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Item does not contain fulltext BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care and education might differ around Europe. Therefore, we conducted this European Variation In IBD PracticE suRvey (VIPER) to investigate potential differences between countries. METHODS: This trainee-initiated survey, run through SurveyMonkey®, consisted of 47 questions inquiring basic demographics, IBD training, and clinical care. Results were compared according to gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, for which countries were divided into 2 groups (low/high income, according to the World Bank). RESULTS: The online survey was completed by 1,285 participants from 40 European countries, with a majority of specialists (65.3%) working in academic institutions (50.4%). Significant differences in IBD-specific training (55.9% vs. 38.4%), as well as availability of IBD units (58.4% vs. 39.7%) and multidisciplinary meetings (73.2% vs. 40.1%), were observed between respondees from high and low GDP countries (p < 0.0001). In high GDP countries, IBD nurses are more common (85.9% vs. 36.0%), also mirrored by more nurse-led IBD clinics (40.6% vs. 13.7%; p < 0.0001). IBD dieticians (33.4% vs. 16.5%) and psychologists (16.8% vs. 7.5%) are mainly present in high GDP countries (p < 0.0001). In the current COVID era, telemedicine is available in 73.2% versus 54.1% of the high/low GDP countries, respectively (p < 0.0001). Treat-to-target approaches are implemented everywhere (85.0%), though access to biologicals and small molecules differs significantly. CONCLUSION: Much variability in IBD practice exists across Europe, with marked differences between high and low GDP countries. Further work is required to help address some of these inequalities, aiming to improve and standardize IBD care and training across Europe.

Obesity is a prevalent health problem in our population. Bariatric surgery is the indicated treatment for severe cases. It is very effective (together with an adequate lifestyle modification) but it is also associated with frequent adverse events. One of the most frequent and disturbing adverse event is diarrhea. Diarrhea after bariatric surgery may be secondary to multiple causes and the physiopathogenic mechanisms may depend on the type of surgery performed. The most frequent diarrhea mechanisms are dumping syndrome, vagotomy, short bowel syndrome, carbohydrate malabsorption, protein malabsorption, alterations of the microbiota, Clostridium difficile infection, bacterial overgrowth, bile salt malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, endocrinological disorders, addictive disorders, and other digestive disorders not necessarily related to surgery.

Resumen La obesidad es un problema de salud frecuente en nuestra poblacion. La cirugia bariatrica es el tratamiento de eleccion en los casos graves, es muy efectiva (junto con una adecuada modificacion de los habitos de vida), pero tambien se asocia a multiples efectos secundarios. Uno de los mas frecuentes y que puede reducir marcadamente la calidad de vida es la diarrea. La diarrea que aparece posterior a una cirugia bariatrica puede ser de distintas causas y mecanismos fisiopatogenicos que van a depender, en parte, del tipo de cirugia realizada. Las causas mas frecuentes son el sindrome de dumping, la diarrea por vagotomia, el sindrome de intestino corto, la malabsorcion de hidratos de carbono, la malabsorcion proteica, las alteraciones de la microbiota, la infeccion por Clostridium difficile, el sobrecrecimiento bacteriano, la malabsorcion de sales biliares, la insuficiencia pancreatica, trastornos endocrinologicos, trastornos adictivos y otros trastornos digestivos no necesariamente relacionados con la cirugia.

Current medical treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) does not achieve 100% response rates, and a subset of refractory and severely ill patients have persistent active disease after being treated with all possible drug alternatives. The combination of two biological therapies (CoT) seems a reasonable alternative, and has been increasingly tested in very difficult cases. The present review suggests that CoT seems to be safe and effective for refractory and severely ill IBD patients. Ustekinumab plus vedolizumab and vedolizumab plus anti-TNF were the most used CoTs for Crohn’s disease. For ulcerative colitis, the most used CoTs were vedolizumab plus anti-TNF and vedolizumab plus tofacitinib. The aforesaid CoTs have shown good efficacy and few adverse events have been reported.

Background and objectives Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease that affects the small bile ducts. The only treatments currently approved in our country are ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and obeticholic acid. Different indices evaluate the response after 1 year of treatment. The aim of our study was to evaluate the different predictive scores and prognostic factors of response to UDCA. Material and methods Retrospective single-centre study in which clinical and analytical data of patients diagnosed with PBC were collected from January 1987 to December 2015. The response after 1 year of treatment was evaluated using the different response scores and their concordance degree using the Kappa index. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated to determine the predictive capacity of the scores. Likewise, the prognostic factors of response to treatment were analysed. Results We included 153 patients. The bivariate analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between the initial high levels of alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol and the poor response to treatment. The best AUROC was in Paris-I score (0.81). The concordance between the different scores was low. The GLOBE score was valid to evaluate the prognosis. Conclusion Basal alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol were predictors of poor outcome. The best predictive qualitative score in our cohort patients was Paris-I. There was a poor concordance between the different predictive scores. GLOBE score is valid to evaluate prognosis.

