Pediatric to adult inflammatory bowel disease transition: the Asian experience

Many tertiary inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) centers recognize that a structured transition program is fundamental for an IBD unit. However, the path to ensuring a seamless transition for all stakeholders is often fraught with challenges. In this review, we go through current evidence, identify the requirementsof a successful transition program, and the barriers to seamless transfer. We also aim to shed light on differences in needs between the Western and Asian adolescent IBD populations. Majority of healthcare providers viewed having a structured transition program to be very important. The lack of a standard protocol led us to come up with a list of requirements ofa successful program. These include: multidisciplinary team meetings, alternating visits between the adultand pediatric clinics, proper documentation of records, and determining the ideal timing for transfer. The difficulties forthe Asian adolescent IBD population may be attributed to the reliance on parental support to make decisions regarding medicaltreatment. Lastly, there are various physician, patient and disease factors which are barriers to seamless transition. These includethe lack of proper documentation, and lack of patient self-efficacy. We also propose a standardized template for documentation of medical records for IBD patients.

Best practices on immunomodulators and biologic agents for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease in Asia

The Asia-Pacific Working Group on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was established in Cebu, Philippines, under the auspices of the Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology with the goal of improving IBD care in Asia. This consensus is carried out in collaboration with Asian Organization for Crohn's and Colitis. With biologic agents and biosimilars becoming more established, it is necessary to conduct a review on existing literature and establish a consensus on when and how to introduce biologic agents and biosimilars in the conjunction with conventional treatments for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) in Asia. These statements also address how pharmacogenetics influence the treatments of UC and CD and provide guidance on response monitoring and strategies to restore loss of response. Finally, the review includes statements on how to manage treatment alongside possible hepatitis B and tuberculosis infections, both common in Asia. These statements have been prepared and voted upon by members of IBD workgroup employing the modified Delphi process. These statements do not intend to be all-encompassing and future revisions are likely as new data continue to emerge.

The association between new generation oral contraceptive pill and the development of inflammatory bowel diseases

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To examine the association between use of oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) and the risk of developing inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), in a modern cohort. METHODS: A prospective nested case-control study across sites in the Asia-Pacific region was conducted; involving female IBD cases and asymptomatic controls. Subjects completed a questionnaire addressing questions related to OCP use. Primary outcome was the risk of development of IBD of those exposed to OCP versus non-exposure. Secondary outcomes were development of Crohn's disease (CD) versus ulcerative colitis (UC), and whether age of first use of OCP use may be associated with risk of IBD. RESULTS: Three hundred and forty-eight female IBD cases (41% CD, median age: 43 years) and 590 female age-matched controls were recruited. No significant association was found between OCP use and the risk of IBD (odds ratio [OR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.77–3.13; P=0.22), CD (OR, 1.55) or UC (OR, 1.01). The lack of association persisted when results were adjusted for age and smoking. IBD cases commenced OCP use at a younger age than controls (18 years vs. 20 years, P=0.049). CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort of subjects from the Asia-Pacific region, we found a modest but not significantly increased risk of developing IBD amongst OCP users.