Timing of colonoscopy in acute lower GI bleeding: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We aimed to determine the optimal timing of colonoscopy and factors that benefit patients who undergo early colonoscopy for acute lower GI bleeding. METHODS: We identified 10,342 patients with acute hematochezia (CODE BLUE-J study) admitted to 49 hospitals in Japan. Of these, 6270 patients who underwent a colonoscopy within 120 hours were included in this study. The inverse probability of treatment weighting method was used to adjust for baseline characteristics among early (≤24 hours, n = 4133), elective (24-48 hours, n = 1137), and late (48-120 hours, n = 1000) colonoscopy. The average treatment effect was evaluated for outcomes. The primary outcome was 30-day rebleeding rate. RESULTS: The early group had a significantly higher rate of stigmata of recent hemorrhage (SRH) identification and a shorter length of stay than the elective and late groups. However, the 30-day rebleeding rate was significantly higher in the early group than in the elective and late groups. Interventional radiology (IVR) or surgery requirement and 30-day mortality did not significantly differ among groups. The interaction with heterogeneity of effects was observed between early and late colonoscopy and shock index (shock index <1, odds ratio [OR], 2.097; shock index ≥1, OR, 1.095; P for interaction = .038) and performance status (0-2, OR, 2.481; ≥3, OR, .458; P for interaction = .022) for 30-day rebleeding. Early colonoscopy had a significantly lower IVR or surgery requirement in the shock index ≥1 cohort (OR, .267; 95% confidence interval, .099-.721) compared with late colonoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Early colonoscopy increased the rate of SRH identification and shortened the length of stay but involved an increased risk of rebleeding and did not improve mortality and IVR or surgery requirement. Early colonoscopy particularly benefited patients with a shock index ≥1 or performance status ≥3 at presentation.

Reevaluation of Gastric Cancer Screening by Levin's Equation.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to reevaluate the effectiveness of fluoroscopy and endoscopy in reducing gastric cancer mortality at the population level. METHODS: Crude and age-adjusted mortality rates of gastric cancer and the introduction rates of gastric cancer screening were extracted from the Cancer Registry and Statistics database. The population-attributable risk (PAR) percent of no screening for gastric cancer mortality was calculated using Levin's equation. The PAR of each mortality rate in the no-screening group was estimated as follows: mortality × PAR%. The Jonckheere-Terpstra test for trends and linear regression were performed to compare the PAR of gastric cancer mortality rates among the decades. RESULTS: The PAR of crude and age-adjusted mortality rates in the no-screening group significantly decreased in the total population ( P for trend <0.001), as well as individually in the male ( P for trend <0.001) and female ( P for trend <0.001) populations. The PAR of the crude mortality rate in the female population significantly decreased in 2000-2009 and 2010-2019, compared with that in 1980-1989. There was no significant difference in the PAR of crude mortality rate in the male population among the decades. The PAR of the age-adjusted mortality rate significantly decreased in 2000-2009 and 2010-2019, compared with that in 1980-1989, in the male and female populations. DISCUSSION: PAR% and PAR of no screening for gastric cancer mortality could be estimated using Levin's equation, and the effectiveness of the present gastric cancer screenings with fluoroscopy and endoscopy has been decreasing, especially in the female population.

Three Types of Subepithelial Lesion-Like Gastric Cancer Including a New Entity of Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

Gastric subepithelial lesions (SEL) are usually found incidentally during esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Most gastric SELs are benign lesions, such as leiomyoma and pancreatic rests. However, neoplastic lesions including neuroendocrine tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and certain types of gastric adenocarcinoma (GA), such as the recently WHO-classified fundic gland type adenocarcinoma, may be found. The lack of simple and established diagnostic methods for SEL remains a clinical challenge. Standard biopsy is suboptimal for diagnosis due to the subepithelial location of lesions and is therefore often omitted. Furthermore, guideline-based algorithmic approaches for diagnosing SEL also differ between Japan and the USA. In this case series, we describe three cases of gastric SEL that were subsequently diagnosed as GA. Case 1 was a fundic gland type (chief cell predominant type) adenocarcinoma; Case 2 was a poorly differentiated GA; Case 3 was an advanced GA, found after 4 serial years of endoscopic follow-up for SEL. While standard biopsy led to successful diagnosis in the first 2 cases, no standard biopsy was performed during surveillance in Case 3, making its diagnostic effectiveness unclear. The third case highlights the importance of longitudinal observation for endoscopic mucosal alterations that may suggest certain types of GA. Clinicians should be aware that standard biopsy may play an important role in the evaluation of malignant gastric SEL-like lesions. It is crucial to remain vigilant for surface changes in SEL and not to summarily omit standard biopsy.

