A novel capsule endoscopy for upper and mid-GI tract: the UMGI capsule.

BACKGROUNDS AND AIMS: Complete and consecutive observation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract continues to present challenges for current endoscopy systems. We developed a novel upper and mid gastrointestinal (UMGI) capsule endoscopy using the modified detachable string magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (DS-MCE) and inspection method and aimed to assess the clinical application. METHODS: Patients were recruited to undergo UMGI capsule endoscopy followed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy. All capsule procedures in the upper gastrointestinal (UGI) tract were conducted under the control of magnet and string. The main outcome was technical success, and the secondary outcomes included visualization of the UMGI tract, examination time, diagnostic yield, compliance, and safety evaluation. RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled and all UMGI capsule procedures realized repeated observation of the esophagus and duodenum with detection rates of 100.0%, 80.0%, and 86.7% of Z-line, duodenal papilla, and reverse side of pylorus, respectively. String detachment was succeeded in 29 patients (96.7%) and the complete examination rate of UMGI tract was 95.45% (21/22). All UMGI capsule procedures were well tolerated with low discomfort score, and had a good diagnostic yield with per-lesion sensitivity of 96.2% in UGI diseases. No adverse events occurred. CONCLUSIONS: This new capsule endoscopy system provides an alternative screening modality for the UMGI tract, and might be indicated in cases of suspected upper and small bowel GI bleeding. Trial registration DS-MCE-UGI and SB, NCT04329468. Registered 27 March 2020, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=NCT04329468 .

High Resolution On-Road Air Pollution Using a Large Taxi-Based Mobile Sensor Network.

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) was monitored using a mobile sensor network on 125 urban taxis in Shanghai (November 2019/December 2020), which provide real-time patterns of air pollution at high spatial resolution. Each device determined concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and PM2.5, which characterised spatial and temporal patterns of on-road pollutants. A total of 80% road coverage (motorways, trunk, primary, and secondary roads) required 80-100 taxis, but only 25 on trunk roads. Higher CO concentrations were observed in the urban centre, NO2 higher in motorway concentrations, and PM2.5 lower in the west away from the city centre. During the COVID-19 lockdown, concentrations of CO, NO2, and PM2.5 in Shanghai decreased by 32, 31 and 41%, compared with the previous period. Local contribution related to traffic emissions changed slightly before and after COVID-19 restrictions, while changing background contributions relate to seasonal variation. Mobile networks are a real-time tool for air quality monitoring, with high spatial resolution (~200 m) and robust against the loss of individual devices.

Erratum: Noncontact magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy for infection-free gastric examination during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot, open-label, randomized trial.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1055/a-1648-2238.].

Noncontact magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy for infection-free gastric examination during the COVID-19 pandemic: a pilot, open-label, randomized trial.

Background and study aims Endoscopists have been at increased risk because of their direct contact with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. For patients, being diagnosed with and monitored for gastrointestinal cancer and digestive diseases in timely fashion has been challenging, given pandemic-related adjustments in endoscopy departments. We developed a novel noncontact magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (ncMCE) system in our medical center. In the current study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of ncMCE for gastric examination. Patients and methods Patients were randomly assigned to groups that received ncMCE or MCE in a 1:1 ratio from March 26, 2020 to April 26, 2020. Primary endpoints were feasibility assessed by completion rate (CR) and safety based on the occurrence of adverse events (AEs) including infection. Secondary endpoints included maneuverability of endoscopists, pre-procedure perception and post-procedure satisfaction of patients, gastric examination time (GET), and diagnostic yield (DY). Results Forty patients were enrolled with 100 % CR in both groups without any AEs. Neither the endoscopist nor the patients were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) within 14 days after gastric examination. There were no significant differences in maneuverability (19.3 vs. 20.0, P  = 0.179), pre-procedure perception (9 vs. 9, P  = 0.626) and post-procedure satisfaction (45 vs. 44, P =  0.999), ord DY (20 % vs. 30 %, P  = 0.465). Conclusions ncMCE is a feasible and safe method of gastric examination, which has the potential to protect both medical staff and patients from COVID-19 infection while providing serving as an essential endoscopy service.

Capsule endoscopy practice during the COVID-19 pandemic: Recommendations from the Capsule Endoscopy Group of the Chinese Society of Digestive Endoscopy.

The Capsule Endoscopy Group of the Chinese Society of Digestive Endoscopy has issued recommendations for capsule endoscopy (CE) practice during the COVID-19 pandemic to standardize workflow, preventive strategies, and management of a CE unit and in so doing, ensure the safety of both medical staff and patients.

Impact of Fundamental Diseases on Patients With COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: In December 2019, a new type of coronavirus, called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), appeared in Wuhan, China. Serious outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, have occurred throughout China and the world. Therefore, we intend to shed light on its potential clinical and epidemiological characteristics. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we included 50 confirmed fatal cases of SARS-CoV-2 reported on Chinese official media networks from January 16, 2020, to February 5, 2020. All the cases were confirmed by local qualified medical and health institutions. Specific information has been released through official channels. According to the contents of the reports, we recorded in detail the gender, age, first symptom date, death date, primary symptoms, chronic fundamental diseases, and other data of the patients, and carried out analyses and discussion. RESULTS: In total, 50 fatal cases were reported: median age was 70 y old, and males were 2.33 times more likely to die than females. The median number of days from the first symptom to death was 13, and that length of time tended to be shorter among people aged 65 and older compared with those younger than 65 (12 days vs 17 days; P = 0.046). Therefore, the older patients had fewer number of days from the first symptom to death (r = -0.40; P = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we found that most of the deaths were elderly men with chronic fundamental diseases, and their COVID-19 progression to death time was shorter. At the same time, we demonstrated that older men are more likely to become infected with COVID-19, and the risk of death is positively correlated with age.