Emmanuelle D. Williams

The inflammatory bowel disease Live Interinstitutional and Interdisciplinary Videoconference Education (IBD LIVE) series

Background:Managing patients with inflammatory bowel disease requires multidisciplinary coordination. Technological advances have enhanced access to care for patients and improved physician interactions. The primary aim of our project was to convene diverse institutions and specialties through a multisite virtual conferencing platform to discuss complex patient management. Methods:The case conference is designed to include multiple institutions to exchange ideas, review evidence-based data, and provide input on the management of patients with Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. Technology is supplied and coordinated by an information technology specialist and Chorus Call, Inc., an international teleconferencing service provider. The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Live Interinstitutional Interdisciplinary Videoconference Education (IBD LIVE) initiative is accredited by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences for 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit per weekly session. Results:IBD LIVE began in 2009 comprising only adult gastroenterology and pediatric gastroenterology from UPMC Presbyterian and Childrens Hospitals. Participation steadily increased from 5 sites in 2010 to 11 sites in 2014. Maximum attendance for a single conference was 73 participants with a median of 48. The Continuing Medical Education scores (1 = worst to 5 = best) have a high median overall score (4.6, range 3.2–5.0) with positive responses with regard to the degree to which the conference changed practice. Conclusions:IBD LIVE has been successful and continues to grow. Implementation of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America Virtual Preceptor Program using the IBD LIVE platform will provide expanded national physician access to this professional education activity.

Chronic use of PPI and H2 antagonists decreases the risk of pouchitis after IPAA for ulcerative colitis.

IntroductionBacteria have been implicated in the development of pouchitis after ileal pouch anal anastomosis. The change in gastric pH with the use of proton pump inhibitors and H2 antagonists may lead to alteration of enteric bacteria. We hypothesized that chronic use of these medications would decrease the incidence of pouchitis.MethodsPatients who had undergone ileal pouch anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis were classified by history of pouchitis. Patients were further classified by their use of proton pump inhibitors, H2 blockers, antacids, and other known risk factors for pouchitis.ResultsEighty-five patients were identified. There was a statistically significant increase in the use of daily acid suppression in patients without pouchitis. There was also a statistically significant increase in the use of antacids in patients without pouchitis. Occasional use of acid suppression did not alter the rate of pouchitis.ConclusionsOur data suggest that the daily use of proton pump inhibitors, H2 antagonists, or antacids is associated with a decreased risk of pouchitis in ulcerative colitis. Occasional use of these agents did not seem to afford the same protection. These data suggest that altering the pH of the gastrointestinal tract may influence the development of pouchitis.

Review article: the pathogenesis of pouchitis

A total proctocolectomy followed by ileal pouch‐anal anastomosis is a potentially curative surgery for ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis. About 5–35% of patients with ulcerative colitis and 0–11% of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis develop subsequent inflammation of the ileal pouch termed pouchitis.

Refractory Peristomal Pyoderma Gangrenosum Successfully Treated With Intravenous Immunoglobulin: A Case Report

Refractory Peristomal Pyoderma Gangrenosum Successfully Treated With Intravenous Immunoglobulin: A Case Report

IBD LIVE case series-case 1: smoking, a controversial but effective treatment for ulcerative colitis.

HISTORY A 49-year-old white man with no significant medical history is admitted to another hospital with bloody diarrhea. One week before admission, he developed watery diarrhea 8 to 10 times per day with progressive urgency, tenesmus, and diffuse abdominal pain. Three weeks before admission, he had quit smoking after having smoked one-half pack of cigarettes per day for 30 years. Laboratory studies on admission demonstrated normal metabolic panel and complete blood count except for:

An Electronic Alert System Is Associated With a Significant Increase in Pharmacologic Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Rates Among Hospitalized Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients.

