ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Capsule enteroscopy (CE) and intestinal ultrasonography (IUS) are techniques that are currently used for investigating small-bowel (SB) diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the main imaging findings and the lesion detection rate (LDR) of CE and IUS in different clinical scenarios involving the SB. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent CE and IUS for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), complicated celiac disease (CeD), and suspected or known inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We evaluated the LDR of both techniques. The accuracy of IUS was determined using CE as the reference standard. RESULTS: A total of 159 patients (113 female; mean age, 49±19 years) were enrolled. The LDR was 55% and 33% for CE and IUS (p<0.05), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the LDR of CE was significantly higher than that of IUS in patients with OGIB (62% vs. 14%, p<0.05) and CeD (55% vs. 35%, p<0.05). IUS showed a similar LDR to CE in patients with suspected or known IBD (51% vs. 46%, p=0.83). CONCLUSION: CE should be preferred in cases of OGIB and CeD, whereas IUS should be considered an early step in the diagnosis and follow-up of IBD even in patients with a proximal SB localization of the disease.
ABSTRACT
(1) Background: COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy is a threat for fragile patients. We aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and its reasons in a population of liver transplant (LT) recipients. (2) Methods: In February 2021, a questionnaire on COVID-19 vaccines was sent to LT patients followed at our liver transplant outpatient clinic in Milan, Italy. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Patients were defined as willing, hesitant, or refusing and their reasons were investigated. Associations between baseline characteristics and willingness were evaluated. Since March 2021, when the COVID-19 vaccines became available for LT candidates and recipients in Italy, the entire cohort of LT recipients was contacted by phone and called for vaccination, and the rate of refusals recorded. (3) Results: The web-based survey was sent to 583 patients, of whom 190 responded (response rate of 32.6%). Among the respondents to the specific question about hesitancy (184), 157 (85.3%) were willing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, while 27 (14.7%) were hesitant. Among the hesitant, three were totally refusing, for a refusal rate of 1.6%. Thirteen hesitant patients (48.1%) answered that their COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy was influenced by being a transplant recipient. The fear of adverse effects was the main reason for refusal (81.5%). Of the 711 LT patients followed at our center, 668 got fully vaccinated, while 43 (6.1%) of them refused the scheduled vaccination. (4) Conclusions: Most patients accepted COVID-19 vaccines, although 6.1% refused the vaccine. Since it is crucial to achieve adequate vaccination of LT patients, it is very important to identify the reasons influencing COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy so that appropriate and targeted communication strategies can be established and specific vaccination campaigns further implemented.
