Virginie Valgueblasse

Adherence to online monitoring of patient-reported outcomes by patients with chronic inflammatory diseases: a feasibility study

Objectives The objective of this report is to investigate the feasibility of collecting patient-reported outcomes (PROs) via e-questionnaires delivered to patients with chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDs). Methods Consecutive outpatients with a confirmed diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus, primary Sjögren’s syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease were followed at two medical departments. Patients received monthly e-mails containing the SF36, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and an analogue symptom scale over a six-month period. Participation rate, socio-demographic characteristics and patients’ satisfaction were analysed. Results A total of 128 patients were included (79% female; mean age: 42 ± 12 years). Eighty-two per cent of questionnaires were returned. The monthly participation rate ranged from 89% to 77%, with a six-month attrition rate of 13%. The mean completion rate of questionnaires was 98%. Factors significantly associated with increased answer rate were: married/couple status, greater number of children at home and previous participation in online surveys. The main reasons for non-response were: ‘too busy to participate’ (35%) and ‘away from home Internet access’ (31%). Overall, 68% of the participants found the study convenient and 96% agreed to continue at a monthly or bimonthly frequency. Conclusion Online home self-assessment of PROs was feasible in the setting of CIDs. Patients were satisfied and willing to continue the survey. The Internet allows immediate and sophisticated presentation of PROs to clinicians. Future studies are warranted to determine how PRO monitoring may contribute to routine care in CIDs and other diseases.

A local structured training program with live pigs allows performing ESD along the gastrointestinal tract with results close to those of Japanese experts

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The high specific skill needed by ESD limit its widespread use in Europe and animal training is recommended in Europe to improve the results of ESD that are far from Japanese at present. We create a local training program using live pigs as models, along with our human cases, to provide continuous exposure to the technique. METHODS Between February 2013 and December 2015, two young operators performed 55 pig gastric ESDs in parallel with 62 human cases for large superficial cancerous lesions. The number and training dates of pig cases were adapted to those of the human cases to achieve continuous exposure to ESD cases. RESULTS The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates were 100%, 85.5% (53/62), and 77.5% (48/62), respectively with no recurrence observed during the one year follow up. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of the R0 or curative resection rates among ESDs performed during 2013-2015 (R0: 80% vs. 86.6% vs. 86.4%; Curative: 80% vs. 86.6% vs. 73%). CONCLUSION A local structured training program using live pig models was used to train endoscopists for ESD in humans with high safety and efficiency, similar to results published by Japanese experts.

Obscure bleeding colonic duplication responds to proton pump inhibitor therapy.

We report the case of a 17-year-old male admitted to our academic hospital with massive rectal bleeding. Since childhood he had reported recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding and had two exploratory laparotomies 5 and 2 years previously. An emergency abdominal computed tomography scan, gastroscopy and colonoscopy, performed after hemodynamic stabilization, were considered normal. High-dose intravenous proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy was initiated and bleeding stopped spontaneously. Two other massive rectal bleeds occurred 8 h after each cessation of PPI which led to a hemostatic laparotomy after negative gastroscopy and small bowel capsule endoscopy. This showed long tubular duplication of the right colon, with fresh blood in the duplicated colon. Obscure lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a difficult medical situation and potentially life-threatening. The presence of ulcerated ectopic gastric mucosa in the colonic duplication explains the partial efficacy of PPI therapy. Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding responding to empiric anti-acid therapy should probably evoke the diagnosis of bleeding ectopic gastric mucosa such as Meckels diverticulum or gastrointestinal duplication, and gastroenterologists should be aware of this potential medical situation.