Rachel B. Issaka

Long-term Outcomes of Patients With Normal or Minor Motor Function Abnormalities Detected by High-resolution Esophageal Manometry

BACKGROUND & AIMS High-resolution manometry (HRM) expands recognition of minor esophageal motor abnormalities, but the clinical significance of these is unclear. We aimed to determine the outcomes of minor esophageal motor abnormalities. METHODS We reviewed HRM tracings from patients who underwent esophageal manometry at Northwestern Memorial Hospital from July 2004 through October 2005 by using the Chicago classification (version 2.0). We identified 301 patients with normal findings or minor manometric abnormalities (weak peristalsis, hypertensive peristalsis, frequent failed peristalsis, or rapid contractions with normal latency). Ninety-eight patients participated in a phone survey in which they were asked questions from the impact dysphagia questionnaire (mean follow-up period, 6 years 5 months). RESULTS Of 301 patients assessed, 166 had normal findings from HRM, 82 had weak peristalsis, 34 had hypertensive peristalsis, 17 had frequent failed peristalsis, and 2 had rapid contractions with normal latency. The primary indications for HRM of dysphagia (44%) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (63%) were unrelated to manometric findings. There were no endoscopic or videofluoroscopic differences between patients with minor manometric abnormalities. Of 98 patients with follow-up, findings from HRM were normal in 63, weak peristalsis was observed in 23, hypertensive peristalsis was observed in 10, and frequent failed peristalsis was observed in 2. No patients underwent surgical myotomy, pneumatic dilation, or botulinum toxin injection. Use of proton pump inhibitors and rates of fundoplication were similar, regardless of manometric findings. Sixteen patients (16%) had significant dysphagia at follow-up; hypertensive peristalsis was the most likely to be symptomatic. CONCLUSIONS Patients with normal and minor esophageal motor abnormalities report minimal symptoms and have few medical interventions related to esophageal dysfunction during long-term follow-up. Therefore, identification of normal and minor motor function is likely a good prognostic indicator.

Inpatient Weekend ERCP Is Associated With a Reduction in Patient Length of Stay

OBJECTIVES:Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) performed on the weekend requires significant effort from the endoscopist, nursing staff, and anesthesia services. These factors often result in delaying the procedure until the following Monday. No data exist on whether performing weekend ERCP reduces length of stay (LOS) and total cost to justify the additional physician and nursing burden.METHODS:In this single tertiary academic center, institutional review board-approved study, we retrospectively reviewed all hospitalized patients in whom an ERCP had been completed from May 2010 to September 2011. Demographic and clinical information, procedure details as well as total hospitalization charges (USD) were compared between patients who had an ERCP either on the weekend or weekday holiday (WE ERCP) or Monday (MON ERCP). Statistical comparisons were made using χ2 and Fischers exact test. A logistic regression model adjusted for propensity scores (PSs) was used to estimate the risk in prolonged LOS and high total charges associated with WE ERCPs vs. MON ERCPs.RESULTS:A total of 1,114 ERCPs were performed during the time period, 123 of which met inclusion criteria (52 WE, 71 MON). Mean patient age was 56.3±16.7 years (54.5% female, 60.2% Caucasian). There were no significant demographic differences between the two groups. The most common procedure indications were choledocholithiasis (34.9%) and elevated liver enzymes after liver transplantation (25.2%). The analysis showed a significantly decreased LOS (P=0.010) and a trend towards decreased cost (P=0.050) associated with WE ERCP. In the multivariate analysis adjusted for PS, WE ERCP had a significantly decreased odds ratio of LOS>3 days (odds ratio: 0.37 (0.16–0.85); P=0.019).CONCLUSIONS:We demonstrated a significant decrease in LOS and a trend towards decrease in charges in patients who underwent weekend ERCP compared with delaying ERCP until Monday. Thus, health-care organizations should consider removing barriers to weekend inpatient ERCPs.

Inadequate Utilization of Diagnostic Colonoscopy Following Abnormal FIT Results in an Integrated Safety-Net System

Objectives:The effectiveness of stool-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is contingent on colonoscopy completion in patients with an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT). Understanding system and patient factors affecting follow-up of abnormal screening tests is essential to optimize care for high-risk cohorts.Methods:This retrospective cohort study was conducted in an integrated safety-net system comprised of 11 primary-care clinics and one Gastroenterology referral unit and included patients 50–75 years, with a positive FIT between April 2012 and February 2015.Results:Of the 2,238 patients identified, 1,245 (55.6%) completed their colonoscopy within 1-year of the positive FIT. The median time from positive FIT to colonoscopy was 184 days (interquartile range 140–232). Of the 13% of FIT positive patients not referred to gastroenterology, 49% lacked documentation addressing their abnormal result or counseling on the increased risk of CRC. Of the patients referred but who missed their appointments, 62% lacked documentation following up on the abnormal result in the absence of a completed colonoscopy. FIT positive patients never referred to gastroenterology or who missed their appointment after referrals were more likely to have comorbid conditions and documented illicit substance use compared with patients who completed a colonoscopy.Conclusions:Despite access to colonoscopy and a shared electronic health record system, colonoscopy completion after an abnormal FIT is inadequate within this safety-net system. Inadequate follow-up is in part explained by inappropriate screening, but there is an absence of clear documentation and systematic workflow within both primary care and GI specialty care addressing abnormal FIT results.

