Objectives: Fatigue is prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in remission. Previously, we showed that fatigued IBD patients experienced a significant decrease in fatigue after receiving mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). The current study examined to what extent these short-term beneficial effects of MBCT on fatigue were maintained over nine months follow-up, and whether patient characteristics were associated with clinically relevant improvement in fatigue.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Despite progressive implementation of image-guided point-shear wave elastography (pSWE) in guidelines as an alternative to transient elastography for the staging of fibrotic liver disease, pSWE is not widely adopted in clinical workflow. More information on reliability and validity of pSWE systems is needed. Therefore, we performed a phantom study to evaluate the validity and reliability of pSWE with ultrasound systems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProcedural skills training in a developing country is challenging, but can improve the quality of care for patients with an important regional health problem. A structured, brief, teach-the-teacher-based training course supports physicians in developing countries to acquire skills needed to perform a complex procedure independently. A case of a patient diagnosed with esophageal cancer is presented and 10 tips are given for training procedural skills in a developing country.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Anastomotic leak after rectal surgery is reported in 9% (range 3-28%) of patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of endosponge therapy for anastomotic. Endpoints were the rate of restored continuity and the functional bowel outcome after anastomotic leakage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH) is a poorly understood liver condition, which is increasingly recognized in thiopurine-treated patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is difficult to establish an optimal approach to NRH patients, because its manifestations are highly variable (from asymptomatic to symptoms of noncirrhotic portal hypertension [NCPH]) and the prognosis is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify NRH cases in IBD patients treated with azathioprine, mercaptopurine, and/or thioguanine, and to describe its clinical course.
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