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Introduction: gastrointestinal involvement in COVID-19 occurs in approximately 20% of patients and may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea or abnormal liver function tests. In our country, the characteristics of gastrointestinal involvement in COVID-19 patients have not been studied. Objectives: to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal and liver involvement in patients with COVID-19 treated at two hospitals in Bogotá, Colombia. To determine the association between COVID-19 gastrointestinal involvement and length of hospital stay, severity and mortality. Design and methodology: a cross-sectional study carried out at two hospitals in a hospital subnetwork in Bogotá, Colombia from February 2020 to March 2021. Results: a total of 1,176 patients with a positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were included. Gastrointestinal manifestations occurred in 50% (95%CI 47-52%), with the most frequent being diarrhea in 18.4%, odynophagia in 17.6%, anorexia in 14.7% and abdominal pain in 8.8%. An association was found between diarrhea during hospitalization and prolonged hospitalization (OR 1.93 95%CI 1.19-3.13), and between gastrointestinal bleeding on admission and death (OR 3.13, 95%CI 1.1-9.1), among others. Abnormal liver function tests occurred in 46% (95%CI 43-49%) and were more frequent in patients with severe disease and those who died. Conclusions: the prevalence of gastrointestinal manifestations in patients with COVID-19 was 50%. Diarrhea was associated with a longer hospital stay, and gastrointestinal bleeding was associated with respiratory failure and death. Forty-six percent of patients had abnormal liver function tests, with elevated transaminases being the most frequent. Elevated aspartate transaminase (AST) on admission was associated with greater mortality. (Acta Med Colomb 2022; 48. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2023.2729).
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Abstract Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) affects 50% of the human population. The efficacy of the usual treatments has decreased due to increased antibiotic resistance, except for that of amoxicillin, tetracycline, furazolidone and bismuth. Recently, there has been a new interest in dual therapy with high-dose proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and amoxicillin as initial and rescue treatment. There are no studies on this topic in our setting. Objective: to determine the efficacy of dual therapy with high-dose IPP and amoxicillin for eradicating H. pylori. Materials and methods: this was a quasi-experimental study carried out from December 2019 to July 2020 in people over the age of 18 with histologically confirmed H. pylori. All received 40 mg of esomeprazole half an hour before breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus 1 gram of oral amoxicillin every eight hours for 14 days. Eradication was determined by fecal antigens (OnSiteTM H. pylori Biotech Inc.) after four weeks of treatment. Results: 108 patients with an average age of 67 years were included, 70% of whom were women. Eradication per protocol (PP) and intention to treat (ITT) was 86% (95%CI 79.4-92.5%) for both. In previously treated patients (26%) the efficacy was 85.7% (95%CI 71.8-99.5%). Adverse events were mild in 31%, especially nausea (16%) and abdominal distension (14%). Treatment was not suspended in any patient. Conclusion: Dual therapy is effective, easy to administer, and has few adverse effects. It would be a good option in our setting as initial or rescue therapy. Larger studies are needed to confirm our results. (Acta Med Colomb 2021; 46. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2021.2091).
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Abstract Introduction: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects one out of eight people in Colombia. Its characteristic symptoms are heartburn and reflux. The cornerstone of treatment is proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), with a clinical response in 58-80% of patients. Of those who do not respond, 75-90% have a superimposed functional disorder and could be treated by adding visceral neuromodulators. Objective: to evaluate the impact of optimizing the treatment of patients with GERD when there is no response to esomeprazole (ESO). Materials and methods: a prospective study in patients with no clinical response (more than two reflux episodes per week) who were treated with 40 mg of ESO half an hour before breakfast along with the recommendation to lose weight if BMI >25, stop smoking and manage stress; and, finally, increasing the ESO dose to 40 mg on an empty stomach and before dinner. When all of this was done and symptoms persisted, 12.5 mg of amitriptyline were added at night. The response was evaluated every 12 weeks. Results: a total of 529 patients were eligible and 149 met the inclusion criteria. With treatment optimization, 111 patients had a clinical response without using amitriptyline (74.5%; 95%CI 67.2 81.4). Amitriptyline was added in 22 patients (14.8%), 15 of whom responded (68.2%; 95%CI 47.04-89.32%). Eight patients experienced drowsiness (53.3%). A relationship was found between PPI treatment compliance and clinical response (p<0.0001). Conclusions: in patients with GERD, PPI treatment optimization improves 74.5% (95%CI 67.2 81.4) of the patients, and adding amitriptyline for those who do not improve achieves improvement in 68.2% of those who did not improve with two doses of ESO. Sequential management achieved a cumulative improvement in symptom control in 85% (95%CI 78.6-90.4) of the patients. (Acta Med Colomb 2021; 46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2021.2041).
Resumen Introducción: la enfermedad por reflujo gastroesofágico (ERGE) afecta a una de cada ocho personas en Colombia. Sus síntomas característicos son pirosis y regurgitación. La piedra angular del tratamiento son los inhibidores de bomba de protones (IBP) con respuesta clínica en 58-80%. En quienes no responden 75-90% tienen un trastorno funcional superpuesto y se podrían tratar adicionando neuromoduladores viscerales. Objetivo: evaluar el impacto que tiene optimizar el tratamiento en pacientes con ERGE cuando no hay respuesta a esomeprazol (ESO). Material y métodos: estudio prospectivo en pacientes sin respuesta clínica (más de dos episodios de reflujo por semana) tratados con ESO 40 mg media hora antes del desayuno y simultáneamente recomendaciones para bajar de peso si IMC >25, dejar de fumar y controlar el estrés, y finalmente aumentado la dosis de ESO a 40 mg en ayunas y antes de la cena. Cuando se cumplió todo lo anterior y persistían los síntomas, se adicionó amitriptilina 12.5 mg por la noche. Cada 12 semanas se evaluaba la respuesta. Resultados: hubo 529 pacientes elegibles y 149 cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Optimizando el tratamiento 111 pacientes tuvieron respuesta clínica sin la utilización de amitriptilina (74.5%; IC95% 67.2-81.4). En 22 se adicionó amitriptilina (14.8%) y de estos respondieron 15 pacientes, 68.2% (IC95% 47.04-89.32%). En ocho pacientes hubo somnolencia (53.3%). Se encontró relación entre el cumplimiento del tratamiento con IBP y la respuesta clínica (p<0.0001). Conclusiones: en pacientes con ERGE la optimización del tratamiento con IBP mejora el 74.5% (IC95% 67.2-81.4) de los pacientes y la adición de amitriptilina a quienes no mejoran, logra mejorar el 68.2% de quienes no mejoraban con dos dosis de ESO. Con el manejo secuencial se logró mejoría acumulativa en el control de los síntomas de 85% (IC95% 78.6-90.4) de los pacientes. (Acta Med Colomb 2021; 46. DOI:https://doi.org/10.36104/amc.2021.2041).