The Safety of the Re-Opening of an Academic Medical Center Outpatient Endoscopy Unit During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread globally leading to over 3,700,000 deaths. As COVID-19 cases stabilized, the re-opening of endoscopy centers potentially exposed patients and healthcare workers to viral infection. This study aims to determine risk of COVID-19 exposure among patients undergoing outpatient endoscopies in a tertiary care setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Persistent risk for new, subsequent new and recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma despite successful anti-hepatitis B virus therapy and tumor ablation: The need for hepatitis B virus cure.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most significant hepatocarcinogens. The ultimate goal of anti-HBV treatment is to prevent the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). During the last two decades, with the use of currently available anti-HBV therapies (lamivudine, entecavir and tenofovir disoproxil fumatate), there has been a decrease in the incidence of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC).

Update Treatment for HBV Infection and Persistent Risk for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Prospect for an HBV Cure.

Since the discovery of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) by Blumberg et al. in 1965, its genome, sequence, epidemiology, and hepatocarcinogenesis have been elucidated. Globally, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still responsible for the majority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Spiral Enteroscopy Utilizing Capsule Location Index for Achieving High Diagnostic and Therapeutic Yield.

Background and Aim. Spiral enteroscopy (SE) is a new small bowel endoscopic technique. Our aim is to review the diagnostic and therapeutic yield, safety of SE, and the predictive role of prior capsule endoscopy (CE) at an academic center.

An old problem with a new therapy: gastrointestinal bleeding in ventricular assist device patients and deep overtube-assisted enteroscopy.

Conventional algorithms for diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in patients with nonpulsatile ventricular assist devices (VADs) may take days to perform while patients require transfusions. We developed a new algorithm based on deep overtube-assisted enteroscopy (DOAE) to facilitate a rapid diagnosis and treatment. From 2004 to 2012, 84 patients who underwent VAD placement in our institution, were evaluated for episodes of GIB.

Is There a Role for Sonde Enteroscopy in Patients with Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding? A Comparison with Capsule Endoscopy.

Background: In the 1980's and 1990's combined Push and Sonde Enteroscopy was the primary endoscopic tool used to evaluate the small intestine in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). It was available in only a few centers due to the technical difficulties associated with its use. The introduction of wireless capsule endoscopy in 2001 revolutionalized small bowel endoscopic imaging making Sonde enteroscopy a rarely used procedure despite the lack of studies comparing the efficacy of the two modalities.

A validation study of 3 grading systems to evaluate small-bowel cleansing for wireless capsule endoscopy: a quantitative index, a qualitative evaluation, and an overall adequacy assessment.

Background: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is a powerful tool for evaluating the small bowel. Assessment of small-bowel cleansing for CE is an essential quality measure.

Objective: Our purpose was to validate 3 new scales that grade small-bowel cleansing for CE.