Resumen Antecedentes y objetivos La colangitis biliar primaria (CBP) es una enfermedad autoinmunitaria que afecta a los conductos biliares de pequeno y mediano tamano. Los unicos tratamientos aprobados actualmente en nuestro pais son el acido ursodeoxicolico (AUDC) y el acido obeticolico. Diversos indices evaluan la respuesta al ano de tratamiento. El objetivo de nuestro estudio fue evaluar los diferentes indices predictivos de respuesta al tratamiento con AUDC. Material y metodos Estudio unicentrico retrospectivo en el que se recogieron los datos clinicos y analiticos de los pacientes diagnosticados de CBP desde enero de 1987 hasta diciembre de 2015. Se calculo la respuesta al ano de inicio del tratamiento utilizando los diferentes indices de respuesta y se evaluo su grado de concordancia mediante el indice Kappa. Se calculo el area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC, «area bajo la curva ROC») para determinar la capacidad predictiva de los indices. Asimismo, se analizaron los factores pronosticos basales. Resultados Se incluyeron 153 pacientes. El analisis bivariante demostro una relacion estadisticamente significativa entre los niveles altos iniciales de fosfatasa alcalina y colesterol y la mala respuesta al tratamiento. La mejor AUROC fue del indice Paris-I (0,81). La concordancia entre los diferentes indices fue baja. El indice pronostico GLOBE fue valido para evaluar el pronostico. Conclusion La fosfatasa alcalina y el colesterol basales fueron factores predictores de mala evolucion. El indice cualitativo que mejor predijo la supervivencia fue el Paris-I. Se obtuvo una mala concordancia entre los diferentes indices predictivos. El indice GLOBE es valido para evaluar el pronostico de la CBP.

Aims During the COVID 19 pandemic, healthcare was predominantly for the treatment of COVID patients. This raisedconcerns about the impact on health care for unrelated illnesses.The aims of this study was to determine if COVID19 hasproduced changes in the incidence and clinical characteristics of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGB)compared to a period of time prior to the pandemic. Methods Upper gastrointestinal endoscopies (UGE) performed during the COVID period and those performed in the sameequivalent period in the previous year were selected from the hospital database of the endoscopy unit. NVUGB was defined:haemorrhage originating proximal to the ligament of Treitz with the presence of melena, hematochezia or rectal bleeding with a potentially bleeding lesion in the endoscopy or active bleeding in the arteriography and/or CT angiography. Clinicaland analytical characteristics were compared with the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. A p value

Background and Aims: Data from clinical trials suggest that biological drugs may improve the outcomes in Crohn&rsquo, s disease (CD) by reducing the need for surgery or hospitalization. The aim of this study is to evaluate the time-trends of the use of biological drugs and other treatments for CD, and its relationship with outcomes in Catalonia. Materials and Methods: All patients with CD included in the Catalan Health Surveillance System (containing data on a population of more than 7.5 million) from 2011 to 2017 were identified. The exposures to different treatments for inflammatory bowel disease were retrieved from electronic invoicing records. Results: Between 2011 and 2017, the use of salicylates, corticosteroids and immunosuppressive treatment fell from 28.8% to 17.1%, 15.8% to 13.7%, and 32.9% to 29.6%, respectively (p &lt, 0.001). Biological treatment use rose from 15.0% to 18.7% (p &lt, 0.001). Ostomy rates per 1000 patients/year fell from 13.2 in 2011 to 9.8 in 2017 (p = 0.003), and surgical resection rates from 24.1 to 18.0 (p &lt, 0.001). The rate of CD-related hospitalizations per 1000 patients/year also fell, from 92.7 to 72.2 (p &lt, 0.001). Conclusions: Biological drug use rose from 15.0% to 18.7% between 2011 and 2017. During this period, we observed an improvement in the outcomes of CD patients.

Background Heterogeneity in the treatment of a disease is a marker of suboptimal quality of care. Recent studies suggest that there is a marked heterogeneity in the management of inflammatory bowel disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the heterogeneity in the treatment used and the outcomes (rate of hospitalization and surgery) for Crohn’s disease (CD) in the different health areas of Catalonia. Methods All patients with CD included in the Catalan Health Surveillance System (CHSS) including data on more than 7 million individuals from 2011 to 2017 were identified using with the ICD-9-CM codes. The different Catalonian health areas were grouped into 19 groups according to the reference hospital (figure 1). Exposures to different treatments were retrieved from the electronic dispensation records. Data on hospitalizations and surgeries were also extracted from the CHSS according to ICD-9-CM codes. Treatment used rates (systemic corticosteroids, non-biological and biological immunosuppressant) and outcome rates (hospitalization and surgery) were calculated. Results The use of systemic corticosteroids presented a decreasing trend over the study period, with an average rate of use of the total number of patients in the different territories between 10% and 16% (figure 2). The use of non-biological immunosuppressant treatment has remained stable, with an average rate of use ranging from 20% to 40% (figure 3). On the other hand, the use of biological immunosuppressant treatment increased, with an average rate of use in the different territories ranging from 10 to 22% (figure 4). Hospitalizations for any reason showed an increasing trend between 2011–2017 with an average rate between 19% and 30% per year depending on the area. Contrarily, hospitalizations for CD presented a decreasing trend, with an average rate between 5% and 10% per year. Surgical treatment (both resections and ostomies) remained stable over time. Rates per year were between 1% and 2%. Conclusion In this population study we appreciated an important heterogeneity in the use of non-biological and biological immunosuppressant treatments, identifying use rates of almost the double in some of the areas. There is also a remarkable variability in the rate of hospitalizations for CD between certain areas of Catalan territory.