Outcomes in high and low volume hospitals in patients with acute hematochezia in a cohort study.

Outcomes of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding have not been compared according to hospital capacity. We aimed to perform a propensity score-matched cohort study with path and mediation analyses for acute hematochezia patients. Hospitals were divided into high- versus low-volume hospitals for emergency medical services. Rebleeding and death within 30 days were compared. Computed tomography, early colonoscopy (colonoscopy performed within 24 h), and endoscopic therapies were included as mediators. A total of 2644 matched pairs were yielded. The rebleeding rate within 30 days was not significant between high- and low-volume hospitals (16% vs. 17%, P = 0.44). The mortality rate within 30 days was significantly higher in the high-volume cohort than in the low-volume cohort (1.7% vs. 0.8%, P = 0.003). Treatment at high-volume hospitals was not a significant factor for rebleeding (odds ratio [OR] = 0.91; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79-1.06; P = 0.23), but was significant for death within 30 days (OR = 2.03; 95% CI, 1.17-3.52; P = 0.012) on multivariate logistic regression after adjusting for patients' characteristics. Mediation effects were not observed, except for rebleeding within 30 days in high-volume hospitals through early colonoscopy. However, the direct effect of high-volume hospitals on rebleeding was not significant. High-volume hospitals did not improve the outcomes of acute hematochezia patients.

Long-term cumulative incidence of metachronous advanced colorectal neoplasia after colonoscopy and a novel risk factor: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Long-term cumulative incidence of and risk factors for metachronous advanced colorectal neoplasia, including both advanced colorectal adenoma (≥10 mm, or with villous or high-grade dysplasia) and colorectal cancer, are critical for surveillance strategies. The aim of this study was to determine the cumulative incidence of metachronous advanced colorectal neoplasia and its risk factors. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 6720 consecutive individuals who underwent general health check-ups and colonoscopy. Colorectal adenomas at initial colonoscopy were categorized as low-risk (1-2 small [<10 mm] tubular adenomas) or high-risk adenoma (≥3 tubular adenomas of any size; at least one adenoma ≥10 mm; or villous adenoma or adenoma with high-grade dysplasia). Kaplan-Meier estimates and hazard ratio by Cox-proportional hazard regression were calculated. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence (95% confidence interval [CI]) of metachronous advanced colorectal neoplasia at 5 and 10 years was 5.7% [4.6-7.1], and 11% [8.9-14] in the low-risk adenoma group, and 10% [8.6-13], and 17% [14-21] in high-risk adenoma group, respectively. Adjusted hazard ratio [95% CI] of low-risk adenoma (vs. no colorectal adenoma), high-risk adenoma (vs. no colorectal adenoma), current smoking and positive fecal immunochemical test were 1.34 [1.04-1.74], 1.94 [1.48-2.55], 1.55 [1.2-2.02] and 1.69 [1.35-2.1], respectively. Adjusted hazard ratio [95% CI] of positive fecal immunochemical test was 1.88 [1.29-2.74] in those with normal colonoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Both low-risk and high-risk adenomas confer substantial risk for metachronous advanced colorectal neoplasia at 10 years. Positive fecal immunochemical test was a significant risk factor for metachronous advanced colorectal neoplasia despite normal colonoscopy.

Cumulative evidence for reducing recurrence of colonic diverticular bleeding using endoscopic clipping versus band ligation: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Either clipping or band ligation will become the most common endoscopic treatment for colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB). Rebleeding is a significant clinical outcome of CDB, but there is no cumulative evidence comparing reduction of short-term and long-term rebleeding between them. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine which endoscopic treatment is more effective to reduce recurrence of CDB. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the databases PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase was performed through December 2019. Main outcomes were early and late rebleeding rates, defined as bleeding within 30 days and 1 year of endoscopic therapy for CDB. Initial hemostasis, need for transcatheter arterial embolization, or surgery were also assessed. Overall pooled estimates were calculated. RESULTS: Sixteen studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria, and a total of 790 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of early rebleeding was significantly lower for band ligation than clipping (0.08 vs 0.19; heterogeneity test, P = 0.012). The pooled prevalence of late rebleeding was significantly lower for band ligation than clipping (0.09 vs 0.29; heterogeneity test, P = 0.024). No significant difference of initial hemostasis rate was noted between the two groups. Pooled prevalence of need for transcatheter arterial embolization or surgery was significantly lower for band ligation than clipping (0.01 vs 0.02; heterogeneity test, P = 0.031). There were two cases with colonic diverticulitis due to band ligation but none in clipping. CONCLUSION: Band ligation therapy was more effective compared with clipping to reduce recurrence of colonic diverticular hemorrhage over short-term and long-term durations.

