Importance of duodenogastric reflux in the surgical outpatient practice

To the surgeon, the importance of duodeno-gastro-esophageal reflux is related firstly to the injurious effects it has on the mucosa of the stomach and the esophagus, and secondly to the underlying pathophysiology causing the regulation of duodenal contents into the stomach and subsequently into the esophagus. Normally, the reflux of duodenal contents into the stomach rarely causes symptoms and consequently is usually not a primary disease. The symptoms develop after operations that distort or remove the pylorus. Consequently, in most situations the disease is iatrogenic in etiology. In contrast, the reflux of duodenal and gastric contents into the esophagus occurs very commonly as a primary disease entity. In such patients, a dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter is the cause of the increased esophageal exposure and is of key importance to the surgeon. Surgery is the only treatment modality, which is able to specifically address and correct a structurally defective and dysfunctional lower esophageal sphincter. For patients with excessive duodenal reflux into the stomach, surgical diversion of the offending refluxate by means of a Roux-en-Y procedure is the only truly effective modality of treatment.     

Importance of bile reflux in Barrett's esophagus

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is an acquired condition in which the squamous epithelial lining of the lower esophagus is replaced by a columnar epithelium due to chronic gastroesophageal reflux. The role of acid and bile in the development of esophageal mucosal injury and the formation of BE is controversial. Acid and pepsin are unquestionably important in causing mucosal damage and BE formation in both animal models and humans. Animal studies suggest the potential for synergistic damage from conjugated bile acids and gastric acid, as well as from unconjugated bile acids and trypsin in more neutral pH settings. Evidence of the involvement of bile and its constituents in humans has been less conclusive; however, the advent of better technology to detect bile reflux is beginning to clarify the role of these constituents. Human studies show that the reflux of bile parallels acid reflux and increases with the severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease, being most marked in BE. However, recent ex vivo studies suggest that pulses of acid reflux may be more important than bile salts in the development of dysplasia or adenocarcinoma in Barrett's epithelium. Nevertheless, antireflux surgery and aggressive acid suppression with proton pump inhibitors will decrease both acid and bile refluxes, and eliminate the synergism between these two duodenogastric constituents.     

Importance of reflux symptoms in functional dyspepsia.

The relation between symptom severity in gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) and quantitated oesophageal acid reflux is variable. Furthermore, when oesophageal acid exposure lies within the conventional normal range, the cause of the symptoms is unknown. This prospective study evaluated 24 hour ambulatory oesophageal pH profiles in relation to objective symptom scores in 100 dyspeptic patients who were free from ulcer and gall stones. Twenty patients had raised oesophageal acid exposure and reflux symptoms consistent with GORD, and 80 had oesophageal pH profiles within the conventional normal range. Forty four of the 80 had severe or moderate reflux symptoms and were classified as having reflux like functional dyspepsia (RFD); 36 had minimal or absent reflux symptoms, and were categorised as having non-reflux dyspepsia (NFD). While oesophageal pH profiles lay within the conventional normal range in both functional dyspepsia subgroups, patients with RFD had consistently greater acid exposure values as follows: mean (SEM) total oesophageal acid exposure time, RFD 16.2 (2.56) min v NFD 9.05 (2.0) min (p < 0.03); percentage of time with pH < 4, RFD 1.4 (0.2) v NFD 0.8 (0.2) (p < 0.03); DeMeester scores, RFD 12.8 (0.5) v NFD 11.4 (0.4) (p < 0.03). The RFD group had a pain/reflux event correlation of 23.8 (5.3)% v 8.1 (3.7)% for the NFD group (p < 0.01). This study shows that patients with RFD have oesophageal acid exposure that lies below the diagnostic threshold for GORD, but exceeds that of patients with NFD. The high pain/reflux event correlation in RFD, suggests that subthreshold oesophageal acid exposure may be associated with troublesome reflux symptoms.     

