Antithrombotic Treatment Is Associated with Small-Bowel Video Capsule Endoscopy Positive Findings in Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Diagnostic Yield and Outcomes of Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy in Patients with Small Bowel Bleeding Receiving Antithrombotics

We aimed to determine the diagnostic yield and outcome of patients receiving antithrombotic drug therapy subjected to small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) for the investigation of small bowel bleeding (SBB). A multicenter retrospective analysis of collected data from all patients undergoing SBCE for the investigation of SBB from March 2003 to June 2023 was performed. The diagnostic yield of SBCE was defined as the detection of positive findings that could explain the cause of the patient's bleeding. Rebleeding was defined as evidence of bleeding within 1 year after the index episode. During the study period, 8401 patients underwent SBCE for SBB investigation. Bleeding lesions were detected in 1103/2535 (43.5%) antithrombotic users, compared to 1113/5866 (18.9%) in nonusers (p < 0.00001). Following capsule endoscopy, a therapeutic intervention was possible in 390/2216 (17.5%) patients with a bleeding lesion. Rebleeding occurred in 927 (36.5%) of antithrombotic users (36.5%), compared to 795 (13.5%) of nonusers (13.5%, p < 0.00001). Both the diagnostic yield of SBCE and the rebleeding rates were higher in patients with SBB receiving antithrombotics. Therapeutic intervention was possible in a real-world setting only for a minority of patients with positive findings.

Patients on Antithrombotic Agents with Small Bowel Bleeding -Yield of Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy and Subsequent Management

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Small bowel gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is associated with multiple blood transfusions, prolonged and/or multiple hospital admissions, utilization of significant healthcare resources, and negative effects on patient quality of life. There is a well-recognized association between antithrombotic medications and small bowel GIB. We aimed to identify the diagnostic yield of small bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) in patients on antithrombotic medications and the impact of SBCE on treatment course.

METHODS

The electronic medical records of nineteen hundred eighty-six patients undergoing SBCE were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

The diagnostic yield for detecting stigmata of recent bleeding and/or actively bleeding lesions in SBCE was higher in patients that were on antiplatelet agents (21.6%), patients on anticoagulation (22.5%), and in patients that had their SBCE performed while they were inpatient (21.8%), when compared to the patients not on antiplatelet agents (12.1%), patients not on anticoagulation (13.5%), and with patients that had their SBCE performed in the outpatient setting (12%). Of 318 patients who had stigmata of recent bleeding and/or actively bleeding lesion(s) identified on SBCE, SBCE findings prompted endoscopic evaluation (small bowel enteroscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), and/or colonoscopy) in 25.2%, with endoscopic hemostasis attempted in 52.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study, the largest conducted to date, emphasizes the importance of performing SBCE as part of the evaluation for suspected small bowel bleeding, particularly in patients taking antithrombotic therapy, and especially during their inpatient hospital stay.

Clinical impact of capsule endoscopy on patients with suspected small bowel bleeding: Experience at a highly specialized hospital in Colombia

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Capsule endoscopy is part of the diagnostic approach to patients with suspected small bowel bleeding and data on its clinical impact are still limited in developing countries. The primary aim of the present study was to determine its impact on subsequent diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted that included all the patients that underwent capsule endoscopy with the PillCam™ SB 3 Capsule system due to suspected small bowel bleeding treated at the Hospital Universitario Fundación Valle del Lili between January 2011 and December 2020.

RESULTS

A total of 158 patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean patient age was 63 years (interquartile range [IQR], 52-74), 53.6% of the patients were women, and high blood pressure was the most frequent comorbidity (43.7%). The main indication was overt bleeding (58.2%). Of all the capsule endoscopies carried out, 63.9% showed lesions that were potentially responsible for bleeding. Medical or surgical treatment was indicated in 63.3% of the case total. Rebleeding at 6 months occurred in 15 patients and there were 2 deaths due to gastrointestinal bleeding at 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Capsule endoscopy has a high impact on patients with suspected small bowel bleeding, with respect to clinical decision-making, as well as rebleeding, hospitalization, and mortality outcomes. The positivity rate of lesions potentially responsible for bleeding was similar to that reported in developed countries.