Background: Utilization of pharmacologic venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients seems to be suboptimal with reported rates as low as 50% in some studies. Implementation of an electronic alert system seems to be an effective tool for increasing VTE prophylaxis rates in medical inpatients. To date, no studies have assessed whether this approach is associated with improved rates of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis specifically in IBD patients. Aims: To determine the efficacy of an electronic alert in improving VTE prophylaxis rates in hospitalized IBD patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 576 hospitalized IBD patients. The medical record of each patient was then examined to determine whether pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis was both ordered and administered, the timing of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis, and reasons for any missed doses. Results: The VTE pharmacologic prophylaxis rate was improved from 60% to 81.2% following the implementation of the electronic alert system (p < .001). An increase in prophylaxis rates was seen in both medical (26.3% vs. 62.8%, p < .001) and surgical services (83.7% vs. 95.5%, p < .001). In patients who received pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis, 16% of all ordered doses were not administered and 57.3% of missed doses were the result of patient refusal. Hospitalization after implementation of the electronic alert system (odds ratio [OR] 4.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.94–7.57) and admission to a surgical service (OR 14.3, 95% CI 8.62–24.39) were predictive of VTE pharmacologic prophylaxis orders. Conclusions: The introduction of an electronic alert system was associated with a significant increase in rates of pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis. However, orders were often delayed and doses not always administered. The most common reason that ordered doses were not given was patient refusal.

Association of Preoperative Anti–Tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy With Adverse Postoperative Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery for Ulcerative Colitis

Importance Despite the increasing use of anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in ulcerative colitis, its effects on postoperative outcomes remain unclear, with many patients requiring surgical intervention despite optimal medical management. Objective To assess the association of preoperative use of anti-TNF agents with adverse postoperative outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants This analysis used insurance claims data from a large national database to identify patients 18 years or older with ulcerative colitis. These insured patients had inpatient and/or outpatient claims between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2013, with Current Procedural Terminology codes for a subtotal colectomy or total abdominal colectomy, a total proctocolectomy with end ileostomy, or a combined total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. Only data regarding the first or index surgical admission within the time frame were abstracted. Use of anti-TNF agents, corticosteroids, and immunomodulators within 90 days of surgery was identified using Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes. Inclusion in the study required the patient to have an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis code for ulcerative colitis. Exclusion occurred if the patient had a secondary ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for Crohn disease or if the patient was not continuously enrolled in an insurance plan for at least 180 days before and after the index surgery. Data were collected and analyzed from February 1, 2015, to June 2, 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Outcomes included 90-day complications, emergency department visits, and readmissions. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model covariates, including anti-TNF agent use, on the occurrence of outcomes. Results Of the 2476 patients identified, 1379 (55.7%) were men, and the mean (SD) age was 42.1 (12.9) years. Among these, 950 (38.4%) underwent subtotal colectomy or total abdominal colectomy, 354 (14.3%) underwent total proctocolectomy with end ileostomy, and 1172 (47.3%) received ileal pouch-anal anastomoses. In univariate analyses, increased postoperative complications were observed among patients in the ileal pouch cohort who received anti-TNF agents preoperatively vs those who did not (137 [45.2%] vs 327 [37.6%]; P = .02) but not among those in the colectomy or proctocolectomy cohorts. An increase in complications was also observed on multivariable analyses among patients in the ileal pouch cohort (odds ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.05-1.82). Conclusions and Relevance Unlike preoperative anti-TNF agent use among patients who underwent colectomy or total proctocolectomy and experienced no significant increase in postoperative complications, anti-TNF agent use within 90 days of surgery among patients who underwent ileal pouch-anal anastomosis was associated with higher 90-day postoperative complication rates.