门诊护理实习教学流程

门诊实习是护理临床教学的重要组成部分,是提高护生素质、教育护生树立无菌观念、树立医院感染控制意识的重要环节;因此,门诊护生实习带教工作成为重要的教学课程。我科护理组结合近10年来的教学经验,积极探索与改进教学流程,总结出了一条教与学双赢的新模式,现报道如下。     

Withdrawing routine outpatient medical services

In 1983 a budget shortfall at the Seattle Veterans Administration Medical Center prompted termination of regular outpatient care for individuals of low legal priority deemed medically stable by administrative criteria. The authors examined the effects on health status and access to medical care of 157 discharged patients and 74 comparison subjects who met the discharge criteria but were retained. Seventeen months after termination, 41% of discharged patients reported their self-perceived health status was "much worse," compared with 8% of retained patients (p less than 0.001). Among discharged patients, 23% had seen no health care provider, 58% believed they lacked access to necessary care, and 47% had reduced prescribed medications. In contrast, all retained patients had seen a provider, 5% claimed to lack access, and 25% had reduced medications. Among discharged patients for whom complete follow-up data were available, the percentage whose blood pressures were out of control at their 13-month follow-up visits was 41%, compared with 5% at the time of discharge. This marked change contrasted with a rise from 9% to 17% among retained patients. A best-case/worse-case analysis indicated that the findings could not be fully explained by biased follow-up. Administrative criteria did not accurately identify medically stable patients. During the study interval 25% of discharged patients were hospitalized and at least 6% died. These findings suggest that federal health care programs are important to many indigent patients and that withdrawing services may have deleterious consequences.     

Importance of esophageal pH monitoring in the screening of gastroesophageal reflux in children

In the past 20 years the association between gastroesophageal reflux and otorhinolaryngological and/or respiratory affections became more evident by many studies. At the same time it is known that regurgitation, abdominal pain, growth retard, among others signs, could be generated by gastroesophageal reflux in infants, and when these signals are present the suspicious must be considered and they could be referred to perform pH studies. Sixty children were referred to our center to perform pH monitoring with gastroesophageal reflux suspicious, with digestive symptoms, respiratory problems or otorhinolaryngological manifestations. The patients were divided in two groups: the first, with 25 children, suffering from digestive manifestations. The second, 35 patients, including otorhinolaryngological or pulmonary symptoms. The children with digestive manifestations and with otorhinolaryngological or pulmonary symptoms were included in the first group. The pH analysis were considered positive for reflux when Boix-Ochoa Index (for 8 months of age or less) or DeMeester index (for 9 months or more) were above 11.99 or 14.72, respectively. The data were also compared to the results of scintigraphic studies for reflux or endoscopic findings in 22 patients. The pH monitoring test were positive in 62% patients with digestive manifestations. In the group with otorhinolaryngological or pulmonary symptoms the positivity was only 29%. In the group of children with both affections, the positivity was 66%. In patients that performed scintigraphic test or endoscopy, the pH test positivity were similar, 63%, without correlation if these other tests were positive or not. Patients with abnormal endoscopy or positive scintigraphic tests for gastroesophageal reflux presented 37% of positivity in pH test. We conclude that pH monitoring tests could be altered mainly when referred to investigate digestive manifestations when compared to primary otorhinolaryngological or pulmonary indications. Digestive endoscopy or scintigraphic study altered do not mean positive pH test and the inverse situation could be find too. Digestive symptoms coexisting with otorhinolaryngological or pulmonary afections do not increase the positivity frequency of the pH tests when compared with digestive manifestations exclusively.     

The medical therapy of reflux oesophagitis

Besides changes in behaviour and lifestyle we nowadays have the choice of specific drugs in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis. A distinction can be made in motility modulating drugs, which stimulate oesophageal peristalsis and LOS pressure, mucosa-protecting drugs, which form a protective layer on the oesophageal mucosa, acid neutralizing (antacids) and acid suppressing drugs (H2-receptor antagonists, omeprazole). So far the results of medical therapy of reflux oesophagitis are still suboptimal. Giving the H2-receptor antagonists with the evening meal would possibly be more appropriate. A valid alternative is the mucosa-protecting agent sucralfate. Monotherapy will probably be insufficient for full healing, which explains why trials of combination therapy (H2-receptor antagonists plus sucralfate or plus cisapride) are being conducted. If omeprazole becomes available, it will revolutionize the therapy of severe reflux oesophagitis. Many questions (dose, duration, maintenance, safety monitoring etc.) remain to be determined.     

