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General Gastroenterology

News, opinions and meeting coverage in gastroenterology.

Clear Health Costs: Having Insurance Doesn't Always Pay

The case of the $1,700 mammogram

Subcutaneous Apomorphine Gets Parkinson's Patient Moving Quickly

Most patients respond to injected drug within 20 minutes

13 Apple Watch Medical Apps Made for Physicians

Even though there are over 3,500 apps that have been customized for the Apple Watch, there are few that health providers can actually utilize for themselves

HRT Tied to Higher Risk for GI Bleeds

Some women face nearly threefold increase in ischemic colitis risk.

Slippery Slope: Diet Drugs No Help for Heart

In another edition of the Slippery Slope series examining use of surrogate endpoints in drug approvals, 麻豆传媒 and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel find diet drugs are approved without solid evidence of benefits, but with hints of harm.

Slippery Slope: Fen-Phen Users Recall a 'Miracle' Turned Nightmare

Fen-phen use was linked to heart valve damage, as these two cases illustrate.

Diclegis: Drug Makes 30-Year Comeback

Class A morning sickness medication gains FDA approval after decades of being misunderstood.

Are There Fewer 'Tasty' Meals After Bariatric Surgery?

Taste buds may be diminished by weight-loss surgery.

Two Gastric Balloons May Be Better than One

A dual-balloon intragastric device helped patients shed more pounds.

Frozen or Powdered: Fecal Transplant Works in C. Diff

Donor stool need not be fresh for treating C. diff.

Case Study: Fecal Transplant Clears K. Pneumoniae

Treatment of teenage girl suggests another use for fecal microbiota transplant.

Vancomycin May Protect Against C. Diff Recurrence

WASHINGTON -- Prophylaxis with oral vancomycin (Vancocin) appeared to protect at-risk patients from experiencing a recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection, researchers reported here.

Obesity, T2D May Alter Gut Bacteria

CHICAGO -- The portfolio of gut bacteria in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes may look different from that of healthy people, researchers reported here.

AMA Clamps Down on MOC, But Punts on Gun Regs

CHICAGO -- The AMA鈥檚 House of Delegates drew the line on this year's hot button topic -- maintenance of certification (MOC), saying it should not be mandatory, nor should it be a condition of licensure.

Victoza Accused of Causing Pancreatitis

The watchdog group Public Citizen has conducted its own analysis of FDA adverse event reports and concluded that the type 2 diabetes drug liraglutide(Victoza) likely causes pancreatitis, the group said.

Gastro Effects Dog Oral MS Drug Tecfidera

DALLAS -- Large proportions of patients starting on dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) for multiple sclerosis need additional medications to manage the drug's GI and other side effects, and a substantial minority ultimately find the drug intolerable.

Edible Dynamite, Cockney Rhyming Medical Slang: That's Improbable!

A weekly report from our friends at Improbable Research.

Nasogastric Tube May Be Obsolete for GI Bleeds

CHICAGO -- Placement of a nasogastric tube for determining treatment of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding may be unnecessary since almost all these patients will eventually undergo an endoscopic procedure, researchers argued here.

Combo Active in Neuroendocrine Cancers

SAN FRANCISCO -- More than 90% of patients with neuroendocrine tumors had objective responses or stable disease when treated with an off-the-shelf chemotherapy doublet, results of a small study showed.

Colonoscopies: The Longer the Better

Polyp and adenoma detection rates were highest when the colonoscopy withdrawal time was 9 minutes long, near the upper limit of the recommended 6 to 10 minutes withdrawal time, researchers found.

ACA: When Is a Screening Not a Screening?

A provision in the Affordable Care Act that waives patients' payments for colonoscopies is an example of how good intentions in the law can lead to a tangle of unforeseen consequences.

FDA Adds GI Warning to Benicar Label

WASHINGTON -- The FDA ordered the maker of the blood pressure drug olmesartan (Benicar) to add a warning about risk of the intestinal condition known as sprue-like enteropathy to the drug's label.

Diabetes Experts Divided About 'Lone Wolf' Butler

Top experts in diabetes and endocrinology have offered mixed reactions to a profile of Peter Butler, MD, chair of endocrinology at the University of California Los Angeles, in the New York Times.

Shots Best Way to Give B12 After Bariatric Surgery

Vitamin B12 injections are the preferred treatment for patients who develop a deficiency following bariatric surgery, researchers found.

Low Potassium Linked with Liver Disease

Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease also had low potassium levels, researchers in China found.

Early pH Test in GERD May Save Money

ORLANDO -- Early referral of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for pH monitoring can help avoid extensive and costly use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a researcher said here.

Surgery Boosts Outcomes in Esophageal Cancer

SAN FRANCISCO -- Surgery after chemoradiotherapy increased overall and disease-free survival compared with chemoradiotherapy alone in advanced esophageal cancer treatment, researchers reported here.

Pfizer Will Pay $55 Million in Off-Label Case

Pfizer subsidiary Wyeth has agreed to pay $55 million plus interest to settle allegations it promoted off-label use of the acid reflux drug pantoprazole (Protonix), the company and government officials announced.

C. Difficile Inpatient Stays Long, Costly

LAS VEGAS -- Among the many factors that contribute to the burgeoning costs associated with Clostridium difficile infections are long hospital stays, particularly in intensive care units, and the need for multiple specialist consultations, a chart review determined.

Type of Contrast May Mean More Comfortable CT

CHICAGO -- Patients who underwent abdominal or pelvic CT imaging with a low-osmolar contrast agent reported more discomfort during the exam than patients who received an iso-osmolar agent, researchers said here.

Drug Relieves Opioid-Induced Constipation

LAS VEGAS -- An investigational opioid antagonist provided effective and durable relief from opioid-induced constipation in patients with chronic pain without interfering with analgesia, a randomized trial showed.

BP Drug Linked to Severe Diarrheal Illness

LAS VEGAS -- A patient's insightful question led to the identification of almost two dozen cases of severe enteropathy associated with use of blood pressure medication, investigators reported here.

Gallbladder Polyp Size Can Guide Treatment

The follow-up strategy for patients with gallbladder polyps should be based on the size of the lesions, which can influence progression and malignancy potential, British researchers advised.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. Responding to Bipolar Therapy

After months of silence from his office about his absence from Congress, the Mayo Clinic has announced that Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., (D-Ill.) is being treated at the facility for bipolar disorder.

Estrogen a Culprit in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

SAN DIEGO -- Postmenopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy are at increased risk for developing ulcerative colitis, while younger women using oral contraceptives are more likely to develop Crohn's disease.

Doctors Say 45 Common Tests 'Overused'

Nine specialty groups have listed tests and treatments that are frequently overused, such as antibiotics for sinus attacks and CT scans for low back pain, in the first phase of a long-term project.

H. Pylori Breath Test OK for Kids, FDA Says

A breath test for Helicobacter pylori infection available for adults may also be used in children and teens.

FDA Issues Warning on Acid Reflux Drugs

The FDA warned today that use of proton pump inhibitors -- including popular brands such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid -- may increase the risk of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea.

Gastric Ca Survival Rates Down, Chemo Use Up

SAN FRANCISCO -- A decline in survival rates in stage IV gastric cancer coincides with the increased use of chemotherapy rather than radiation and surgery, researchers found.

'Upset Stomach' Feels Better After Killing H. pylori

Eradicating Helicobacter pylori with antibiotics provided significant benefits to primary care patients with functional dyspepsia, according to results of a randomized trial.

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