The synergistic impact of NSAIDs and aggressive hydration therapy on the rate of post-ERCP pancreatitis in high -risk and low -risk patients.

AIM: The main complication of Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP). BACKGROUND: Based on demographic characteristics and underlying issues and ERCP indication, patients are categorized as high risk or low risk. There have been no studies on the synergistic effects of NSAIDS and hydration therapy, separately sorted by the risk assessment of PEP in different groups of patients. METHODS: This study included 281 eligible participants after exclusion. According to demographic characteristics and co-morbidities, the patients were divided to high risk and low risk. The high-risk group was divided randomly into two subgroups and both of them received NSAIDs (100 mg rectal Diclofenac). One group received standard hydration (1.5mg/kg/hr), another the other received aggressive hydration (3mg/kg/h). The low-risk group received standard hydration. One of its subgroups received NSAIDs, while others did not. The efficacy of these preventions was compared across 4 subgroups. RESULTS: The mean age was 59.85±17.17. Eight hours after ERCP, the amylase and lipase were significantly higher in the high-risk group with standard hydration (P=0.00). Amylase, lipase 8 hours, between two low risk subgroups, NSAIDs had no significant effect (P=0.38, P=0.95, respectively). After adjustment based on cannulation, manipulation and duration of time, the results had no change (P=0.64, P=0.19, P=0.61). CONCLUSION: The aggressive hydration could significantly decrease the risk of PEP. However, the low-risk group was exposed to the lowest risk of PEP. NSAIDs could not help to decrease the rate PEP in the low-risk groups alone. Overall, it seems hydration and NSAIDs therapy had synergistic outcome in high-risk patients.

Solitary rectal ulcer syndrome: addition of rectal therapies to biofeedback is more effective than biofeedback alone.

AIM: We designed this study to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of topical rectal therapy with biofeedback in treatment of solitary rectal ulcer compared to single biofeedback therapy. BACKGROUND: Biofeedback therapy is an appropriate treatment for patients with solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) but it seems that it is not effective alone. Topical medical therapies are supposed to have an additive role to biofeedback. METHODS: This randomized, controlled trial was conducted on 63 patients with SRUS. Patients were randomly enrolled into two groups of combination and single therapy. The patients in combination group (n=31) received biofeedback plus a topical therapy (an enema contained dexamethasone, sulfasalazine and bismuth) and the patients in single therapy group (n=32) were treated with biofeedback alone. RESULTS: Endoscopic responses to treatment in the combination and single groups were 80% and 50%, respectively (P<0.05). Clinical improvement in symptoms such as difficulty to evacuate, digitation to evacuate, feeling of incomplete evacuation, time to need to evacuation and life style alternation were significantly better in treated group by combination therapy than single therapy. Regarding to the mean total score based on all subjective parameters, the results were also significantly better in the treated group by combination therapy. CONCLUSION: Topical anti-inflammatory therapies in combination with biofeedback is an efficient treatment for patients with SRUS.

The Psychometric Assessment of the HIV/AIDS Questionnaire in the Multiple-Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-6).

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to psychometrically assess the HIV/AIDS items of MICS-6 in the Iranian population in the effort to collect valid and reliable data regarding the Iranian culture. METHODS: This methodological study is a psychometric assessment of the HIV/AIDS items in the Multiple-Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) as the AIDS module in MICS Round 6, which includes items on awareness and stigma in people aged over 15 and examines them for their HIV test history. First, the AIDS module was translated into Persian and then translated back into English; subsequently, the psychometric properties of the Persian version were assessed. The face, content and construct validities of this version were also evaluated. The test-retest and internal consistency estimates were also used to determine the instrument's reliability, and the questionnaire was implemented in 200 samples from the target population as a pilot study. RESULTS: The validity of the instrument was confirmed with a CVR higher than 0.78 and a CVI of 0.79. The exploratory factor analysis was performed to confirm the validity of the five factors of the MICS-6. A high internal consistency was reported with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.98 for the questionnaire as a whole and questionnaire has good validity and reliability. CONCLUSION: The Persian version of the AIDS module of the MICS-6 has satisfactory reliability and validity. The present findings are consistent with the results of other studies on the psychometrics of the international AIDS questionnaire.