.004) in the per-protocol analysis. Colonic polyps were the most common finding. The polyp detection rate, adenoma detection rate, and all secondary outcomes were statistically similar in the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The combination of 2 L split-dose PEG plus LB improves bowel cleanliness (based on BBPS scores) to a comparable degree to the standard 4 L split-dose PEG, without additional adverse events and with a lower PEG volume.

To analyze the efficacy and safety of sofosbuvir (SOF)-based regimens in Thai patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection who had pre-existing significant liver fibrosis. This was a retrospective cohort study, conducted between 1 June 2018 and 31 May 2019 at Rajavithi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand. All patients completed 12 weeks of SOF-based regimens and had follow-up for at least 12 weeks after therapy discontinuation. The primary outcome was sustained virological response (SVR) 12 weeks after the end of therapy. A total of 185 patients were included, with 52, 63 and 70 taking SOF+Ledipasvir (SOF+LDV), SOF+LDV+ribavirin (RBV) and SOF+Pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN)+RBV (SOF+Peg-IFN+RBV) respectively. Genotype (GT) 1 was predominant at 40.0%, followed by GT3 at 37.8%, and GT6 at 22.2%. Overall 95.1% of patients in this study achieved SVR (n = 176/185), and the only factor associated with SVR was HCV genotype (p = 0.001). GT6 patients had lower SVR rates compared to GT1 and GT3 patients (82.9%, 98.6%, and 98.6% respectively) while there was no association between SVR and other factors (p >0.05) such as gender, age, BMI, underlying cirrhosis, baseline HCV viral load, or prior treatment history. No serious adverse events were reported in the present study. Sofosbuvir-based regimens in the treatment of patients with chronic HCV infection were highly efficacious with excellent safety and tolerability profiles in a real-world setting; however, further research is required to establish whether or not such a regimen is an adequate treatment for all genotype 6 patients.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of omeprazole plus mosapride combination therapy with that of omeprazole monotherapy in proton pump inhibitor (PPI) refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients. Patients and methods: Patients were eligible to participate in this study if they had experienced symptoms of heartburn and/or regurgitation more than twice weekly and were unresponsive to at least 8 weeks of a standard dose of PPI. A total of 44 consecutive patients were randomized to receive omeprazole 20 mg once daily plus either mosapride 5 mg or placebo three times daily for 4 weeks. We evaluated their clinical symptoms by means of frequency scale for symptoms of GERD (FSSG) questionnaires completed at the beginning and the end of the study. The primary outcome was to compare changes in FSSG scores between treatment groups during the study period. Results: Most of the study population had non-erosive reflux disease (91.0% in the combination group and 81.8% in the control group). The minority of patients had Los Angeles grade A or B erosive esophagitis (9% in the combination group and 18.2% in the control group). None of the patients had Los Angeles grade C or D erosive esophagitis. FSSG total scores significantly decreased both in the combination group and the control group, with no significant differences in improvement between the groups (−8.00±7.18 for the combination group versus −5.68±6.29 for the control group, p=0.129). As a secondary outcome, our data showed that the effect of combination therapy on a number of symptom-free days (heartburn-free days, regurgitation-free days, and night-time heartburn-free days) was not superior to PPI monotherapy. Conclusion: Combining mosapride for four weeks with a standard dose of PPI is not more effective than PPI alone in patients with PPI-refractory GERD.

Background: Jackhammer esophagus is a rare esophageal motility disorder that can result in dysphagia, chest pain, and gastro-esophageal reflux symptoms. High-resolution manometry is the gold standard for diagnosis, while corkscrew esophagus on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is an uncommon manifestation. Case presentation: 72-year-old man who presented with progressive dysphagia for three months without symptoms of chest pain or heartburn. Initial workup showed a corkscrew esophagus on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy; subsequently, high-resolution manometry revealed an esophago-gastric junction outflow obstruction with hypercontractile (jackhammer) esophagus. Treatment with calcium channel blockers and proton pump inhibitors was successful and relieved his symptoms near completion. Conclusions: Even though the corkscrew esophagus is typically for distal esophageal spasm, the hypercontractile (jackhammer) esophagus can appear. The high-resolution manometry can help to distinguish each specific motility disorder.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is an important health problem that has a serious adverse impact on the global economy and healthcare systems. The virus is not only involved in the respiratory system, but also causes other systemic effects as well as several gastrointestinal and liver issues. Evidence has shown direct viral invasion into the gastrointestinal tissue and supporting vascular network, causing various manifestations such as diarrhea, nausea, gastrointestinal bleeding, and abnormal liver function tests. The degree of gastrointestinal injury, especially in terms of liver involvement, is correlated with disease severity. There is no specific treatment for gastrointestinal involvement, and the symptoms can be managed with supportive therapy. Moreover, increased liver decompensation and mortality can be found in COVID‐19‐infected patients with coexisting liver disease. As the virus can be identified in gastrointestinal contents, endoscopic procedures during the pandemic should be carefully selected and proper protection strategies should be encouraged to prevent viral transmission.