Table of contents
March 2008 Volume 5 No 3
Viewpoint
Can global guidelines change health policy?
120Evidence-based guidelines from wealthy countries define optimum goals for resource-constrained countries. This Viewpoint article discusses how health-care policy in developing countries can only be influenced through local involvement in the construction and implementation of guidelines. The authors also discuss the potential yet controversial role of the biomedical industry in facilitating the development and dissemination of global guidelines.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep0998 | Full Text | PDF (174K)
Research Highlights
Mortality after colectomy (elective or emergency) or no colectomy for patients with IBD
122Cetuximab improves survival in patients with colorectal cancer
122Malignant and benign IPMNs can be differentiated accurately by the 18F-FDG PET technique
122Sleep deprivation increases perceived pain in patients with GERD
123Mouth-to-anus patency capsule for the diagnosis of small intestinal strictures
123Good 5-year outcomes after argon plasma coagulation for Barrett's esophagus
124A new treatment approach for minimal histological residuals of gastric MALT lymphoma
124Use of PPI therapy is associated with an increased risk of bacterial gastroenteritis
125LSTC is a feasible alternative to open cholecystectomy
125The diagnostic value of CT colonography after a positive fecal occult blood test
125Repeat liver transplantation is possible in cases of aggressive HCV infection
126Passive immunotherapy as a vaccine against hepatitis C
126Could changes in intestinal function and morphology underlie chronic heart failure?
127Practice Points
How useful is combined chromoendoscopy and endomicroscopy in patients with ulcerative colitis?
128doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1026 | Full Text | PDF (170K)
EUS versus ERCP in patients with suspected common bile duct stones—is EUS the safest option?
130doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1036 | Full Text | PDF (176K)
Is the inhibitory control test as accurate as standard psychometric testing for diagnosing hepatic encephalopathy?
132doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1027 | Full Text | PDF (173K)
How safe is acetaminophen for the treatment of pain and fever in newly-abstinent patients with alcoholism?
134doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1038 | Full Text | PDF (174K)
How safe and effective is the herbal drug STW 5 for patients with functional dyspepsia?
136doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1039 | Full Text | PDF (177K)
Is the FIBROSpect II® index effective for determining the stage of fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C?
138doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1035 | Full Text | PDF (182K)
How useful is histologic confirmation of intestinal metaplasia in patients with long-segment Barrett's esophagus?
140doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1056 | Full Text | PDF (176K)
Reviews
Treatment options for esophageal strictures
142The author of this Review considers the modalities available for the treatment of dysphagia in patients with malignant or benign esophageal strictures. State-of-the-art techniques, such as stent placement for malignant strictures and dilation therapy for benign strictures, are discussed, as are new developments, such as brachytherapy for malignant strictures. New indications, such as stent placement and incisional therapy for refractory benign strictures, are also considered.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1053 | Full Text | PDF (685K)
Technology Insight: new techniques for imaging the gut in patients with IBD
154The idiopathic inflammatory bowel diseases remain a vexing diagnostic challenge for clinicians. There have, however, been advances in the imaging modalities available for the diagnosis of IBD and the assessment of disease activity. In this Review, the authors discuss the new imaging techniques available—abdominal ultrasound, MRI, CT, capsule endoscopy and double-balloon endoscopy—and how they compare with each other and with more traditional diagnostic modalities.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1028 | Full Text | PDF (391K)
Therapy Insight: gastrointestinal complications of diabetes—pathophysiology and management
162Patients with diabetes often have gastrointestinal symptoms, but the extent and severity of this problem and the specificity of the symptoms experienced are not nearly as well defined as generally assumed. The authors of this Review examine the frequency and type of gastrointestinal symptoms experienced by patients with diabetes, review the underlying pathophysiology of these gastrointestinal complications and consider the therapeutic options available.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1054 | Full Text | PDF (407K)
Case Study
A case of indometacin-induced acute hepatitis developing into chronic autoimmune hepatitis
172This Case Study describes a 47-year-old woman who was treated with indomethacin for osteoarthritis-related hip pain. Soon after beginning treatment she developed nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine and jaundice. Despite discontinuing all medications, her symptoms worsened. Treatment with prednisone 40 mg/day was initially successful, but after tapering (over 18 months) and then discontinuing prednisone her liver chemistry test results worsened and a liver biopsy showed evidence of chronic hepatitis.
doi:10.1038/ncpgasthep1055 | Full Text | PDF (405K)