Long-term outcomes of patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding after negative capsule endoscopy

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Although small-bowel capsule endoscopy (CE) is widely used for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), long-term outcomes for OGIB patients after negative CE remain unclear. Herein, we defined negative CE as P0 (no bleeding potential) or P1 (less likely to bleed), based on the P classification using CE. We aimed to clarify long-term outcomes of patients with OGIB after negative CE.

METHODS

This single-center observational study enrolled 461 consecutive patients with OGIB who underwent CE from March 2014 to October 2021 and were followed up for >1 year. We examined rebleeding rates and predictive factors.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty-four (49%) patients had P0, and 237 (51%) had P1 findings. Rebleeding occurred in 9% and 16% of patients in the P0 and P1 groups, respectively. Two patients in the P0 group and 15 in the P1 group showed rebleeding from the small bowel. The rate of small-bowel rebleeding was significantly lower in the P0 group than that in the P1 group (1% vs 6%, P = 0.002), as was the cumulative rebleeding rate (P = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, history of endoscopic hemostasis (hazard ratio [HR] = 15.958, 95% confidence interval [CI]:4.950-51.447, P < 0.001) and P1 CE findings (HR = 9.989, 95% CI: 2.077-48.030, P = 0.004) were independently predicted small-bowel rebleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

OGIB with P0 CE findings rarely showed rebleeding from the small bowel. Rebleeding may occur in patients with OGIB. Patients with history of endoscopic hemostasis for small-bowel lesions or P1 CE findings should be followed up intensively.

Diagnosis and management of small-bowel bleeding

Small-bowel (SB) bleeding is a challenging problem for the clinician, presenting many pitfalls in both diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Videocapsule endoscopy (VCE) and device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) have revolutionized the approach to the patient with SB bleeding, allowing for the endoscopic diagnosis and management of what was previously only a surgical matter. The patients' assessment in SB bleeding is of foremost importance, as treatment success relies on a detailed evaluation of clinical history, suspicion for underlying lesions, and a careful selection and timing of diagnostic and therapeutic tools. This review will summarize current state-of-the-art evidence and practice points, to provide the clinician with a comprehensive guide towards the management of SB bleeding.

Small Bowel Bleeding: Clinical Diagnosis and Management in the Elderly

INTRODUCTION

With the global increase in life expectancy, there is an increase in gastrointestinal presentations in the elderly. Small bowel bleeding (SBB) is a cause of significant morbidity in the elderly requiring multiple hospital visits, investigations and potentially expensive therapy.

AREAS COVERED

In this review we will outline the different modalities which are used for the diagnosis and management of SBB. We will also discuss the common causes of SBB in the elderly.

EXPERT OPINION

SBB in elderly has a significant impact on the quality of life of the elderly. Larger randomized studies in the elderly are urgently required to help guide clinicians on the best and most cost-effective treatment algorithm in this challenging cohort.

Small-bowel capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy for diagnosis and treatment of small-bowel disorders: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline - Update 2022

MR1: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy as the first-line examination, before consideration of other endoscopic and radiological diagnostic tests for suspected small-bowel bleeding, given the excellent safety profile of capsule endoscopy, its patient tolerability, and its potential to visualize the entire small-bowel mucosa.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR2: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with overt suspected small-bowel bleeding as soon as possible after the bleeding episode, ideally within 48 hours, to maximize the diagnostic and subsequent therapeutic yield.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR3: ESGE does not recommend routine second-look endoscopy prior to small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected small-bowel bleeding or iron-deficiency anemia.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. MR4: ESGE recommends conservative management in those patients with suspected small-bowel bleeding and high quality negative small-bowel capsule endoscopy.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR5: ESGE recommends device-assisted enteroscopy to confirm and possibly treat lesions identified by small-bowel capsule endoscopy.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR6: ESGE recommends the performance of small-bowel capsule endoscopy as a first-line examination in patients with iron-deficiency anemia when small bowel evaluation is indicated.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR7: ESGE recommends small-bowel capsule endoscopy in patients with suspected Crohn's disease and negative ileocolonoscopy findings as the initial diagnostic modality for investigating the small bowel, in the absence of obstructive symptoms or known bowel stenosis.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. MR8: ESGE recommends, in patients with unremarkable or nondiagnostic findings from dedicated small-bowel cross-sectional imaging, small-bowel capsule endoscopy as a subsequent investigation if deemed likely to influence patient management.Strong recommendation, low quality evidence. MR9: ESGE recommends, in patients with established Crohn's disease, the use of a patency capsule before small-bowel capsule endoscopy to decrease the capsule retention rate.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR10: ESGE recommends device-assisted enteroscopy (DAE) as an alternative to surgery for foreign bodies retained in the small bowel requiring retrieval in patients without acute intestinal obstruction.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. MR11: ESGE recommends DAE-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (DAE-ERCP) as a first-line endoscopic approach to treat pancreaticobiliary diseases in patients with surgically altered anatomy (except for Billroth II patients).Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence.

