ere are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for March 2016. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Non-Surgical Management of Rectal Cancer Increasing
THURSDAY, March 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of nonoperative management (NOM) of rectal cancer is increasing, but primarily in disadvantaged patients, according to a study published online March 28 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Johns Hopkins Announces HIV-to-HIV Organ Transplants
THURSDAY, March 31, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Groundbreaking liver and kidney transplants from an HIV-positive donor to HIV-positive recipients were announced Wednesday by surgeons at Johns Hopkins University.
FDA Approves First Tx for Disease Linked to Stem Cell Transplant
WEDNESDAY, March 30, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Defitelio (defibrotide sodium) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat a rare, but usually fatal, liver disease that affects some patients who have had hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Burden of Hep C Virus Substantial Despite Oral Antiviral Therapy
WEDNESDAY, March 30, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and associated disease is projected to remain considerable even in the era of oral direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), according to a study published online March 25 in Hepatology.
Mortality Low for Laparoscopic Surgery in Severe GERD
TUESDAY, March 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Mortality and reoperation rates are very low among working-age patients with severe gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) undergoing primary laparoscopic fundoplication, according to a study published online March 21 in the British Journal of Surgery.
AMA Addresses Elements of Team-Based Care Model
TUESDAY, March 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The elements of a team-based care model are described in a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
How Can We Fix the Wage Gap Among Female Physicians?
MONDAY, March 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Women doctors can address the gender wage disparity by understanding the reasons why they earn less, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Esophageal Rupture Described After Drinking PEG Solution
THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Esophageal rupture can occur in association with colonoscopy preparation, according to a letter to the editor published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Total Medical Costs of $16K for IFN-Based Antiviral Tx for HCV
THURSDAY, March 24, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The total medical costs associated with interferon (IFN)-based antiviral treatment among patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection average €14,559, with a mean cost of €38,514 per sustained virological response (SVR), according to a study published online March 18 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Drug Combo Reduces Polyps in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
TUESDAY, March 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), treatment with a combination of sulindac and erlotinib is associated with significant reductions in the number and diameter of polyps, according to a study published in the March 22/29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
FDA: Most Powdered Medical Gloves Should Be Banned in U.S.
MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants to ban most powdered medical gloves, saying they pose serious health risks to patients and health care providers alike.
Rate of Transmission of Clostridium difficile Quantified
FRIDAY, March 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hospitalized patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) transmit C. difficile at a much higher rate than that of asymptomatic carriers and community sources, according to a report published in the April issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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Case Before Supreme Court May Expose Doctors to Large Fines
FRIDAY, March 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A case before a state supreme court could potentially expose physicians to large fines based on a legal technicality relating to what they should have known, rather than what they knew, according to the American Medical Association (AMA).
Duration of Estrogen Deficiency Linked to Fibrosis Risk in NAFLD
FRIDAY, March 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For postmenopausal women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), longer duration of estrogen deficiency is associated with increased odds of having more severe fibrosis, according to a study published online Feb. 26 in Hepatology.
Significant Changes in Liver Blood Flow With Prone Positioning
THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Prone positioning is associated with significant changes in hepatocellular function and cardiac output in healthy volunteers, according to research published online March 7 in Anaesthesia.
Many Cases of MERS-CoV Are Health Care-Associated
THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS CoV) infections are frequently associated with health care settings, according to a report published in the April issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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Spending on Prescription Meds Up About 5 Percent in 2015
THURSDAY, March 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Spending on prescription medications for insured Americans increased about 5 percent in 2015, with the increase half of that seen in 2014, the Associated Press reported.
Disruptive Patients Distract Docs, May Receive Compromised Care
WEDNESDAY, March 16, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Disruptive patients may get worse care from physicians, according to a study published online March 7 in BMJ Quality & Safety. The findings aren’t definitive because the researchers tested how physicians responded in fictional vignettes, instead of real-life encounters. Still, the results suggest that such patients distract physicians from doing their jobs.
