[Comparative Study on Bowel Preparation Efficacy of Ascorbic Acid Containing Polyethylene Glycol by Adding Either Simethicone or 1 L of Water in Health Medical Examination Patients: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study].

Background/aims: There are no studies that looked into the bubble eliminating efficacy of polyethylene glycol with ascorbic acid (PEGA), which has been one of the shortcomings of polyethylene glycol (PEG). In this study, we compared newly introduced PEGA regimen by adding either simethicone or 1 L of water.

Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was carried out at Dongguk Universtiy Gyeongju Hospital from July 2014 to September 2014.

Significant risk and associated factors of active tuberculosis infection in Korean patients with inflammatory bowel disease using anti-TNF agents.

Aim: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of Korean tuberculosis (TB) infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) undergoing anti-TNF treatment.

Methods: The data of IBD patients treated with anti-TNFs in 13 tertiary referral hospitals located in the southeastern region of Korea were collected retrospectively. They failed to show response or were intolerant to conventional treatments, including steroids or immunomodulators.

Development of a Web-based, self-reporting symptom diary for Crohn's Disease, and its correlation with the Crohn's Disease Activity Index.

Background And Aims: Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) is complex, time-consuming, and impractical. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a newly developed, simple, web-based self-reporting Crohn's Disease symptom diary (CDSD) was as effective as CDAI in assessing disease severity.

Methods: CDSD consisted of 5 clinical parameters based on the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI), which could easily be recorded online, by using CDSD website (www.

Extremely rare case of extrahepatic duct phytobezoar treated with intraoperative transenteral endoscopy.

Phytobezoar is a rare cause of gastro-intestinal tract obstruction. Common sites of phytobezoar are the stomach and small bowel. Naturally, extrahepatic duct phytobezoar is near impossible due to anatomical structure and location such as ampulla of vater, common bile duct and bifurcation of bile duct.

The evolution of bowel preparation and new developments.

Bowel preparation is essential for successful colonoscopy examination, and the most important factor is the bowel preparation agent used. However, selection of a bowel preparation agent invariably involves compromise. Originally, bowel preparation was performed for radiologic and surgical purposes, when the process involved dietary limitations, cathartics, and enemas, which had many side effects.

Status and literature review of self-expandable metallic stents for malignant colorectal obstruction.

Use of colorectal stents has increased dramatically over the last decades. Colorectal stents offer an alternative way to relieve fatal intestinal obstruction and can take place of emergency surgery, which associated with significant morbidity and mortality and a high incidence of stoma creation, to elective resection. Although there remain a few concerns regarding the use of stents as a bridge to surgical resection, use of self-expandable metallic stents for palliation in patients with unresectable disease has come to be generally accepted.

Anxiety and depression propensities in patients with acute toxic liver injury.

Aim: To investigate anxiety and depression propensities in patients with toxic liver injury.

Methods: The subjects were divided into three groups: a healthy control group (Group 1, n = 125), an acute non-toxic liver injury group (Group 2, n = 124), and a group with acute toxic liver injury group caused by non-commercial herbal preparations (Group 3, n = 126). These three groups were compared and evaluated through questionnaire surveys and using the Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale (HADS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the hypochondriasis scale.

Endoscopic management of refractory benign colorectal strictures.

In colonoscopic study, benign colorectal strictures with or without symptomatic pain are not rarely encountered. Benign colorectal stricture can be caused by a number of problems, such as anastomotic stricture after surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, postendoscopic submucosal dissection, diverticular disease, ischemic colitis, and so on. There are various modalities for the management of benign colorectal stricture.

Predictive factors for lymph node metastasis in signet ring cell gastric cancer and the feasibility of endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Purpose: Endoscopic submucosal dissection has recently been practiced on a differentiated type of early gastric cancer. However, there is no clear evidence for endoscopic treatments of signet ring cell carcinoma. The aim of this study is to identify the predictive clinicopathological factors for lymph node metastasis in signet ring cell carcinoma for assisting endoscopic submucosal dissection trials.

Steps of reprocessing and equipments.

With the increasing interest in endoscopy and the rising number of endoscopic examinations in hospitals, the importance of endoscopic reprocessing is also increasing. Cure facilities that are understaffed and ill-equipped are trying to cope with the problems of insufficient cleaning and high infection risks. To prevent endoscopy-associated infection, the endoscope cleaning, and disinfection guidelines prepared by the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy must be followed.

The breakdown of preformed peritoneal advanced glycation end products by intraperitoneal alagebrium.

It has been demonstrated that inhibitors of advanced glycation end products (AGE), such as aminoguanidine, can suppress peritoneal AGE in rats on peritoneal dialysis (PD). However, it is unknown whether late administration of a putative cross-link breaker, alagebrium, could reverse peritoneal AGE. We therefore compared alagebrium with aminoguanidine in their ability to reverse peritoneal AGE in rats on PD.