RHEMITT score: Predicting the risk of mid gastrointestinal rebleeding after small bowel capsule endoscopy: A prospective validation

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The RHEMITT score (Renal disease; Heart failure; Endoscopic findings; Major bleeding; Incomplete SBCE; Tobacco; Treatment by enteroscopy) was the first score to accurately predict the individual risk of small bowel rebleeding after capsule endoscopy (SBCE). The aim of the study is on the prospective validation of the RHEMITT score.

METHODS

Cohort of consecutive patients with mid-gastrointestinal bleeding (MGIB) submitted to SBCE and followed prospectively, during at least 12 months, since 2017 until 2020. Rebleeding was defined as an overt bleeding event (melena or hematochezia) or a hemoglobin decrease of at least 2 g/dL. The RHEMITT score was calculated for each patient and the rebleeding rates compared. The performance of the score was tested by calculating the area under curve of the receiver operator characteristic curve. A rebleeding-free survival was assessed, corresponding to the period between the date of SBCE and the date of the first post-SBCE rebleeding event.

RESULTS

We included 162 patients, 102 (62.9%) were female, with a mean age of 64 years old. The sensitivities and specificities of the score grades for predicting rebleeding were as following: for low-risk patients, 0% (0-10%) and 28.8% (21.1-36.5%); for intermediate-risk patients, 23.3% (8.2-38.4%) and 72% (64.3-79.7%); for high-risk patients, 76.7% (61.6-91.8%) and 99.2% (97.7-100%), corresponding to an area under curve of the receiver operator characteristic of 0.988 (P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meyer plots were statistically different according to the attributed risk (log-rank P value <0.001; Breslow-Wilcoxon P value <0.001).

CONCLUSION

The RHEMITT score performed with excellent discriminative power in predicting rebleeding risk, and we herewith propose a surveillance of MGIB patients guided by the RHEMITT score.

Role of Folic Acid Drugs in the Treatment with Antithrombotic and Anticoagulant Drugs for Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases Based on the Analysis of Virtual Reality Medical Data

In recent years, with the continuous progress and development of science and technology and the increasing maturity of medical technology, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases has gradually increased with the age of the population. In the case of cardiovascular disease, proper anticoagulant therapy can effectively prevent bleeding in the occurrence of events, so a more effective treatment of cardiovascular disease is considered a difficult problem to overcome. Therefore, this article proposes the role of folic acid drugs based on virtual reality medical data analysis in the treatment of cardiovascular disease patients with antithrombotic and anticoagulant drugs, in order to improve providing help for cardiovascular disease. This study selected patients with cardiovascular disease who were admitted to the hospital and extracted 100 patients with complete data and a one-year follow-up period, covering the overall status of the patients' cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease degree, and the occurrence of major cardiovascular adverse events. During the follow-up period, we analyzed the specific status of major cardiovascular adverse events and the occurrence of bleeding events and compared and analyzed the effects of folic acid drugs on the treatment with antithrombotic and anticoagulant drugs in patients with cardiovascular disease. Experiments have proved that the differences in the degree of cardiovascular stenosis and the number of cardiovascular disease vessels in the four groups are statistically significant (P < 0.01). The degree of cardiovascular stenosis in group D was lighter than that in groups A, B, and C, and the number of cardiovascular lesions was also less than that in groups A, B, and C. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). This indicates that folic acid can effectively treat cardiovascular stenosis, prevent cardiovascular disease, and then treat patients with cardiovascular disease with antithrombotic and anticoagulant drugs. It provides an important basis for accurate clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Effect of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Agents on Small Intestinal Injuries as Evaluated by Capsule Endoscopy

BACKGROUND

Currently, because the population is aging, use of medications has been increasing, including use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antithrombotic agents.

