Incidence of bleeding following invasive procedures in patients with thrombocytopenia and advanced liver disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Patients with advanced liver disease often undergo invasive procedures, so the combination of thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, and bleeding should be carefully assessed. We evaluated the prevalence of thrombocytopenia in a series of patients with liver cirrhosis who were being evaluated for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and determined the number of invasive procedures and procedure-related incidences of bleeding in patients with thrombocytopenia. METHODS: We studied 121 consecutive patients who were being evaluated for OLT. Thrombocytopenia was defined as a platelet count <150,000/µL and severe thrombocytopenia as a platelet count <75,000/µL. The presence of significant coagulopathy was defined as an international normalized ratio >1.5. Invasive procedures and incidences of procedure-related bleeding were recorded for each patient. RESULTS: The prevalence of thrombocytopenia and severe thrombocytopenia were 84% and 51%, respectively. Among the 102 thrombocytopenic patients, 50 (49%) underwent an invasive procedure (32 with severe thrombocytopenia; 64%). Bleeding occurred in 10 of the patients who underwent an invasive procedure (20%). Among the 50 patients who underwent invasive procedure, 32 had severe thrombocytopenia and 18 had moderate thrombocytopenia. Bleeding occurred in 10 of the 32 patients (31%) with severe thrombocytopenia and in none of those with moderate thrombocytopenia. There was no difference in prevalence of significant coagulopathy between patients with severe thrombocytopenia who underwent invasive procedure and bled (3/10; 30%) and those who did not bleed (10/22; 45%). CONCLUSIONS: Thrombocytopenia has a high prevalence among patients with advanced liver disease. Bleeding related to invasive procedures occurs most frequently in patients with severe thrombocytopenia, whereas significant coagulopathy does not seem to be associated with bleeding.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in rosacea: clinical effectiveness of its eradication.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: To better understand the role of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in rosacea, we aimed to assess the presence of SIBO in patients with rosacea and the clinical effectiveness of its eradication. METHODS: We enrolled 113 consecutive rosacea ambulatory patients (31 M/82 F; mean age, 52 +/- 15 years) and 60 healthy controls who were sex- and age-matched. Patients and controls underwent lactulose and glucose breath tests (BTs) to assess the presence of SIBO. Patients positive for SIBO were randomized to receive rifaximin therapy (1200 mg/day for 10 days) or placebo. A group of patients with negative BTs were also treated with rifaximin. Eradication was assessed 1 month after the end of therapy. Two dermatologists, unblinded on therapy, evaluated rosacea patients before and after treatment on the basis of an objective scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of SIBO was higher in patients than controls (52/113 vs 3/60, P < .001). After eradication, cutaneous lesions cleared in 20 of 28 and greatly improved in 6 of 28 patients, whereas patients treated with placebo remained unchanged (18/20) or worsened (2/20) (P < .001). Placebo patients were subsequently switched to rifaximin therapy, and SIBO was eradicated in 17 of 20 cases. Fifteen had a complete resolution of rosacea. After antibiotic therapy, 13 of 16 patients with negative BTs for SIBO remained unchanged, and this result differed from SIBO-positive cases (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that rosacea patients have a significantly higher SIBO prevalence than controls. Moreover, eradication of SIBO induced an almost complete regression of their cutaneous lesions and maintained this excellent result for at least 9 months.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in patients suffering from scleroderma: clinical effectiveness of its eradication.

OBJECTIVES: After the skin, the gastrointestinal tract is the second most common target of systemic sclerosis (SSc). AIM: Our aims were to investigate orocecal transit time (OCTT) and the presence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in SSc as a cause of intestinal symptoms. METHODS: Fifty-five SSc patients and 60 healthy controls, sex and age matched, entered the study. Enrolled subjects completed a questionnaire for intestinal symptoms and a global symptomatic score (GSS) was calculated. OCTT and the presence of SIBO were assessed by a lactulose breath test (LBT). Patients with SIBO were treated with rifaximin 1,200 mg/day for 10 days. Finally, a second questionnaire and LBT were performed 1 month after the end of therapy. RESULTS: The prevalence of SIBO was higher in SSc patients compared with controls (30/54 vs 4/60, respectively, P < 0.001). OCTT was significantly slower in SSc patients compared with controls (150 min, 25-75th percentile 142.5-165 vs 105 min, 25-75th percentile 90-135, respectively, P < 0.001). In patients with SIBO, the median GSS score was 8 (25-75th percentile 3.25-10.75). Eradication of SIBO was achieved in 73.3% of patients, with a significant reduction of symptoms in 72.7% of them (GSS score 2, 25-75th percentile 1-3, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that SIBO occurs more frequently in SSc patients than in controls. Intestinal symptoms in these patients may be related to this syndrome and its eradication seems useful to improve clinical features. OCTT is significantly delayed in SSc patients, suggesting an impairment of intestinal motility, a further risk factor for the development of SIBO.

Evidence of prolonged orocecal transit time and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in acromegalic patients.

CONTEXT: Gastrointestinal abnormalities in acromegaly include dolichomegacolon, slow colonic transit, and increased prevalence of colonic polyps. Conversely, no data are available on the small intestine. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the orocecal transit time (OCTT) and the presence of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). PATIENTS: A total of 41 acromegalic patients and 30 sex- and age-matched control subjects entered the study. Acromegalic patients were classified according to the medical treatment with somatostatin analogs as "treated" (n = 22) and "untreated" (n = 19), whereas according to the disease control, as "controlled" (n = 17), "uncontrolled" (n = 10), and "partially controlled" (n = 14). Patients and controls completed a questionnaire and underwent a standardized 10-g lactulose hydrogen breath test to determine the OCTT and presence of SIBO. SIBO-positive patients underwent eradication with rifaximine. RESULTS: An increased prevalence of SIBO (18 of 41 vs. 1 of 30; P < 0.0001) and a significantly delayed OCTT (169.53 +/- 8.15 vs. 107.25 +/- 6.56 min; P < 0.0001) were evidenced in patients compared with controls. No significant statistical differences were found between "treated" or "untreated" patients positive for SIBO or between "controlled," "partially controlled," and "uncontrolled" patients. OCTT was significantly delayed in "treated" vs. "untreated" patients (183.21 +/- 9.01 and 158.89 +/- 6.38, respectively; P = 0.02) and in patients compared with controls (105.75 +/- 6.34; P < 0.0001). Rifaximine eradicated SIBO in more than 50% of patients who underwent treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate for the first time that SIBO occurs more frequently in acromegalic patients, however, it can be successfully treated by a specific antibiotic. Medical therapy with somatostatin analogs does not affect SIBO prevalence. OCTT resulted significantly prolonged in both "treated" and "untreated" patients, suggesting that acromegaly determines per se an impairment of the intestinal motility. Indeed, disease control seems irrelevant on the delayed OCTT, suggesting that this alteration might be an irreversible complication of acromegaly, probably related to an autonomic intestinal disorder, as we have previously demonstrated at the cardiac level.