Carbon dioxide insufflation in colonoscopy is safe: a prospective trial of 347 patients.

Available evidence suggests that the use of CO(2) insufflation in endoscopy is more comfortable for the patient. The safety of CO(2) use in colonoscopy remains contentious, particularly in sedated patients. The objective of the present prospective trial was to assess the safety of CO(2) colonoscopies.

Juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula: MDCT findings in 1010 patients and proposal for a new classification.

The aim of this study is to analyze the MDCT findings of juxtapapillary duodenal diverticula (JPDD) and to propose a new radiological classification. CT-examinations of 1010 consecutive patients, all examined by 16-row MDCT of the abdomen over a time period of 20 months were retrospectively analyzed. All study patients were examined by triple phase CT (native, arterial and portal venous CT scan) of the abdomen and all recieved positive oral contrast prior to the examination.

[Chronic musculo-skeletal pain in Switzerland: patient care from the view of physicians and patients].

A considerable percentage of the population suffers from chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) and patient management does not appear to be optimal. The aim of the present investigations was to assess and evaluate epidemiologic data and discover eventual deficits in patient management. This investigation included several sequential steps: First a European study including Switzerland evaluated the prevalence and characteristics of patients with CMP as well as of the treating physicians.

[Incapacity to work, occupational disability and disability in inflammatory bowel disease].

Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic-inflammatory bowel diseases with unknown etiology. The major symptoms in CD are pain and abdominal discomfort, sometimes associated with weight loss and a series of intestinal and/or extraintestinal symptoms. UC, on the other hand, is characterized by diarrhea which can be bloody and lead to iron deficiency anemia.

[What is motility all about?].

The digestive system is regulated by a complex system. Within this system, the bowel can determine its own patterns of behaviour The aim of the digestive process is to digest and absorb nutrients and to expel all material that cannot be digested. The regulatory patterns largely depend on the luminal content of the gut independently of the input from the central nervous system.

[Treatment of Crohn's disease].

In this chapter, the state-of-the-art treatment of Crohn's disease is summarized; the chapter intends to provide an uptodate knowledge of current treatment strategies of Crohn's disease. The indications for steroids and for immunomodulators are described and compared to newer approaches based on neutralizing tumor necrosis factor by specific antibodies (Infliximab). An attempt was made to clearly differentiate between evidence-based treatment schemes and those which are not supported by good evidence.