Best Practice Recommendations for Diagnosis and Management of Helicobacter pylori-Synthesizing the Guidelines.

Purpose of review Three guidelines on Helicobacter pylori have been published recently with recommendations that differ from past guidelines. In this review, we summarize the Toronto consensus statement, the Maastricht V/Florence consensus report and the American College of Gastroenterology guidelines on H. pylori, comparing and contrasting the recommendations. We also provide a proposed approach integrating the information from all three guidelines. Findings Increasing antibiotic resistance has decreased the effectiveness of past treatment regimens for H. pylori. The recommended treatment approach should be based on local and individual antibiotic resistance patterns. Empiric first-line therapy should be a 14-day course of bismuth- or antibiotic-based quadruple therapy. Clarithromycin triple therapy is not recommended unless the local clarithromycin resistance rate is less than 15%. Second-line therapy should be influenced by the failed first-line therapy. Quadruple bismuth-based therapy or levofloxacin-based therapy are suggested regimens. Testing for antibiotic resistance is recommended after multiple failed treatments. Summary Therapy of H. pylori should be based on the knowledge of local antibiotic resistance patterns. Unfortunately, these are often not available. Additional efforts are needed to define local antibiotic resistance to allow susceptibility-based treatment. In the meantime, 14-day quadruple therapy with bismuth or concomitant antibiotics is the recommended as an empiric first-line treatment approach.

A retrospective correlation of percutaneous feeding tube stoma length in sitting and supine positions compared with body mass index.

BACKGROUND: Accurate knowledge of stoma tract length is important to prevent gastric ulcer formation, buried bumper syndrome, and peristomal leakage/infection. Current guidelines suggest 0.5-1.0 cm of play between the skin and external bolster. The aim of this study was to determine if stoma tract length changes from supine and sitting position and if this change is related to BMI. METHODS: Patients undergoing percutaneous feeding tube change from November 2006 to September 2009 were enrolled. Correlations were made between BMI and stoma tract length in both sitting and supine positions. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients (24 percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy [PEG], 4 direct percutaneous jejunal feeding tube) were included; 19 (68%) were female. The mean ± SD stoma length was 3.6 ± 0.9 cm in the supine position and 4.9 ± 1.4 cm in the sitting position. The mean ± SD stoma length change from supine to sitting position was 1.53 ± 0.9 cm. Mean ± SD BMI was 21.2 ± 4.5 (range, 14.9-33.8). Stoma length in the supine position (r = 0.65, P = .0002) and sitting position (r = 0.6, P = .0009) was strongly correlated with BMI. Change in stoma tract length was correlated with BMI (r = 0.43, P = .02). CONCLUSION: Stoma tract length is strongly correlated with BMI in both the sitting and supine positions. PEG stoma tract length changes significantly from the supine and sitting position. To prevent complications, most patients should have a longer distance set between internal and external bolsters than is recommended.

Population-based assessment of familial inheritance and neurologic comorbidities among patients with an isolated atrial septal defect.

BACKGROUND: Interatrial shunts, caused by either atrial septal defect (ASD) or patent foramen ovale, have been reported to have a familial association. We sought to examine the familial risk of isolated interatrial shunt and explore associated comorbidities of stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and migraine using a population database. METHODS: The Utah Population Database is linked to inpatient and outpatient records from the University of Utah Health Science Center. Patients with an interatrial shunt were identified, and those with any other form of congenital heart disease or an inheritable syndrome associated with ASD were excluded. Of the 9452 individuals diagnosed with isolated interatrial shunt, 6179 (65%) had sufficient familial and follow-up data for analysis. Five age/gender matched controls were randomly selected per case. Cases and their relatives were compared with controls to assess the relative risk for each comorbid condition. RESULTS: Relatives of interatrial shunt cases had an increased risk for interatrial shunt: siblings relative risk (RR) 6.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.75-8.48; P < 1.0 x 10(-16)), first-degree RR 5.64 (95% CI 4.76-6.68; P < 1.0 x 10(-16)), and second-degree RR 1.75 (95% CI 1.32-2.32; P= 0.0001). Patients with interatrial shunt were more likely to have a comorbid condition compared with controls (RR 21.3, 95% CI 17.1-26.5; P < 1.0 x 10(-16)). First-degree relatives of cases had an increased risk of TIA (RR 1.70, 95% CI 1.18-2.45; P= 0.0045), but no increase risk of stroke or migraine compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong familial inheritance pattern for isolated interatrial shunt, with significantly higher risk of interatrial shunt among affected patients' siblings, first-, and second-degree relatives. Relatives of affected individuals also had a higher risk of TIA, a trend toward an increased risk for stroke, but no increased risk of migraine headache.