Primary prevention of hepatic encephalopathy post-TIPS: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) can be an effective treatment for cirrhotic patients who develop variceal bleeding and ascites. However, TIPS placement is associated with an increased risk of developing hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Recently, there have been efforts to use the typical medical therapies prophylactically in patients undergoing TIPS placement to prevent post-TIPS HE. METHODS: We conducted literature searches in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane to examine studies that use prophylactic medical therapy for preventing post-TIPS HE. A narrative synthesis and grading of recommendations assessment assessment were done for all studies. Meta-analysis was performed for eligible studies using the Mantel-Haenszel method random-effects model. Nine hundred twenty-one articles were screened and 5 studies were included in the study after 2 levels of screening. The medications studied were rifaximin, lactulose, lactitol, L-Ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA), albumin, and combination therapies. RESULTS: Narrative results showed that lactulose, lactitol, LOLA and albumin prophylaxis were not associated with reduction in HE occurrence or mortality. A combination of rifaximin and lactulose was found to be associated with lower occurrence of HE, and the results were not different when LOLA was added. Meta-analysis (n = 3) showed that rifaximin treatment was not associated with changes in HE occurrences. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, a vast majority of medications were not found to be effective post-TIPS HE prophylaxis when used alone. A rifaximin and lactulose combination therapy may be beneficial. Overall, there is significant limitation in the current data and more studies are needed to yield more robust meta-analysis results in the future.

Comparison of Risk Scores for Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance: Clinical prediction models, or risk scores, can be used to risk stratify patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB), although the most discriminative score is unknown. Objective: To identify all LGIB risk scores available and compare their prognostic performance. Data Sources: A systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 1, 1990, through August 31, 2021, was conducted. Non-English-language articles were excluded. Study Selection: Observational and interventional studies deriving or validating an LGIB risk score for the prediction of a clinical outcome were included. Studies including patients younger than 16 years or limited to a specific patient population or a specific cause of bleeding were excluded. Two investigators independently screened the studies, and disagreements were resolved by consensus. Data Extraction and Synthesis: Data were abstracted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guideline independently by 2 investigators and pooled using random-effects models. Main Outcomes and Measures: Summary diagnostic performance measures (sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC]) determined a priori were calculated for each risk score and outcome combination. Results: A total of 3268 citations were identified, of which 9 studies encompassing 12 independent cohorts and 4 risk scores (Oakland, Strate, NOBLADS [nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use, no diarrhea, no abdominal tenderness, blood pressure ≤100 mm Hg, antiplatelet drug use (nonaspirin), albumin <3.0 g/dL, disease score ≥2 (according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index), and syncope], and BLEED [ongoing bleeding, low systolic blood pressure, elevated prothrombin time, erratic mental status, and unstable comorbid disease]) were included in the meta-analysis. For the prediction of safe discharge, the AUROC for the Oakland score was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.82-0.88). For major bleeding, the AUROC was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90-0.95) for the Oakland score, 0.73 (95% CI, 0.69-0.77) for the Strate score, 0.58 (95% CI, 0.53-0.62) for the NOBLADS score, and 0.65 (95% CI, 0.61-0.69) for the BLEED score. For transfusion, the AUROC was 0.99 (95% CI, 0.98-1.00) for the Oakland score and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85-0.90) for the NOBLADS score. For hemostasis, the AUROC was 0.36 (95% CI, 0.32-0.40) for the Oakland score, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.79-0.85) for the Strate score, and 0.24 (95% CI, 0.20-0.28) for the NOBLADS score. Conclusions and Relevance: The Oakland score was the most discriminative LGIB risk score for predicting safe discharge, major bleeding, and need for transfusion, whereas the Strate score was best for predicting need for hemostasis. This study suggests that these scores can be used to predict outcomes from LGIB and guide clinical care accordingly.