Erratum to Increased Risk of Influenza and Influenza-Related Complications Among 140,480 Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background Diseases of immune dysregulation are associated with an increased risk of viral infections, some of which may be preventable. To date, there are very limited data on the incidence and risk of influenza and related complications in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Furthermore, the impact of immunosuppressive medications on that risk is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and severity of influenza infections in IBD patients. In addition, we looked specifically at the effect of medications on influenza risk. Methods Using the MarketScan Database (January 2008 to December 2011), we conducted a retrospective cohort study to estimate the incidence of influenza and risk of related complications in IBD patients compared with those without IBD. We employed a nested case-control study design to evaluate the potential independent effect of IBD medications on influenza risk. Results A total of 140,480 patients with IBD and non-IBD controls were studied. There were 2963 patients with influenza compared with 1941 non-IBD subjects. Inflammatory bowel disease patients had an increased influenza risk compared with those without IBD (incidence rate ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49-1.63). A higher rate of hospitalizations (162/2994 [5.4%] vs 36/1941 [1.85%]; P < 0.001) was noted. Systemic corticosteroids were found to be independently associated with influenza (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08-1.38). Conclusions Inflammatory bowel disease patients had an increased risk of influenza compared with those without IBD and were more likely to require hospitalization. Steroids were the only medication class independently associated with flu risk.

A Comprehensive Review of Celiac Disease/Gluten-Sensitive Enteropathies

Celiac disease is a complex immune-mediated gluten-sensitive enteropathy with protean clinical manifestations. It is manifest in genetically predisposed individuals who ingest gluten in varying amounts. In broad terms, it is thought to affect 1% of the population in the USA. More specifically, the prevalence increases drastically from 1:133 in patients not-at-risk, to 1:56 in symptomatic patients, to 1:39 in patients with a second-degree relative with the diagnosis, and to 1:22 in patients with a first-degree relative with the diagnosis. It may be associated with several immune-mediated phenomena, autoimmune diseases, and complicated by vitamin and other trace element deficiencies, bone disease, and malignancy. Our understanding of celiac disease has evolved rapidly over the past two decades. This has led to several lines of enquiry on the condition and potential treatment options. More recently, several entities including gluten intolerance, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and seronegative celiac disease have been described. These conditions are distinct from allergies or intolerance to wheat or wheat products. There are challenges in defining some of these entities since a large number of patients self-report these conditions. The absence of confirmatory diagnostic tests poses an added dilemma in distinguishing these entities. The differences in spectrum of symptoms and highlights of the variability between the pediatric and adult populations have been studied in some detail. The role of screening for celiac disease is examined in both the general population and “at risk” populations. Diagnostic strategies including the best available serologic testing, utility of HLA haplotypes DQ2 and DQ8 which are seen in over 90% of patients with celiac disease as compared with approximately 40% of the general population, and endoscopic evaluation are also reviewed. Comprehensive nutritional management after diagnosis is key to sustained health in patients with celiac disease. Simple algorithms for care based on a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach are proposed. Refractory and non-responsive celiac diseases in the setting of a gluten-free diet are examined as are novel non-dietary therapies. Finally, the association of other disease states including psychiatric illness, infertility, lymphoproliferative malignancy, and mortality is explored with special attention paid to autoimmune and atopic disease.

Smoking and the Risk of Pouchitis in Ulcerative Colitis Patients With Ileal Pouch-Anal Anastomosis

Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients who undergo proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) may develop pouchitis, a poorly understood inflammatory condition. There is controversy over whether tobacco use can protect against pouchitis. We undertook this investigation to further evaluate whether smoking reduces the risk of developing pouchitis and to determine whether other previously associated clinical factors change the risk for pouchitis. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis using a consented inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) natural history registry between the years 1995-2015 from a single tertiary care referral center. Demographic data, medical history, surgical information, medication use, laboratory data, and smoking history were abstracted. Former smokers had quit for at least 1 year. The primary end point was development of pouchitis. Results Of the 353 UC patients with IPAA in this study, 126 (35.6%) developed pouchitis. Prior tobacco use (P < 0.0001) was more common in patients who developed pouchitis. Former and active smokers were more likely to develop pouchitis compared with those without a history of tobacco use (63.4% vs 27.3% respectively, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in active smoking rate between those without pouchitis and the group that did develop pouchitis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the only independent risk factor associated with pouchitis was a history of tobacco use. Conclusions These results suggest that smoking cessation may increase the likelihood of developing pouchitis in tobacco users with UC and IPAA, but active smoking does not seem to be more effective in preventing this condition.