AIMS

This study aims to investigate whether NSAIDs can cause damage to the small bowel (SB) mucosa.

METHODS

Endoscopic videos of subjects who had undergone capsule endoscopy (CE) were evaluated by three experts in order to identify SB injury. All medications taken within 2 weeks from the time of CE were investigated. Cases with a final diagnosis of intestinal tuberculosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Behcet's disease, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, small bowel lymphoma, or Henoch-Schönlein purpura were excluded from the analysis.

RESULTS

Among the 273 subjects, 125 (45.8%) had SB erosions or ulcers (erosion group) and the remaining 148 (54.2%) did not (no erosion group). SB erosions or ulcers were more common in females, patients aged > 60 years, and subjects taking NSAIDs (p = 0.048, 0.032, and < 0.001, respectively). No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in the following variables: history of cancer and GI surgery, reasons for the test, comorbidities, and use of anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents. Multivariate analysis showed that use of NSAIDs [OR 4.191 (95% CI 1.858-9.458), p < 0.001] was an independent risk factor for SB erosions or ulcers.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of NSAIDs is the only independent risk factor for SB injury identified in this study. Antithrombotic agents do not cause or exacerbate damage to the SB, according to our results.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

KCT0004795.

Scoring systems in clinical small-bowel capsule endoscopy: all you need to know!

Capsule endoscopy (CE) emerged out of the pressing clinical need to image the small bowel (SB) in cases of midgut bleeding and provide an overall comfortable and reliable gastrointestinal (GI) diagnosis 1. Since its wider adoption in clinical practice, significant progress has been made in several areas including software development, hardware features and clinical indications, while innovative applications of CE never cease to appear 2 3. Currently, several manufacturers provide endoscopic capsules with more or less similar technological features 4. Although there is engaging and continuous academic and industry-fueled R&D, promising furtherment of CE technology 4 5, the current status of clinical CE remains that of by and large an imaging modality. Clinical relevance of CE images is cornerstone in the decision-making process for medical management. In one of the larger to date SB CE studies, 4,206 abnormal images were detected in 3,280 patients 6. Thus, CE leads to the identification of a large amount of potential pathology, some of which are pertinent (or relevant) while some (probably the majority) are not.

Soon artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to carry out several roles currently performed by humans; in fact, we are witnessing only the first stages of a transition in the clinical adoption of AI-based solutions in several aspects of gastroenterology including CE 7. Until then though, human-based decision-making profoundly impacts patient care and – although not suggested in the updated European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) European curriculum 8 9 – it should be an integral part of CE training. Frequently, interpretation of CE images by experts or at least experienced readers differs. In a tandem CE reading study, expert review of discordant cases revealed a 50 % (13/25 discordant results) error rate by experienced readers, corresponding (in 5/13 cases) to ‘over-classification’ of an irrelevant abnormality 10. Another comparative study showed an ‘over-classification’ of such irrelevant abnormalities in ~10 % of CE readings 11. One thing which has been for a while on the table – in relation to optimizing and/or standardizing CE reporting and subsequent decision-making – is the need for reproducible scoring systems and for a reliable common language among clinicians responsible for further patient’s management.

Over the years, several of these scoring systems were developed while others appear in the wake of software and hardware improvements aiming to replace and/or complement their predecessors. This review presents a comprehensive account of the currently available classification/scoring systems in clinical CE spanning from predicting the bleeding potential of identified SB lesions (with emphasis on vascular lesions), and the individual rebleeding risk; scoring systems for the prediction of SB lesions in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGlB), having the potential to improve patient selection and rationalize the use of enteroscopy, with better allocation of resources, optimized diagnostic workflow and tailored treatment. This review also includes scores for reporting the inflammatory burden, the cleansing level that underscores confidence in CE reporting and the mass or bulge question in CE. Essentially, the aim is to become a main text for reference when scoring is required and facilitate the inclusion of -through readiness of access- one of the other in the final report.

