Beyond Maastricht IV: are standard empiric triple therapies for Helicobacter pylori still useful in a South-European country?

Background: Empiric triple treatments for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are increasingly unsuccessful. We evaluated factors associated with failure of these treatments in the central region of Portugal.

Correlation of Helicobacter pylori genotypes with gastric histopathology in the central region of a South-European country.

Background: Outcome of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection results from interaction of multiple variables including host, environmental and bacterial-associated virulence factors.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the correlation of cagA, cagE, vacA, iceA and babA2 genotypes with gastric histopathology and disease phenotype in the central region of a South-European country.

Triple therapy with high-dose proton-pump inhibitor, amoxicillin, and doxycycline is useless for Helicobacter pylori eradication: a proof-of-concept study.

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori resistance to antibiotics is steadily increasing and multidrug-resistant strains are common and difficult to eliminate, mainly in countries where bismuth, tetracycline, furazolidone, and rifabutin are unavailable.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a triple therapy with proton-pump inhibitor (PPI), amoxicillin, and doxycycline in patients with multidrug-resistant H. pylori.

Health systems organization for emergency care.

The increasing number of acute and severe digestive diseases presenting to hospital emergency departments, mainly related with an ageing population, demands an appropriate answer from health systems organization, taking into account the escalating pressure on cost reduction. However, patients expect and deserve a response that is appropriate, effective, efficient and safe. The huge variety of variables which can influence the evolution of such cases warranting intensive monitoring, and the coordination and optimization of a range of human and technical resources involved in the care of these high-risk patients, requires their admission in hospital units with conveniently equipped facilities, as is done for heart attack and stroke patients.

Card15 mutations and gastric cancer in a Portuguese population.

BACKGROUND. CARD15 is involved in the innate immune response and mutations of this gene have been linked with increased risk of Crohn's disease and colorectal cancer. The relation between CARD15 mutations and gastric cancer (GC) remains controversial.

Assessment of emergency liver transplantation criteria in acute liver failure due to Amanita phalloides.

Background And Aims: The emergency liver transplantation criteria for acute liver failure (ALF) due to Amanita phalloides (A. phalloides) intoxication are not consensual. The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical outcomes, and to assess the accuracy of the current and specific criteria for emergency liver transplantation in predicting fatal outcome in ALF induced by A.

Prognostic scores in cirrhotic patients admitted to a gastroenterology intensive care unit.

Background: prognostic scores have been validated in cirrhotic patients admitted to general Intensive Care Units. No assessment of these scores was performed in cirrhotics admitted to specialized Gastroenterology Intensive Care Units (GICUs).

Aim: to assess the prognostic accuracy of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Child-Pugh-Turcotte (CPT) in predicting GICU mortality in cirrhotic patients.

External validation of a classification for methylene blue magnification chromoendoscopy in premalignant gastric lesions.

Background: Conventional endoscopy has low sensitivity, specificity, and interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, and dysplasia. Magnification chromoendoscopy (ME) may optimize the evaluation of premalignant gastric lesions.

Objective And Design: As part of a multicenter trial, we aimed at validating a previously proposed classification for gastric methylene blue ME at a different center.

Fulminant hepatic failure: a Portuguese experience.

Background: Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is a rare condition. Several series have been reported either by individual centres or in multicentre studies but, to our knowledge, this is the first report from a Portuguese population and might be a good example of FHF cases in a SouthWestern European population.

Aims: To present the experience in FHF of a Portuguese Hepatogastroenterological Intensive Care Unit.

Risk factors for stricture development after caustic ingestion.

Background/aims: Stricture of the upper digestive tract is the most feared sequelae of caustic ingestion. Determinant risk factors for its development are not entirely known. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors associated with the development of fibrotic strictures induced by caustic ingestion.