Noneffectiveness of scopolamine for facilitating detection of upper gastrointestinal neoplasia during screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy: propensity score-matched study.

BACKGROUND: Antispasmodics, such as scopolamine, are widely used in several countries prior to diagnostic and screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), with the goal of optimizing the detection of minute lesions, typically early gastric cancer (T1 lesions). The aim of this study was to determine whether scopolamine facilitates detection of gastric cancer in the screening setting. METHODS: A propensity score-matched retrospective study was conducted in a tertiary referral medical center in Tokyo, Japan. Consecutive individuals (n = 40 776) underwent screening EGD between January 2011 and May 2016. All outcome lesions were diagnosed with histopathological confirmation. Detection of esophageal cancer, gastric adenoma, duodenal adenoma, and upper gastrointestinal neoplasia (UGIN) were investigated as secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Scopolamine was used in 31 130 patients (76.3 %) and propensity score matching yielded 6625 pairs. Bivariate analysis revealed no significant association between possible confounders (age, sex, overweight, atrophic gastritis, alcohol history, smoking history, midazolam use, endoscopist biopsy rate grade, and gastric cancer in first-degree relatives) and scopolamine use. Lesions detected were 18 gastric cancers, 11 esophageal cancers, 19 gastric adenomas, 6 duodenal adenomas, and 54 UGINs, with no significant association between scopolamine use and lesion detection. CONCLUSIONS: Scopolamine use did not appear to effectively facilitate detection of gastric or esophageal cancer, gastric or duodenal adenoma, and UGIN during screening EGD. Scopolamine should be avoided until its efficacy is confirmed by a randomized controlled trial.

Current status of first- and second-line Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in the metropolitan area: a multicenter study with a large number of patients.

BACKGROUND: The environment surrounding Helicobacter pylori eradication treatment is dramatically changing. Recently, vonoprazan, a first-in-class potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), was introduced onto the market in 2015. The aging of Japan's demographic structure is becoming pronounced. In this study, we examined the trend of the eradication rate of H. pylori in the metropolitan area and examined factors concerning successful eradication. METHODS: We collected data from 20 hospitals in the Tokyo metropolitan area on patients who received first-line eradication therapy with a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI)/P-CAB, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin for 1 week and second-line eradication therapy with a PPI/P-CAB, amoxicillin, and metronidazole for 1 week from 2013 to 2018. The annual eradication rate and associated factors for successful eradication were analyzed. RESULTS: We collected data of 4097 and 3572 patients in the first- and second-line eradication therapies, respectively. The eradication rate decreased from 2013 to 2014 and increased again from 2015 to 2018 with the first-line therapy [the eradication rates in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 were 71.8%, 63.7%, 78.5%, 84.6%, 89.7 and 90.1%, respectively, in the per protocol (PP)]. The second-line eradication rates were 90.0%, 82.6%, 88.8%, 87.5%, 91.8% and 90.1% in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively, in PP. Vonoprazan was an independent factor for successful eradication in not only first-line, but also second-line eradication. Age over 75 years was an independent factor for eradication failure in both first- and second-line eradication therapies. CONCLUSION: The eradication rate improved from 2015 to 2018 with the first-line therapy because of the introduction of vonoprazan in the market. The eradication rates with first- and second-line regimens in elderly patients were lower than those in younger patients.

Risk factors of early rebleeding in the endoscopic management of colonic diverticular bleeding.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The risk factors for early rebleeding following the management of colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB) are unclear. This study aimed to determine the risk factors for early rebleeding following initial colonoscopy. METHODS: Overall, 370 patients with CDB were divided as having presumptive (229) or definite CDB with stigmata of recent hemorrhage (141) on the basis of initial colonoscopy. Definite CDB cases were treated by either endoscopic clipping (EC) or endoscopic band ligation (EBL) as a first-line treatment. Time-to-event analysis for early rebleeding was performed by Kaplan-Meier methods with log-rank test between the three groups (presumptive, EC, and EBL). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify risk factors for early rebleeding. RESULTS: There were 38 and 103 patients in the EC and EBL groups, respectively. Early rebleeding developed in 61 cases (16.5%). The cumulative incidence rates of early rebleeding at 1, 5, and 30 days were 7.7%, 16.4%, and 17.9% in the presumptive group; 1.9%, 7.0%, and 9.5% in the EBL group; and 2.6%, 34.9%, and 37.7% in the EC group, respectively (log-rank test, P = 0.00059). Moreover, 90.2% of early rebleeding occurred within 5 days. Adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was marginally lower in the presumptive group (HR = 0.50; 95% confidence interval, 0.26-1.01; P = 0.052) and significantly lower in the EBL-treated group than in the EC group (HR = 0.21; 95% confidence interval, 0.09-0.50; P = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: Most early rebleeding occurred within 5 days after initial colonoscopy. EC was less effective than EBL in terms of early rebleeding.