Population health interventions to improve colorectal cancer screening by fecal immunochemical tests: A systematic review

Despite clear evidence that colorectal cancer (CRC) screening reduces mortality, screening, including fecal immunochemical tests (FIT), is underutilized. We conducted a systematic review to determine the evidence of efficacy of interventions to improve FIT completion that could be scaled and utilized in population health management. We systematically searched publication databases for studies evaluating provider- or system-level interventions to improve CRC screening by FIT between 1 January 1996 and 13 December 2017 without language restrictions. Twenty articles describing 25 studies were included, 23 were randomized controlled trials with 1 quasi-experimental and 1 observational study. Ten studies discussed mailed FIT outreach, 4 pre-FIT patient reminders, 3 tailored patient messages, 2 post-FIT reminders, 2 paired FIT with influenza vaccinations, 2 provider alerts and 1 study each described the use of high-quality small media and patient financial incentives. Mailed FIT outreach was consistently effective with median improvement in CRC screening of 21.5% (interquartile range (IQR) 13.6%-29.0%). FIT paired with vaccinations led to a median 15.9% (IQR 15.6%-16.3%) improvement, while pre-FIT and post-FIT reminders demonstrated modest efficacy with median 4.1% (IQR 3.6%-6.7%) and 3.1% (IQR 2.9%-3.3%) improvement in CRC screening, respectively. More than half the studies were at high or unclear risk of bias; heterogeneous study designs and characteristics precluded meta-analysis. FIT-based CRC screening programs utilizing multilevel interventions (e.g. mailed FIT outreach, FIT paired with other preventative services, and provider alerts) have the potential to significantly increase screening participation. However, such programs must also follow-up patients with abnormal FIT results.

Yield of Colonoscopy After a Positive Result From a Fecal Immunochemical Test OC-Light

Background & Aims The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) is widely used in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. The OC‐Light FIT is 1 of 2 FITs recommended for CRC screening by the Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. However, little is known about its ability to detect CRC in large average‐risk populations. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients (50–75 years old) in the San Francisco Health Network who were screened for CRC by OC‐Light FIT from August 2010 through June 2015. Patients with a positive result were referred for colonoscopy. We used electronic health records to identify participants with positive FIT results, and collected results from subsequent colonoscopies and pathology analyses. The FIT positive rate was calculated by dividing the number of positive FIT results by the total number of FIT tests completed. The primary outcome was the positive rate from OC‐Light FIT and yield of neoplasms at colonoscopy. Secondary outcomes were findings from first vs subsequent rounds of testing, and how these varied by sex and race. Results We collected result from 35,318 FITs, performed on 20,886 patients; 2930 patients (8.3%) had a positive result, and 1558 patients completed the follow‐up colonoscopy. A positive result from the FIT identified patients with CRC with a positive predictive value of 3.0%, and patients with advanced adenoma with a positive predictive value of 20.8%. The FIT positive rate was higher during the first round of testing (9.4%) compared to subsequent rounds (7.4%) (P < .01). The yield of CRC in patients with a positive result from the first round of the FIT was 3.7%, and decreased to 1.8% for subsequent rounds (P = .02). Conclusions In a retrospective analysis of patients in a diverse safety‐net population who underwent OC‐Light FIT for CRC screening, we found that approximately 3% of patients with a positive result from a FIT to have CRC and approximately 21% to have advanced adenoma.

Missed Opportunities in Colorectal Cancer Prevention in Patients With Inadequate Bowel Preparations

*Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington; Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington; Division of Gastroenterology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington; kDivision of Gastroenterology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, San Francisco, California; Division of General Internal Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; and **Center for Vulnerable Populations, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Efficacy and safety of venting percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (VPEG) tube placement in patients with malignant obstruction.

538 Background: Refractory nausea and vomiting are common in patients with advanced malignancy. A venting percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (VPEG) tube can be placed to eliminate the need for a nasogastric tube and palliate obstructive symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes of VPEG placement in patients with advanced malignancy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients in whom a VPEG tube was attempted for a malignant indication over a 13-year period (1998-2010). Demographic and clinical information, procedure details, and immediate & delayed complications were recorded. Results: Endoscopic VPEG placement was attempted in 96 patients (95% inpatient) with a median age of 57y. Colorectal (27%), pancreas (18.8%), and gynecologic (17.7%) malignancies were most common. Ascites was present in 46.9% of patients with drainage performed in a minority of patients (35.6%). VPEG was successfully placed by endoscopy in 89 patients (92.7%). Relief of obstructive symptoms was observed i...