Obesity is a prevalent health problem in our population. Bariatric surgery is the indicated treatment for severe cases. It is very effective (together with an adequate lifestyle modification) but it is also associated with frequent adverse events. One of the most frequent and disturbing adverse event is diarrhea. Diarrhea after bariatric surgery may be secondary to multiple causes and the physiopathogenic mechanisms may depend on the type of surgery performed. The most frequent diarrhea mechanisms are dumping syndrome, vagotomy, short bowel syndrome, carbohydrate malabsorption, protein malabsorption, alterations of the microbiota, Clostridium difficile infection, bacterial overgrowth, bile salt malabsorption, pancreatic insufficiency, endocrinological disorders, addictive disorders, and other digestive disorders not necessarily related to surgery.

Introduction: Few recent data on the epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are available, especially in Southern Europe. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence, incidence and mortality of IBD in Catalonia during the period 2011–2016. Material and methods: Data on the prevalence, incidence and mortality of IBD were obtained from the Catalan Health Surveillance System (CHSS). Crude incidence and prevalence rates were calculated for all the Catalan population. Trends in age-sex-adjusted rates were also estimated, and logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted mortality odds ratio (OR). Data for Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) were analyzed separately. Results: The prevalence per 100,000 inhabitants in 2016 was 353.9 for UC and 191.4 for CD. The total number of IBD patients rose from 29543 in 2011 to 40614 in 2016. IBD was associated with significantly elevated adjusted mortality ratios: 1.28 (95% CI: 1.6–1.4) for UC and 1.85 (95% CI: 1.62–2.12) for CD. Conclusions: IBD prevalence is very high and is increasing rapidly in Catalonia. Both CD and UC are associated with significantly higher mortality rates.Key messageCrohn disease and ulcerative colitis present a small but significant increase in mortality compared to non-inflammatory bowel disease.The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly in Catalonia.Data on prevalence and incidence suggest that the number of patients may double in approximately 10 years. Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis present a small but significant increase in mortality compared to non-inflammatory bowel disease. The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly in Catalonia. Data on prevalence and incidence suggest that the number of patients may double in approximately 10 years.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease that affects the small bile ducts. The only treatments currently approved in our country are ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and obeticholic acid. Different indices evaluate the response after one year of treatment. The aim of our study was to evaluate the different predictive scores and prognostic factors of response to UDCA.Retrospective single-centre study in which clinical and analytical data of patients diagnosed with PBC were collected from January 1987 to December 2015. The response after one year of treatment was evaluated using the different response scores and their concordance degree using the Kappa index. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated to determine the predictive capacity of the scores. Likewise, the prognostic factors of response to treatment were analysed.We included 153 patients. The bivariate analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between the initial high levels of alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol and the poor response to treatment. The best AUROC was in Paris-I score (0.81). The concordance between the different scores was low. The GLOBE score was valid to evaluate the prognosis.Basal alkaline phosphatase and cholesterol were predictors of poor outcome. The best predictive qualitative score in our cohort patients was Paris-I. There was a poor concordance between the different predictive scores. GLOBE score is valid to evaluate prognosis.

Background Data from clinical trials suggest that biological drugs may improve the outcomes in Crohn’s disease (CD) by reducing the need for surgery or hospitalisation. However, data on the trends in biological drug use and outcomes in CD patients are scarce. The aim of this study is to evaluate the time-trends of the use of biological drugs and other treatments for CD, and its relationship with outcomes such as surgery and hospitalisation in Catalonia. Methods All patients with CD included in the Catalan Health Surveillance System (containing data on a population of more than 7.5 million) from 2011 to 2017 were identified. The exposures to different treatments for inflammatory bowel disease were retrieved from electronic invoicing records. Time trends for surgery and hospitalisation were described and tested for correlation with treatment using the statistical package R, version 3.4.3. Results Between 2011 and 2017, the use of salicylates, corticosteroids and immunosuppressive treatment fell from 28.8% to 17.1%, 15.8% to 13.7%, and 32.9% to 29.6%, respectively. Biological treatment use rose from 15.0% to 18.7%. Adalimumab was the most frequently prescribed biologic (1604 patients; 52% of all biologics in 2017). Ostomy rates per 1000 patients/year fell from 13.2 in 2011 to 9.8 in 2017, and surgical resection rates from 24.1 to 18.0. The rate of CD-related hospitalisations per 1000 patients/year also fell, from 92.7 to 72.2. Conclusion Biological drug use rose from 15.0% to 18.7% between 2011 and 2017. During the same period, we observed an improvement in the outcomes of CD patients.