Risk Factors for Acute Hemorrhagic Rectal Ulcer Syndrome and Its Prognosis: A Density Case-Control Study.

Acute hemorrhagic rectal ulcer syndrome (AHRUS) can cause fatal gastrointestinal bleeding. However, there have been few epidemiological studies investigating risk factors of AHRUS. To determine the risk factors and predict one-year survival after onset of AHRUS, we conducted a retrospective density case-control study in a tertiary referral hospital. Patients with hematochezia, bloody stool, and rectal ulcer confirmed by colonoscopy between 2003 and 2011 were diagnosed as AHRUS (n = 38). Patients with malignancies, infectious colitis, ulcerative colitis, or solitary rectal ulcer syndrome were excluded. Control subjects (n = 123) without rectal ulcer were selected by risk set sampling for each AHRUS. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the significant adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of hospitalization, antithrombotic drug use, and one gram increase of serum albumin was 15.7 (2.25-108.9), 12.1 (1.53-94.4), and 0.11 (0.02-0.52), respectively. Endoscopic hemostasis for rectal bleeding was performed in 8 cases (21%). Seventeen percent of patients died within one year after the episode of AHRUS from non-AHRUS causes. This study revealed that hospitalization, antithrombotic drug use, and lower serum albumin value were significant risk factors for AHRUS, and that AHRUS was an unfavorable prognostic condition. This information could be helpful in recognizing high-risk patients of rectal bleeding and applying preventive measures.

Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disorder involving mainly the intestinal tract, but possibly other gastrointestinal and extraintestinal organs. Although etiology is still uncertain, recent knowledge in pathogenesis has accumulated, and novel diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have become available for clinical use. Therefore, the previous guidelines were urged to be updated. In 2016, the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology revised the previous versions of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) in Japanese. A total of 59 clinical questions for 9 categories (1. clinical features of IBD; 2. diagnosis; 3. general consideration in treatment; 4. therapeutic interventions for IBD; 5. treatment of UC; 6. treatment of CD; 7. extraintestinal complications; 8. cancer surveillance; 9. IBD in special situation) were selected, and a literature search was performed for the clinical questions with use of the MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Igaku Chuo Zasshi databases. The guidelines were developed with the basic concept of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Recommendations were made using Delphi rounds. This English version was produced and edited based on the existing updated guidelines in Japanese.

Effectiveness of endoscopic treatments for colonic diverticular bleeding.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Several endoscopic modalities have been used for the treatment of colonic diverticular bleeding (CDB). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic treatment for CDB. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the English literature. Main outcomes were initial hemostasis, early recurrent bleeding (recurrent bleeding within 30 days after endoscopic treatment), and need for transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) or surgery. Proportions were collected from each study and were used to calculate pooled estimates. Heterogeneity was evaluated by I2. RESULTS: Sixteen studies (384 patients with CDB) were included. Pooled estimates of initial hemostasis were coagulation, 1.00 (95% CI, .91-1.00) (I2 = .0%); clipping, .99 (95% CI, .97-1.00) (I2 = .0%); and ligation, .99 (95% CI, .95-1.00) (I2 = .0%). Pooled estimates of early recurrent bleeding were coagulation, .21(95% CI, .01-.51) (I2 = 61.2%); clipping, .19 (95% CI, .07-.35) (I2 = 77.3%); and ligation, .09 (95% CI, .04-.15) (I2 = .0%). Pooled estimates of need for TAE or surgery were coagulation, .18 (95% CI, .00-.61) (I2 = 68.9%); clipping, .08 (95% CI, .03-.16) (I2 = 36.8%); and ligation, .00 (95% CI, .00-.01) (I2 = .0%). The proportion of need for TAE or surgery in the ligation group was significantly lower than that in the clipping group (P = .003) and marginally lower than in the coagulation group (P = .086). No significant difference was found between coagulation and clipping groups (P = .44). CONCLUSIONS: Ligation therapy was more effective compared with clipping to avoid TAE or surgery. Coagulation, clipping, and ligation were equivocal in terms of effectiveness for initial hemostasis and preventing early recurrent bleeding.

