James P. Campbell

Early esophagogastroduodenoscopy is associated with better Outcomes in upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a nationwide study

Background and study aims We analyzed NIS (National Inpatient Sample) database from 2007 – 2013 to determine if early esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) (24 hours) for upper gastrointestinal bleeding improved the outcomes in terms of mortality, length of stay and costs. Patients and methods Patients were classified as having upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage by querying all diagnostic codes for the ICD-9-CM codes corresponding to upper gastrointestinal bleeding. For these patients, performance of EGD during admission was determined by querying all procedural codes for the ICD-9-CM codes corresponding to EGD; early EGD was defined as having EGD performed within 24 hours of admission and late EGD was defined as having EGD performed after 24 hours of admission. Results A total of 1,789,532 subjects with UGIH were identified. Subjects who had an early EGD were less likely to have hypovolemia, acute renal failure and acute respiratory failure. On multivariable analysis, we found that subjects without EGD were 3 times more likely to die during the admission than those with early EGD. In addition, those with late EGD had 50 % higher odds of dying than those with an early EGD. Also, after adjusting for all factors in the model, hospital stay was on average 3 and 3.7 days longer for subjects with no or late EGD, respectively, then for subjects with early EGD. Conclusion Early EGD (within 24 hours) is associated with lower in-hospital mortality, morbidity, shorter length of stay and lower total hospital costs.

Incidence and Predictors of Readmissions in Acute Pancreatitis: A Nationwide Analysis

Objectives Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common cause for hospitalization, and readmission is common, with variable associated risk factors for readmission. Here, we assessed the incidence and risk factors for readmission in AP in a large national database. Methods We analyzed data from the National Readmission Database during the year 2013. Index admissions with a primary discharge diagnosis of AP using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification were identified from January to November to identify 30-day readmission rates. Demographic, hospital, and clinical diagnoses were included in multivariate regression analysis to identify readmission risk factors. Results We identified 243,816 index AP discharges with 39,623 (16.2%) readmitted within 30 days. The most common reason for readmission was recurrent AP (41.5%). Increased odds of all-cause readmission were associated with younger age, nonhome discharge, increasing Charlson Comorbidity Index, and increased length of stay. Cholecystectomy during index admission was associated with reduced all-cause and recurrent AP readmissions (odds ratios of 0.5, and 0.35, respectively). Conclusions Readmission for AP is common, most often due to recurrent AP. Multiple factors, including cholecystectomy, during index admission, are associated with significantly reduced odds of all-cause and recurrent AP readmissions.

Optimal delivery of follow-up care after surgery for Crohn's disease: current perspectives.

Despite improvements in medical therapies for Crohn’s disease (CD), up to 70% of patients require surgery within 10 years of diagnosis. Surgery is not curative, and almost all patients will experience endoscopic recurrence, and many will go on to clinical recurrence. Identifying patients at high-risk of endoscopic recurrence and standardizing postoperative assessments are essential in preventing clinical recurrence of CD. In this review, we discuss the assessment, monitoring, and treatment of postoperative CD patients. We address the various individual risk factors as well as composite risk factors. Medications used for primary CD treatment can be used in the postoperative setting to prevent endoscopic or clinical recurrence with varying efficacy, although the cost-effectiveness of these approaches are not fully understood. Future directions for postoperative CD management include evaluation of newer biologic agents such as anti-integrin therapy and fecal microbiota transplant for prevention of recurrence. Development of a standard preoperative risk assessment tool to clearly stratify those at high-risk of recurrence is necessary to guide empiric therapy. Lastly, the incorporation of noninvasive testing into disease monitoring will likely lead to early detection of endoscopic recurrence that will allow for tailored treatment to prevent clinical recurrence.