Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Screening for Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Patients With Solid Tumors Before Initiating Chemotherapy.

Background & Aims: Patients with solid tumors who undergo chemotherapy have an increased risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation, but a low proportion of these patients are screened for HBV infection and guidelines make conflicting recommendations. Further, the cost-effectiveness of newer treatments for HBV prophylaxis has not been examined for this population. We aimed to analyze the cost-effectiveness of HBV screening before chemotherapy for patients with solid tumors.

Use of over-the-counter analgesics is not associated with acute decompensation in patients with cirrhosis.

Background & Aims: Over-the-counter analgesics have been proposed to lead to decompensation of compensated cirrhosis or to further decompensation of an already decompensated patient. We performed a prospective, case-control study to investigate the effects of analgesics on acute hepatic decompensation.

Methods: Data from consecutive cirrhotic patients hospitalized at 2 tertiary care hospitals for decompensation of cirrhosis (cases, n = 91) were compared with that from consecutive patients with compensated cirrhosis that were followed in the liver clinic (n = 153) and with randomly selected noncirrhotic patients concurrently hospitalized with the cases (n = 89).

Comparison of esophageal capsule endoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy for diagnosis of esophageal varices.

Aim: To investigate the utility of esophageal capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis and grading of esophageal varices.

Methods: Cirrhotic patients who were undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for variceal screening or surveillance underwent capsule endoscopy. Two separate blinded investigators read each capsule endoscopy for the following results: variceal grade, need for treatment with variceal banding or prophylaxis with beta-blocker therapy, degree of portal hypertensive gastropathy, and gastric varices.