Antithrombotic therapy in the elderly and senile age: the consensus opinion of experts of the Russian Association of Gerontologists and Geriatricians and the National Society of Preventive Cardiology

В данном документе обсуждаются особенности АТТ у лиц пожилого и старческого возраста в различных клинических ситуациях.

A new panenteric capsule endoscopy-based strategy in patients with melena and a negative upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: a prospective feasibility study

OBJECTIVE

patients presenting with melena and nondiagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy are usually investigated with colonoscopy and if negative, with small bowel capsule endoscopy. In this pilot study, we tested feasibility and performance of panenteric capsule endoscopy (PCE) in patients presenting with melena and negative esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

METHODS

Between January and December 2018, consecutive patients presenting with melena, clinically significant bleeding and negative esophagogastroduodenoscopy were invited to undergo PCE by swallowing PillCam Colon 2 (Medtronic Inc., Dublin, Ireland). PCE results, further diagnostic or therapeutic examinations, rebleeding rates at 30 days and 12 months were recorded.

RESULTS

Out of 128 patients with melena, 23 had negative esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Of them, 12 (8 female, mean age 76 years) underwent PCE, which allowed complete small bowel and colonic evaluation in 12 (100%) and 11 (91.7%) patients, respectively. The small bowel and colon cleansing were adequate in 100 and 83.3%, respectively. No PCE-related complications were observed. The PCE diagnostic yield was 83.3%: significant findings were located in the small bowel, colon or both in 5 (41.7%), 4 (33.3%) and 1 (8.3%) patients, respectively. Device-assisted enteroscopy was performed in 6 (50%) patients. Thirty days and 1 year rebleeding rates were 0 and 18.1%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this proof-of-concept study, PCE was feasible and safe in patients with melena and negative esophagogastroduodenoscopy, identifying the bleeding site in 83% of patients. PCE lead to small bowel therapeutic interventions in 50% of patients, thus avoiding unnecessary standard colonoscopy. Further large prospective randomized studies investigating this strategy are warranted.

Role of Video Capsule Endoscopy as a Prelude to Deep Enteroscopy

Video capsule endoscopy and device-assisted enteroscopy are complementary technologies. Capsule endoscopy is a highly acceptable technology with high diagnostic yield that can guide a subsequent enteroscopy approach. This article aims to focus on the role of video capsule endoscopy as a prelude to deep enteroscopy with a focus on the strengths and limitations of either approach.

New Prospects of Cytoprotection in the Treatment and Prevention of Gastric and Intestinal Diseases (Resolution of an Expert Council and Literature Review)

Aim. To generalize up-to-date information on the possibilities of cytoprotection in the treatment and prevention of gastric and intestinal diseases, as well as to present the materials of an Expert Council meeting held on February 8, 2020 in Moscow under the support of the Alium company.

General provisions. The conducted Expert Council meeting was aimed at discussing the importance of improving the cytoprotective properties of the gastric and intestinal mucous membrane in the treatment of its lesions. It was shown that Rebamipide exhibits positive effects on various parts of the protective barrier of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), primarily due to its stimulating action on the production of prostaglandins playing a key role in maintaining the cytoprotective properties of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The possibilities of applying Rebamipide for the treatment and prevention of erosive and ulcerative gastrointestinal lesions caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) and antithrombotic drugs were demonstrated. In the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, Rebamipide is recommended for patients refractory to therapy with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and for those with non-acid reflux. The efficacy of Rebamipide in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, as well as functional dyspepsia and chronic gastritis, was confirmed.

Conclusions. Rebamipid is a highly effective drug positively affecting various cytoprotection links, thus being suitable for the treatment and prevention of erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as gastroenterological diseases of various etiologies.

Conflict of interest: The Expert Council meeting was supported by the Alium company.