A Crisis in Scope: Recruitment and Retention Challenges Reported by VA Gastroenterology Section Chiefs.

Background: Having a sufficient number of gastroenterologists is important for protecting the digestive health of veterans. However, gastroenterology is among the most difficult medical specialties for recruitment at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Methods: We surveyed VA gastroenterology section chiefs to learn about current barriers to recruitment and retention and to identify opportunities for improvement.

Single-center experience with intraprocedural cleansing system to improve inadequate bowel preparation during colonoscopy.

Inadequate bowel preparation is common despite various preprocedure interventions. There is a need for an intervention at the time of colonoscopy to combat poor preparation. In this retrospective, observational study of 46 patients, we evaluated the clinical efficacy and feasibility of implementing the third generation of the Pure-Vu EVS System, a US Food and Drug Administration-cleared over-the-scope-based intraprocedural cleansing device, into our practice at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States).

Analysis of Reported Adverse Events Related to Hemospray: An FDA MAUDE Database Study.

Background: Topical hemostatic powder is a mineral powder that forms an adherent barrier and coagulates active bleeding in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Hemospray is the first hemostatic powder approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States. Hemospray has been increasingly used to manage GI bleeding.

A Consensus Diagnosis Utilizing Surface KI-67 Expression as an Ancillary Marker in Low-Grade Dysplasia Helps Identify Patients at High Risk of Progression to High-Grade Dysplasia and Esophaegal Adenocarcinoma.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) develops in a step-wise manner, from low-grade dysplasia (LGD) to high-grade dysplasia (HGD), and ultimately to invasive EAC. However, there remains diagnostic uncertainty about LGD and its risk of progression to HGD/EAC. The aim is to investigate the role of Ki-67, immune-histochemical marker of proliferation, surface expression in patients with confirmed LGD, and risk stratify progression to HGD/EAC.

ONS Guidelines™ for Opioid-Induced and Non-Opioid-Related Cancer Constipation.

Purpose: This evidence-based guideline intends to support clinicians, patients, and others in decisions regarding the treatment of constipation in patients with cancer.

Methodologic Approach: An interprofessional panel of healthcare professionals with patient representation prioritized clinical questions and patient outcomes for the management of cancer-related constipation. Systematic reviews of the literature were conducted.

Management of Opioid-Induced and Non-Opioid-Related Constipation in Patients With Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Problem Identification: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to inform the development of national clinical practice guidelines on the management of cancer constipation.

Literature Search: PubMed®, Wiley Cochrane Library, and CINAHL® were searched for studies published from May 2009 to May 2019.

Data Evaluation: Two investigators independently reviewed and extracted data from eligible studies.

Persistent indefinite for dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus is a risk factor for dysplastic progression to low-grade dysplasia.

Patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE) are at increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). The risk is largely based on the degree of dysplasia. Dysplasia cannot always be differentiated from inflammatory changes, and therefore may be classified as indefinite for dysplasia (IND).

Not Too Hot, Not Too Cold, but "Just Right".

When ordering diagnostic tests, physicians are faced with a problem of not too many tests, not too few, but 'just right'. However, in medical diagnostics 'just right' may be very difficult to identify. Such is the conundrum presented in study by Rubenstein and colleagues regarding appropriate use of repeat esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical facilities.

Safety and Outcomes of Capsule Endoscopy in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Device: a Single-Center Retrospective Case Series.

Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVAD) is common. Capsule endoscopy (CE) can be used in the diagnosis of obscure GIB. Safety and outcomes of CE in patients with CF-LVAD are unknown.