David Rowbotham

Restoration of normal colonic motor patterns and meal responses after distal colorectal resection

Colorectal resections alter colonic motility, including disruption of control by neural or bioelectrical cell networks. The long‐term impact of surgical resections and anastomoses on colonic motor patterns has, however, never been assessed accurately. Fibreoptic high‐resolution colonic manometry was employed to define motility in patients who had undergone distal colorectal resection.

Clozapine induced gastrointestinal hypomotility: A potentially life threatening adverse event. A review of the literature

OBJECTIVE The haematological and cardiac complications of clozapine have been well documented. Recent evidence from pharmacovigilance databases suggests that gastrointestinal (GI) complications are the leading cause of clozapine related deaths. This review aims to describe clinical features along with preventative and treatment options. METHOD A review of MEDLINE via PubMed searching for all articles published up to February of 2016. Inclusion criteria were articles that provided clinical or epidemiological information relating to the diagnosis, outcome, management or pathophysiology of clozapine related gastrointestinal disorders in humans. RESULTS Three large case series were identified with 104 cases, 20 of these reported clinical details. A further 52 cases reports were included. Median age was 40, with 79% being male, mean daily clozapine dose was 453 mg. Mortality was 38% with survivors being younger (39 vs. 42), on lower daily doses (400 mg vs. 532 mg), more likely to be female (32% vs. 6%). Four patients were re-challenged with clozapine following CIGH, two suffered a recurrence. CONCLUSION Risk factors for CIGH appear to be older age, male gender, patients in the first four months of treatment, co-prescription of constipating agents, higher daily dose of clozapine, and previous CIGH. Risk factors for death were older age and male gender. Patients receiving clozapine should be counselled about the dangers of constipation and to report new GI symptoms. Once severe CIGH has occurred clozapine should be halted and reviewed with bowel symptoms managed promptly. Re-challenging with clozapine may present substantial risks due to the severity of CIGH and a paucity of evidence. From the available evidence a treatment strategy has been proposed. Further prospective data regarding CIGH are needed to allow a better assessment of the scale of the problem with the development and testing of treatment strategies.

Changes in the approach to acute diverticulitis.

Acute diverticulitis (AD) is one of the most common acute admission diagnoses for general surgery, and its prevalence is increasing, in part due to the ageing population. Currently, most patients who present to a tertiary hospital are admitted for a period of treatment and observation. Simple, safe and cost‐effective strategies for improving our current treatment of this condition will be invaluable in providing the most appropriate management for individual patients and for reducing the health resources expended on hospital admissions and parenteral antibiotics. AD can be categorized as uncomplicated or complicated, these two subtypes have a very different clinical course. The management of uncomplicated AD has become increasingly conservative, with a focus on symptomatic relief and supportive management. Recent research has brought into question the need for extended hospital admission and questioned the current use of antibiotics. Anti‐inflammatory agents that reduce local inflammation in uncomplicated AD may be a useful means of reducing damage caused by inflammation and aiding earlier resolution of the inflammatory response and associated symptoms. Mesalazine is an anti‐inflammatory agent that has been trialled in uncomplicated AD. Mesalazine has been shown to improve time to resolution of endoscopic and histological evidence of inflammation following an episode of AD and also reduce the rate of recurrence. In this literature review, we provide an overview of recent advances in AD classification, pathophysiology and management, and examine the possibility of introducing the use of anti‐inflammatory agents in the management of uncomplicated AD.

Hyperactive cyclic motor activity in the distal colon after colonic surgery as defined by high-resolution colonic manometry: Hyperactive colonic activity after surgery

Recovery after colonic surgery is invariably delayed by disturbed gut motility. It is commonly assumed that colonic motility becomes quiescent after surgery, but this hypothesis has not been evaluated rigorously. This study quantified colonic motility through the early postoperative period using high‐resolution colonic manometry.

Hyperactive motility responses occur in the distal colon following colonic surgery

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