New horizons in the medical treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have revolutionized the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, nearly 30% of all GERD patients are still symptomatic despite standard dose PPI treatment. Consequently, better treatment options are needed particularly in nonerosive reflux disease (NERD), which provides the largest number of patients that fail PPI. Transient lower esophageal relaxation (TLESR) is the underlying mechanism for most acid reflux events. Therefore, reducing the rate of TLESRs pharmacologically is an attractive therapeutic approach. Some compounds that were evaluated include: anticholinergics, opioids, cholecystokinin antagonists, nitric oxide antagonists, somatostatin, and GABA-B agonists. Currently, the GABA-B agonist baclofen generated the most promising results. Although data regarding GERD is lacking, visceral pain modulation, either pharmacologically or via mind-body interventions, was found to be efficacious in a variety of functional bowel disorders, including functional chest pain of presumed esophageal origin. Finally, intensive research is currently undergoing to develop newer acid suppressive agents. The acid pump inhibitors are reversible competitive inhibitors of the proton pump. These agents are potent suppressors of gastric acid secretion, and their effect is unrelated to food intake. Moreover, they demonstrate a faster onset of action and a predictable dose response effect as compared to the current PPIs. Although some of the preliminary clinical data is promising, thus far none of these agents is commercially available.     

Ranitidine vs metoclopramide in the medical treatment of reflux esophagitis

45 patients with symptomatic reflux esophagitis were randomly treated with either Ranitidine (150 mg b.i.d.) or Metoclopramide (10 mg t.i.d.) for six weeks. The severity of dyspeptic symptoms and the grade of endoscopic and histological esophagitis were assessed before and after treatment. Both drugs proved significantly effective in inducing symptomatic and endoscopic improvement, but Ranitidine appeared significantly superior in promoting disappearance or improvement of endoscopic esophagitis. Moreover Ranitidine was found to significantly reduce the severity of histological changes, whereas Metoclopramide was unable to do so.     

Specific issues of dialysed diabetics in outpatient practice

Approximately 40% of patients on dialysis have diabetes mellitus (DM). The basic characteristic of those patients are numerous associated organ complications, especially heart and artery diseases. These and other associated complications in dialysed diabetic patients have a modified pathogenetic and clinical picture and contribute to their poorer prognosis. Anaemia, immunodeficiency as well as malnutrition are manifested earlier and in a more significant manner. Dialysis therapy has the same rules for diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Tolerance to ultrafiltration is lower and haemodynamic instability is easier to provoke in diabetics than in non-diabetic patients. The use of a dialysis solution is beneficial from the point of view of glucose concentration balance. Insulin doses are lower as a result of extended insulin half-time. There is also a degree of insulin resistance, but it can be managed to a great extent by adequate dialysis. There are no fixed guidelines for insulin dosing; the doses roughly amount to half of the doses in patients with normal renal function. The assessment of diabetes compensation is based on glycated haemoglobin, and glycated albumin is also recommended in certain cases. Deciding on the therapy (oral antidiabetic drugs vs. insulin therapy or a combination of both) is based on diabetic care standards; cooperation between the diabetologist and the dialysis doctor is desirable. Customized, specifically designed and targeted intervention in diabetic patients may slow down the progression of diabetic vascular changes, improve diabetes compensation and the patients' quality of life.     

Mythmaking in medical education and medical practice

BackgroundDespite the emergence of evidence-based medicine, gaps in medical knowledge are filled by tradition, common sense, and experience, giving rise to medical myths.MethodsWe explored the origins of and evidence related to four medical myths: patients with shellfish allergies should not receive intravenous contrast, patients with atrial fibrillation of less than 48 hours' duration do not require anticoagulation before cardioversion, patients with suspected meningitis should have a computed tomography (CT) scan before a lumbar puncture, and patients with respiratory disease should not receive β-blockers. We conducted a literature review to describe each myth's origins and the quality of supporting evidence.ResultsAll patients with allergies, including but not limited to seafood allergies, are at an increased risk for anaphylactoid reactions to radiocontrast. No conclusive studies indicate that patients with atrial fibrillation of less than 48 hours' duration do not require anticoagulation before cardioversion. A CT scan before lumbar puncture in suspected acute bacterial meningitis is a clinically inefficient precaution. β-blockers can be safely used in patients with respiratory disease and may even prevent cardiac events in these patients.ConclusionsThese familiar myths have maintained prominent roles in medical thinking because they represent wisdom passed down from eminent sources, they teach physiology and medical skills, and they offer physicians a sense of control in the face of uncertainty. In addition to providing scientific evidence, changing physicians' practice requires acknowledging that even meticulous care cannot always avert bad outcomes.