Performance of the Rockall scoring system in predicting the need for intervention and outcomes in patients with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a Brazilian setting: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This prospective study investigated the performance of pre-endoscopy and the complete Rockall scores in predicting the occurrence of adverse outcomes and the need for endoscopic or surgical intervention in patients with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS: All 656 consecutive patients who underwent endoscopy due to nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding between 2007 and 2011 were included. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for the outcomes of therapeutic intervention, rebleeding and death. The discriminative accuracy of the risk scores was assessed by the area under the ROC curve. RESULTS: Endoscopic treatment was performed in 55.2% of the patients. Rebleeding and mortality rates were 7.6 and 3.8%, respectively. The pre-endoscopy Rockall scores showed unsatisfactory accuracy in predicting the need for intervention, rebleeding or death, as shown by the respective area under the ROC curve values of 0.52, 0.52 and 0.65. The accuracy of the complete Rockall score in predicting rebleeding was poor (area under ROC: 0.52), but it was higher for mortality (area under ROC: 0.69). CONCLUSIONS: The pre-endoscopy Rockall score was not useful for predicting the need for therapeutic intervention or adverse outcomes. The complete Rockall score showed an acceptable performance in predicting mortality, but was unable to predict rebleeding.

Immunochemical fecal occult blood test for detection of advanced colonic adenomas and colorectal cancer: comparison with colonoscopy results.

Background. Fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) have been used for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in several countries. There is lack of information concerning diagnostic performances of this method in Brazil. Methods. Patients scheduled for elective colonoscopy provided one stool sample one week before colonoscopy. The accuracy of a qualitative FIT for detection of CRC and advanced adenomas was determined. Results. Overall 302 patients completed the study. Among them, 53.5% were high risk patients referred for screening or surveillance. Nine (3%) CRCs and 11 (3.6%) advanced adenomas were detected by colonoscopy. Sensitivity and specificity for CRC were, respectively, 88.9% and 87.6%. For advanced adenomas, sensitivity was 63.6% and specificity 87.6%. Conclusion. Our results showed good sensitivity and specificity of the FIT for detecting advanced neoplasias. This method may be a valuable tool for future screening programs in Brazil.

Helicobacter pylori infection and the severity of gastritis are not associated with iron deficiency in a group of Brazilian patients.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has been associated with iron deficiency anemia. However, results reported in the literature are contradictory. The goal of the present study was to study the possible association between H. pylori infection and iron deficiency in a sample of adults. METHODS: One hundred and fifty individuals were studied (H. pylori-positive n=75; H. pylori-negative n=50). The presence of anemia was determined using red cell indices and reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr). Iron status was assessed based on serum iron and ferritin levels. Possible involvement of inflammatory activity in erythropoiesis was investigated by measuring the correlation between C-reactive protein (CRP) and red cell indices and iron status. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the hematological or biochemical parameters for the two groups. Iron deficiency was diagnosed in six individuals, but no difference in prevalence was found between the H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative groups. A weak but significant inverse correlation was observed between CRP and CHr concentrations and between serum gastrin and CHr in the H. pylori-positive group. These results suggest a reduction in iron availability for reticulocyte hemoglobinization, but insufficient to cause anemia. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infection was not a determining factor for development of iron deficiency in our study population.

Ranitidine is unable to maintain gastric pH levels above 4 in septic patients.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to evaluate whether ranitidine and pantoprazole are able to maintain gastric pH >or=4 in septic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty intensive care unit patients from a university teaching hospital with sepsis were included in this study. Ten patients received ranitidine (50 mg as an intermittent bolus 3 times a day) and 10 received pantoprazole (40 mg as an intermittent bolus twice a day). Gastric pH was measured continuously for 48 hours. Endoscopy of the upper digestive tract, gastric biopsy, and investigation for Helicobacter pylori were carried out before and at the end of the study. RESULTS: pH values >or=4 were maintained for 46.27% +/- 38.21% and 81.57% +/- 19.65% of study time in the ranitidine and pantoprazole groups, respectively (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Intravenous ranitidine was unable to maintain gastric pH above 4 in septic patients. All cases in the ranitidine group in whom pH remained above 4 had gastric hypotrophy or atrophy. Pantoprazole successfully maintained pH levels above 4.

One-week dual therapy with ranitidine bismuth citrate and clarithromycin for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection in Brazilian patients with peptic ulcer.