Incidence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis among asymptomatic cirrhosis patients undergoing outpatient paracentesis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a common complication of decompensated cirrhosis with high morbidity and mortality rate. There is a paucity of evidence regarding the incidence of SBP in asymptomatic liver cirrhosis patients undergoing routine out-patient large-volume paracentesis (LVP). The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the incidence of SBP among asymptomatic decompensated cirrhosis patients undergoing routine outpatient LVP. METHODS: A systematic search of Ovid Medline, Embase, Web of Science and CENTRAL electronic databases was performed in January 2021, along with a manual search of reference lists of retrieved articles. Data were extracted to determine the incidence of SBP [polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) greater than 250 PMNs/mm3 with or without positive culture] and the incidence of all positive paracentesis (SBP or bacterascites-positive ascitic culture but no elevation in PMNs). RESULTS: A total of 504 studies were retrieved with 16 studies being included in the review. A total of 1532 patients were included with a total of 4016 paracentesis performed. The incidence of a positive paracentesis (SBP and/or bacterascitis) was 4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 3-6%]. However, the incidence of definite SBP was 2% (95% CI, 1-3%). CONCLUSION: The incidence of SBP in asymptomatic outpatients with decompensated cirrhosis requiring LVP is low. The benefit of routine analysis of all paracentesis samples in this population is questionable. Further studies are required to determine the cost-effectiveness of routine analysis and to determine if certain subgroups are at higher risk of SBP that require routine analysis.

Severe Acute Hepatitis B in HBV-Vaccinated Partner of a Patient with Multiple Myeloma Treated with Cyclophosphamide, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone and Autologous Stem Cell Transplant.

Hepatitis B reactivation can occur with various forms of immunosuppression. Cyclophosphamide, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone (CYBOR-D) chemotherapy is commonly used for the treatment of multiple myeloma and has not been noted in guidelines to be causative in HBV reactivation. Indeed, current guidelines do not recommend providing antiviral prophylaxis to patients with prior HBV infection. We present a case of HBV reactivation as a result of CYBOR-D and autologous stem cell transplant which is complicated by the patient's partner who developed acute hepatitis B. Our case highlights the need to review the role of antiviral prophylaxis for patients undergoing treatment of multiple myeloma and also the role of ensuring immunity for close contacts of these patients who may also be at risk.

Serum Sclerostin Levels in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection and Their Association with Bone Turnover Markers and Bone Mineral Densitometry.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to compare serum sclerostin levels in human im-munodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients and healthy controls, and to evaluate their relationship with bone turnover markers (BTM) and bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS: We prospectively studied 33 HIV treatment-naive patients and 63 healthy individuals; matched for age and sex. Serum sclerostin levels, BTM, BMD were measured. Viral load and cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) levels were also assessed in HIV-infected patients. RESULTS: The mean±standard deviation (SD) age of sample was 37.6±10.3 years (range, 19 to 59 years). Of the 96 subjects, 58 (60.4%) were male and 38 (39.6%) were female. Infection with HIV is associated with significant reduction in serum sclerostin levels (HIV-infected: 39.4±28.3 vs. non HIV: 76.6±15.7 pmol/L; P<0.001) and a decrease in BMD at femoral neck and lumbar spine compared to healthy controls. Sclerostin however was not correlated with BMD and was not related to age, generally a strong correlation. There were no significant correlations between sclerostin and BTM (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that untreated HIV and the resulting immune deficiency and/or systemic inflammation could be an important regulator of serum sclerostin in this population.

Quality of gastroenterology research published in Saudi Arabian scientific journals.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Evidence-based medicine has established itself in the field of gastroenterology. In this study we aim to assess the types of study designs of gastroenterology-related articles published in Saudi scientific journals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: An online review using PubMed was carried out to review gastroenterology-related articles published in six Saudi medical journals in the time interval from 2003 to 2012. To classify the level of evidence in these articles we employed the Oxford's levels of evidence. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the levels of evidence between published articles. RESULTS: A total of 721 gastroenterology-related articles were reviewed, of which 591 articles met our inclusion criteria; 80.7% were level IV. The three most common types of studies we encountered were cross-sectional (33.9%), case reports (27.9%), and case series (18.8%). Forty-three percent of the published research was in the field of hepatobiliary and spleen. The total number of articles increased from 260 articles in the 1 st 5-year period (2003-2007) to 330 in the 2 nd period (2008-2012). However, no statistically significant difference in the level of evidence was noted. In Annals of Saudi Medicine Journal, articles with level II increased from 0 to 10% with a P value 0.02. CONCLUSION: In our review of gastroenterology-related published articles in Saudi scientific journals, we observed an increase in the quantity of articles with the quality and level of evidence remaining unchanged. Further research is recommended to explore different reasons affecting the volume and quality of gastroenterology-related research in Saudi scientific journals.