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PA32540 Safe for Patients at Risk of Aspirin-Linked Upper GI Events
TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For subjects at risk of aspirin-associated upper gastrointestinal (UGI) events, long-term PA32540 (enteric-coated aspirin 325 mg and immediate-release omeprazole 40 mg) appears to be safe, according to a study published in the April issue of Cardiovascular Therapeutics.
Mayo Clinic Has Established Model to Help Battle Burnout
TUESDAY, March 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In an effort to reduce burnout among physicians, the Mayo Clinic is initiating a model to raise camaraderie and increase collaboration, according to a report published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Guidance Offered for Negotiating Higher Rates From Payers
MONDAY, March 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Negotiations to increase payment from insurance companies can be extremely difficult, although it is possible to get a payment increase, according to a report published in Medical Economics.
Antioxidant-Pregabalin Cuts Pain in Chronic Calcific Pancreatitis
MONDAY, March 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with chronic calcific pancreatitis (CCP), antioxidant-pregabalin combination is associated with significant pain reduction, according to a study published online March 6 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
E-Consultations Can Improve Access to, Timeliness of Care
MONDAY, March 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Electronic consultation (e-consultation), an asynchronous, non-face-to-face consultation between a primary care physician and a specialist, can improve access to care and reduce wait times, according to a study published in the March/April issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.
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Elderly With Advanced CRC Often Get Costly, Unnecessary Tx
FRIDAY, March 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Expensive medications are being given far more often to elderly patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, but they offer almost no benefit, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in Medical Care.
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CDC: U.S. Cancer Mortality Rate Continues to Fall
WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Overall rates of cancer and cancer mortality in the United States continue to decline, according to the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, a yearly report issued by the American Cancer Society, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries. The report was published online March 9 in Cancer.
Physicians’ Contracts Can Affect Patients, Professionalism
WEDNESDAY, March 9, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Problematic clauses in physicians’ contracts can impact patient care and professionalism, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online March 8 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Low Testosterone Predicts Mortality in Advanced Liver Disease
TUESDAY, March 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For men with advanced liver disease, sarcopenia and low testosterone predict mortality, with better prediction for low testosterone, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
MRI More Accurate Than Transient Elastography for NAFLD
MONDAY, March 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements are more accurate than transient elastography (TE) for identifying liver fibrosis and steatosis, according to a study published in the March issue of Gastroenterology.
Daily Low-Dose Aspirin May Reduce Risk of Some Cancers
FRIDAY, March 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Taking low-dose aspirin every day may lower the overall risk of cancer by 3 percent, mostly due to larger reductions seen in risk for colon and gastrointestinal tumors, according to research published online March 3 in JAMA Oncology.
SCOTUS: States Can’t Force Health Care Data Release
WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The Supreme Court has ruled against state efforts to collect health care data from insurance plans.
Case of Hepatitis E Transmission Via Plasma Exchange
WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A case of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been reported in a kidney transplant recipient, according to a research letter published online March 1 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Spouse Education Level May Impact Choice for Rural Practice
WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Physicians who are married to a highly-educated spouse are less likely to work in rural underserved areas, according to a study published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Type 1 Diabetes Linked to Increased Risk of Certain Cancers
WEDNESDAY, March 2, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Individuals with type 1 diabetes appear to have a higher risk for cancers of the stomach, liver, pancreas, endometrium, ovary, and kidneys, but a reduced risk for prostate and breast cancers, according to research published online Feb. 29 in Diabetologia.
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Severe Anemia Ups Necrotizing Enterocolitis Risk in VLBW
TUESDAY, March 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Severe anemia, but not red blood cell (RBC) transfusion, is associated with increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in very low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants, according to research published in the March 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Prostate Cancer Tied to Higher Colorectal Cancer Risk
TUESDAY, March 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The risk of colorectal cancer is increased after a diagnosis of prostate cancer, according to a study published online Feb. 25 in Cancer.
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