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of ranitidine bismuth citrate plus clarithromycin given for 1 wk in Brazilian patients with peptic ulcer. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients with peptic ulcer were randomized in two treatment groups: (1) 1-wk regimen consisting of ranitidine bismuth citrate 400 mg b.i.d. with clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d. or (2) 2-wk regimen of the same treatment. Eradication of the infection was considered when both the histologic examination and the urease test were negative for the infection 3 mo after treatment. RESULTS: By intention to treat analysis, Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) was eradicated in 73% and 76% of patients, respectively treated for 1 or 2 wk (P>0.05). By per protocol analysis, the eradication rates were 80% and 83%, respectively, in patients treated for 1 or 2 wk (P>0.05). Nine patients (8.2%) reported minor side effects. CONCLUSION: One-week therapy with ranitidine bismuth citrate and clarithromycin is safe, well tolerated and effective for treatment of H pylori infection, and appears to be comparable to the 2-wk regimen in terms of efficacy.

Tratamento endoscópico das varizes esofágicas: ainda há lugar pra a escleroterapia? / Endoscopic treatment of esophageal varices: is sclerotherapy stil an efficient therapeutic option?

A escleroterapia endoscópica é um método terapêutico muito difundido e utilizado no tratamento das varizes esofágicas. É um procedimento de baixo custo, factível de ser realizado na maioria dos serviços de endoscopia, contribuindo para diminuir o risco de hemorragia nos hepatopatas crônicos. Foram analisados tardiamente 95 doentes hepatopatas (47 cirróticos, 42 esquistossomóticos e seis outras hepatopatias) no Gastrocentro-Unicamp, sendo 65 classificados com o child A (68,4por cento), 25 com child B(26,3por cento) e cinco com child C (5,2por cento), submetidos a escleroterapia de varizes, seguidos por tempo variável entre dois e 11 anos (média de três anos e quatro meses). O agente esclerosante mais utilizado foi o oleato de etanolamina a 5por cento em 66 casos(69,5por cento) e o alcool absoluto em 29 casos (30,5por cento). A escleroterapia foi paravasal, com o número médio de nove sessões por doente. O ressangramento na vigência da escleroterapia ocorreu em 47 doentes (49,5por cento), não havendo diferença significativa (p>0,05) entre os agentes esclerosantes utilizados. A mortalidade durante o tratamento foi de 12,6por cento. Os doentes incluídos no grupo A de Child tiveram sobrevida maior e estatisticamente significante ( p < 0,05) quando comparados com os dos grupos B e C. Considerando as etiologias das hepatopatias não houve diferença estatistica (p >0,05) na sobrevida de portadores de esquistossomose, quando comparada com as demais hepatopatias. Quarenta e seis doentes (48,5por cento) tiveram sobrevida maior que 60 meses. Concluindo, a escleroterapia endoscópica continua sendo um recurso terapêutico muito útil nos dias atuais. A longo prazo, a indicação de endoscopias digestivas periodicas e sessões de escleroterapia em hepatopatas contribuem para elevar a sobbrevida

Polipose de glândulas fúndicas em pacientes sem polipose familiar: relato de quatro casos com revisäo da literatura / Fundic gland polyposis in patients without familial polyposis: report of four cases with literature review

A polipose de glândulas fúndicas é uma manifestaçao comum na polipose familiar e rara na populaçao geral. Os autores descrevem quatro casos de PGF em pacientes sem polipose familiar, com revisao da literatura, discutindo a incidência, sintomatologia, diagnóstico, risco de malignizaçao e conduta nos pacientes com esta doença.

Antiácido de alta potencia versus cimetidina no tratamento da úlcera duodenal / High potency antacid versus cimetidine in the treatment of duodenal ulcer

Foram estudados 40 pacientes com úlcera péptica duodenal distribuídos randomicamente em dois grupos de vinte. Um grupo recebeu antiácido líquido de alta potência (7,06mEq/ml) por quatro semanas e outro grupo recebeu cimetidina por igual período. Todos os pacientes foram avaliados clinicamente no pré-tratamento e duas a quatro semanas após, com exames endoscópicos realizados na admissäo e após quatro semanas. A eficácia, considerada como cicatrizaçäo da úlcera duodenal, foi equivalente para ambos os tratamentos näo havendo diferença significante. É discutida a importância da capacidade de neutralizaçäo ácida no tratamento da úlcera duodenal