Therapeutic drug monitoring in inflammatory bowel diseases. Position statement of the Spanish Working Group on Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

The treatment of inflammatory bowel disease has undergone a significant transformation following the introduction of biologic drugs. Thanks to these drugs, treatment goals have evolved from clinical response and remission to more ambitious objectives, such as endoscopic or radiologic remission. However, even though biologics are highly effective, a significant percentage of patients will not achieve an initial response or may lose it over time.

Proton-pump inhibitors are associated with a high false-positivity rate in faecal immunochemical testing.

Background: False-positivity rates in faecal immunochemical test (FIT) can be affected by drug exposure. We aimed to assess the association between proton pump inhibitors (PPI) consumption and false positive (FP) results in a colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programme using electronic prescription records.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study within a population-based screening program for CRC from 2010 to 2016 was performed.

[Approach to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic anemia secondary to gastrointestinal diseases].

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia and can cause asthenia, cognitive and functional impairment, and decompensation of underlying diseases. Iron deficiency anemia is not a disease but is the result of a potentially serious medical problem. Consequently, patients should always undergo investigation of the underlying cause.

[Fecal calprotectin in the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases].

The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel diseases has classically been based on assessment of digestive symptoms. The development of these symptoms usually results in colonoscopy, which has a low diagnostic yield. Likewise, there is an increasing tendency to base treatment of inflammatory bowel disease on objective data, since the disappearance of signs of activity on colonoscopy (called « mucosal cure ») has been associated with sustained clinical remission and reduced rates of hospitalization and surgery.

[Diagnostic performance of colonoscopy in lower gastrointestinal bleeding].

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency that usually has a favorable prognosis. However, these events generate high resource use. The procedure of choice is colonoscopy with prior colonic preparation due to its high diagnostic performance and safety and the possibility of endoscopic therapy.