Management of early gastric cancer with positive horizontal or indeterminable margins after endoscopic submucosal dissection: multicenter survey.

Background and study aims Positive horizontal margins in resected specimens are sometimes encountered after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancers, and appropriate treatment strategies for these cases are not established. The aim of this study was to evaluate current empirical treatments for patients with positive horizontal or indeterminable margins after ESD. Patients and methods We performed a multicenter survey and data from 14 hospitals were collected. The pooled proportions of positive horizontal or indeterminable margins and those of patients followed up without early intervention were calculated using a logistic-normal random-effects model. For calculating pooled estimates, subgroup analyses of high- and non-high-volume centers were conducted. Results A total of 11,796 ESD cases were enrolled and 229 patients (2 %) had positive horizontal or indeterminable margins. Ninety-eight cases were treated within 30 days of ESD and 131 cases were followed up without early treatments. Pooled estimates of positive margins in high- and non-high-volume centers were 1 % (95 % CI: 1 % - 2 %) and 2 % (95 % CI: 1 % - 4 %), respectively, and were not heterogeneous (P = 0.191). The proportion of patients followed up without early intervention ranged from 30 % to 100 %. The pooled estimate was 68 % (95 % CI: 50 % - 83 %). The pooled estimates of high- and non-high-volume centers were 65 % (95 % CI: 38 % - 85 %) and 72 % (95 % CI: 44 % - 89 %), respectively, and were not heterogeneous (P = 0.692). Conclusion There was insufficient consensus regarding treatment strategies used for early gastric cancer with positive horizontal or indeterminable margins after ESD. Further studies are required to establish a consensus.

Reassessing the Ecology of Medical Care in Japan.

Studies on ecology of medical care can provide valuable information on how people seek healthcare in a specific geographic area. The objective of this study was to update a 2003 report on the ecology of medical care in Japan, identifying relevant changes in healthcare patterns. We collected information based on a prospective health diary recorded for a month in 2013 (n = 4548; 3787 adults and 797 children) using a population-weighted random sample from a nationally representative panel. We compared our overall and stratified findings with a similar study conducted in 2003. During a one-month period, per 1000 adults and children living in Japan, we estimated that 794 report at least one symptom, 447 use an over-the-counter (OTC) drug, 265 visit a physician's office, 117 seek help from a professional provider of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM), 70 visit a hospital outpatient clinic (60 community-based and 10 university-based), 6 are hospitalized, and 4 visit a hospital emergency department. After adjusting for demographic variables, we found that healthcare seeking behaviors were influenced by age, gender and area of living. Compared with the 2003 study, participants in this study had fewer symptoms, fewer physician and emergency room visits, and less OTC use, but reported higher frequency of CAM use (p < .01 for all). Compared with 2003, reported symptoms, physician visits and OTC use has decreased, while CAM use has increased. Our findings may be useful to policymakers in Japan in a context where healthcare expenditure and a rapidly aging population are two challenging issues.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Helicobacter pylori Diagnostic Methods in Patients with Atrophic Gastritis.

Background. There are several diagnostic methods for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. A cost-effective analysis is needed to decide on the optimal diagnostic method. The aim of this study was to determine a cost-effective diagnostic method in patients with atrophic gastritis (AG). Methods. A decision-analysis model including seven diagnostic methods was constructed for patients with AG diagnosed by esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Expected values of cost and effectiveness were calculated for each test. Results. If the prevalence of H. pylori in the patients with AG is 85% and CAM-resistant H. pylori is 30%, histology, stool H. pylori antigen (SHPAg), bacterial culture (BC), and urine H. pylori antibody (UHPAb) were dominated by serum H. pylori IgG antibody (SHPAb), rapid urease test (RUT), and urea breath test (UBT). Among three undominated methods, the incremental cost-effective ratios (ICER) of RUT versus SHPAb and UBT versus RUT were $214 and $1914, respectively. If the prevalence of CAM-sensitive H. pylori was less than 55%, BC was not dominated, but its H. pylori eradication success rate was 0.86. Conclusions. RUT was the most cost-effective at the current prevalence of CAM-resistant H. pylori. BC could not be selected due to its poor effectiveness even if CAM-resistant H. pylori was more than 45%.

