Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Gastroenterology for April 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.
Acute Diverticulitis No Worse in Younger Patients
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Younger patients do not have worse clinical presentation of acute diverticulitis, according to a study published online April 23 in the Journal of Digestive Diseases.
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Wide Variation in Health Care Costs Across the U.S.
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Health care prices vary widely across the United States, even within the same state, according to a study published in the April issue of Health Affairs.
Dietary Choices Appear to Impact Microbial Diversity of Gut
FRIDAY, April 29, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Foods like fruits, vegetables, coffee, tea, wine, yogurt, and buttermilk can increase the microbial diversity in the gut, while simple carbohydrates appear to reduce it, according to two studies published in the April 29 issue of the journal Science.
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Rates of Acid Suppression Med Rx Still Too High in NICUs
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Despite reported risks, nearly one in four infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are given histamine-2 receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors, according to a study published April 27 in The Journal of Pediatrics.
Article Discusses Workplace Violence in Health Care
THURSDAY, April 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — There is a lack of data relating to the prevalence of workplace violence in health care and how to address it, according to a review article published in the April 28 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Doctors Have a Only a Few Weeks Left to Review Financial Data
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, physicians have only a few weeks left to review and report disputes relating to their financial ties to drug and medical device manufacturers, according to the American Medical Association.
U.S. Health Report Card Finds Racial, Ethnic Disparities Persist
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — An update on Americans’ health finds that racial and ethnic disparities persist, with significant gaps in obesity, cesarean births, and dental care. But advances have been made in some important areas, including infant mortality rates, women smokers, and numbers of uninsured, according to the new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
New Research Questions Link Between Statin Use and CRC Risk
WEDNESDAY, April 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Long-term use of statins does not appear to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), but a patient’s cholesterol levels might affect risk, according to a study published online April 26 in PLOS Medicine.
Detecting, Isolating C. difficile Carriers Beneficial
TUESDAY, April 26, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Detecting and isolating Clostridium difficile carriers can reduce the incidence of health care-associated C. difficile infection (HA-CDI), according to a study published online April 25 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
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A Doctor’s View: EHRs Impair Physician-Patient Relationship
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Electronic health records (EHRs) may be impairing the physician-patient relationship, according to an article published in Medical Economics.
First-Degree Relative Grafts Don’t Up Liver Disease Recurrence
MONDAY, April 25, 2016 (HealthDay News) — In liver transplantation (LT), patients who receive living donor grafts from first-degree relatives due to autoimmune liver diseases are not prone to increased disease recurrence, compared to those who receive grafts from distant/unrelated donors and deceased donors, according to a study published online April 18 in the American Journal of Transplantation.
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Physicians Can Get Involved in Developing Payment Models
FRIDAY, April 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Doctors can be involved in developing new payment models for their practices, according to the American Medical Association.
Stomach CA Risk Up With Alcohol, Processed Meat Consumption
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Alcohol, processed meats — such as hot dogs, ham, and bacon — and excess weight all may raise a person’s risk of stomach cancer, according to a new review released by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund International.
Improved Survival for Certain Cancers With Low-Dose Aspirin
THURSDAY, April 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancers may have better survival odds if they are on a low-dose aspirin regimen, according to a review published online April 20 in PLOS ONE.
DiaRem Score Predicts Who Will Be Cured by RYGB Surgery
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with type 2 diabetes, the DiaRem score can identify those who are likely to be cured by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, according to a research letter published online April 20 in JAMA Surgery.
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Article Offers Ways to Address Overlooked Details in Practice
MONDAY, April 18, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Looking at a family medicine practice with fresh eyes can help address unsightly issues that patients notice, according to an article published in Family Practice Management.
Only Half of Rectal CA Patients Receiving Standard of Care
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of chemoradiation followed by surgery among rectal cancer patients rose from 42.9 percent in 2004-2006, to 50 percent in 2007-2009, and to 55 percent in 2010-2012 in the United States, according to a report published online April 13 in Cancer.
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2016 Match Marks Record Highs for Registrants, Matching
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The 2016 Match was the largest ever recorded by the National Resident Matching Program, with a higher match rate that 2015, according to a report from the American Medical Association.
Decrease in Medicare Spending for 2012 ACO Entrants
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Early reductions in Medicare spending were seen for the first full year of Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) contracts for 2012 Accountable Care Organization (ACO) entrants, according to a study published online April 13 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Proton Pump Inhibitors Tied to Chronic Kidney Disease
FRIDAY, April 15, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Patients who regularly use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be at increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease, according to research published online April 14 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Health Care Workers Skip Hand Washing One-Third of the Time
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Staff at many outpatient health care facilities in New Mexico failed to follow recommendations for hand hygiene more than one-third of the time, according to findings published in the April 1 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Hepatitis C Found to Up Odds for Certain Head and Neck Cancers
THURSDAY, April 14, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Hepatitis C may increase the risk for certain types of head and neck cancers, according to a study published online April 13 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Optimized Tx Linked to Lasting Pain Relief in Chronic Pancreatitis
WEDNESDAY, April 13, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For most patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), optimized medical and interventional therapy is associated with lasting pain relief, according to a study published online April 7 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Doctors Can Be Misled About FDA ‘Breakthrough’ Drug Designation
TUESDAY, April 12, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Use of the word “breakthrough” in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s expedited approval process could mislead doctors about the new drugs’ actual benefits, according to a research letter published in the April 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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VA Commission on Care: Eliminate VA Medical Centers
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A radical proposal has been suggested for eliminating all Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and outpatient facilities in the next 20 years, floated by seven of 15 members of the VA Commission on Care, according to an article published in the Military Times.
Colonic Diverticular Disease Linked to Dementia Risk
MONDAY, April 11, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Colonic diverticular disease appears to be associated with increased risk of dementia in a population from Taiwan, according to a study published online March 31 in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Propranolol Use Tied to Increased Mortality in Child-Pugh B, C
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with Child-Pugh B and C, propranolol use is associated with increased mortality, according to a letter to the editor published online March 26 in Hepatology.
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Steatosis in More Than Half of Liver Transplant Recipients
FRIDAY, April 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Steatosis affects more than half of liver transplant (LT) recipients, although it is not associated with worse patient survival, according to a study published online April 5 in Liver Transplantation.
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Rectal Indomethacin Doesn’t Prevent Post-ERCP Pancreatitis
THURSDAY, April 7, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), rectal indomethacin does not prevent the development of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP), according to a study published in the April issue of Gastroenterology.
FDA Approves Inflectra as ‘Biosimilar’ to Remicade
WEDNESDAY, April 6, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its second-ever “biosimilar” drug, Inflectra, for adults with Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or chronic plaque psoriasis, among other prescribed uses.
Recent Improvement in Survival for Acute Liver Failure
TUESDAY, April 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For patients with acute liver failure (ALF), overall and transplant-free survival improved from 1998 to 2013, according to a study published online April 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Are Guidelines Needed to Assess Competence of Aging Physicians?
FRIDAY, April 1, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The question of whether national guidelines need to be developed for assessing the competence of aging physicians was discussed during a recent meeting of key stakeholders, according to a news release from the American Medical Association (AMA).
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