Current cigarette smoking is a reversible cause of elevated white blood cell count: Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

While cigarette smoking is a well-recognized cause of elevated white blood cell (WBC) count, studies on longitudinal effect of smoking cessation on WBC count are limited. We attempted to determine causal relationships between smoking and elevated WBC count by retrospective cross-sectional study consisting of 37,972 healthy Japanese adults who had a health check-up between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009 and longitudinal study involving 1730 current smokers who had more than four consecutive annual health check-ups between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2012. In the cross-sectional study, younger age, male gender, increased body mass index, no alcohol habit, current smoking, and elevated C-reactive protein level were associated with elevated WBC count. Among these factors, current smoking had the most significant association with elevated WBC count. In subgroup analyses by WBC differentials, smoking was significantly associated with elevated counts of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. Ex-smoking was not associated with elevated WBC count. In the longitudinal study, both WBC and neutrophil counts decreased significantly in one year after smoking cessation and remained down-regulated for longer than next two years. There was no significant change in either WBC or neutrophil count in those who continued smoking. These findings clearly demonstrated that current smoking is strongly associated with elevated WBC count and smoking cessation leads to recovery of WBC count in one year, which is maintained for longer than subsequent two years. Thus, current smoking is a significant and reversible cause of elevated WBC count in healthy adults.

Endoscopic band ligation for colonic diverticular bleeding: possibility of standardization.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) has been used to achieve hemostasis in patients with colonic diverticular bleeding. The safety and effectiveness of EBL when performed by non-expert endoscopists have not been sufficiently verified. This study aimed to elucidate the feasibility of the EBL technique when performed by non-expert endoscopists and of considering EBL as a standard treatment for colonic diverticular bleeding. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a tertiary referral center in Tokyo, Japan, between June 2009 and October 2014. A total of 95 patients treated with EBL were included in the study and were divided into two groups according to whether they had been treated by expert or non-expert endoscopists. Comorbidities, medications, shock index, hemoglobin level on admission, location of the bleeding diverticula, rate of bowel preparation, procedure time, and EBL-associated adverse events were evaluated in each group. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to investigate factors related to EBL procedure time, which is the time elapsed between marking the site of bleeding with hemoclips and completion of the band release. RESULTS: A total of 47 (49.5 %) procedures were performed by expert endoscopists. In a bivariate analysis, the median EBL procedure times in the expert and non-expert groups were 15 minutes (range 4 - 45) and 11 minutes (range 4 - 36), respectively (P = 0.03). When a multivariate linear regression model was used, EBL for right-sided diverticula was the factor most significantly affecting EBL procedure time. No adverse events were encountered. CONCLUSION: EBL can be safely and effectively performed by non-expert endoscopists. A right-sided location of diverticula was the factor most significantly affecting EBL procedure time.

Risk factors for early rebleeding after endoscopic band ligation for colonic diverticular hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Endoscopic band ligation (EBL) has been used for hemostasis of colonic diverticular hemorrhage. However, early rebleeding (< 30 days after EBL) has been reported in some cases. The aim of this study was to elucidate risk factors for early rebleeding after EBL in treatment of colonic diverticular hemorrhage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 101 patients with definite diverticular hemorrhage treated using EBL from June 2009 to October 2014 were included in the retrospective cohort study and divided into rebleeding and non-rebleeding groups, depending on the presence or absence of early rebleeding. Patients' ages, comorbid diseases, stigmata of recent hemorrhage (SRH) [active bleeding (AB), non-bleeding visible vessel (NBVV), or adherent clot (AC)], locations of bleeding diverticula, and eversions of the diverticula after EBL were retrospectively evaluated in each group. RESULTS: Early rebleeding occurred in 15 cases. The median time (range) of early rebleeding occurrence was 5 days (range, 2 h to 26 days). Early rebleeding could be managed conservatively and/or endoscopically, except in one case in which surgery was done. Multivariate analysis revealed that age under 50 (adjusted OR, 8.7; 95 % CI 1.6 - 52.5; P = 0.014) and AB (adjusted OR, 4.21; 95 % CI 1.15 - 18.1; P = 0.03) were shown to be significant risk factors. The right side of the colon carried less risk than did the left side (adjusted OR, 0.21; 95 % CI 0.04 - 0.84; P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: Younger age, AB of SRH, and leftsided lesions were identified as the risk factors for early rebleeding after EBL in the treatment of colonic diverticular hemorrhage.