Flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy during pregnancy

Haemorrhoids and Anal Fissures in Pregnancy: Predictive Factors and Effective Treatments

Introduction Haemorrhoids and anal fissures (HAF) are common in pregnancy and can severely affect the quality of life of those suffering from them. Despite the condition being common, there is limited evidence, formal guidelines or recommendations on treatment, and little is known about the natural course during pregnancy. Methods This was a prospective, observational cohort study conducted at a tertiary-referral university maternity hospital (The National Maternity Hospital, Dublin), conducted over a nine-month period. The first part of the study was a case-control study of antenatal patients over 34 weeks' gestation. The second part of the study involved a cohort of postnatal patients. Anonymous patient surveys were performed and analysed. Results Two hundred and fifty-eight patients were recruited into the study from the outpatient clinics and wards of one maternity hospital from April to December 2021. Of the antenatal patients, 82/184 (45%) of these patients had symptoms of HAF and 102/184 (55%) antenatal patients were unaffected, acting as controls. In addition, 74 affected postnatal patients were also included. In the affected antenatal group, 36/82 (44%) of patients had self-reported HAF (symptoms or signs of HAF); 50/82 (61%) of patients diagnosed with HAF on their own. 12/82 (15%) noticed symptoms in the first trimester, 25/82 (30%) in the second and 45/82 (55%) in the third. 142/184 (77%) of antenatal patients used conservative methods to manage their symptoms, including an increase in dietary fibre. 144/184 (78%) used medical treatments including suppositories. Only one patient had surgery. 70/156 (45%) of postnatal patients' symptoms resolved within days, 42/156 (27%) in weeks and 44/156 (28%) within months. Conclusion HAF affect almost half of the pregnancies. Age over 35 was significantly associated with antenatal haemorrhoids or anal fissures. Concerningly, the majority of patients (64%) self-diagnose and manage the condition without either seeking or receiving guidance from medical professionals. In terms of the natural course of the disease, it was encouraging that 45% of patients' symptoms resolved within a few days. This will help when counselling patients with distressing symptoms. Conservative measures such as increased dietary fibre, increased fluid intake and bath salts were effective in relieving symptoms for the majority of patients.

British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the management of iron deficiency anaemia in adults

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a major cause of morbidity and burden of disease worldwide. It can generally be diagnosed by blood testing and remedied by iron replacement therapy (IRT) using the oral or intravenous route. The many causes of iron deficiency include poor dietary intake and malabsorption of dietary iron, as well as a number of significant gastrointestinal (GI) pathologies. Because blood is iron-rich it can result from chronic blood loss, and this is a common mechanism underlying the development of IDA-for example, as a consequence of menstrual or GI blood loss.Approximately a third of men and postmenopausal women presenting with IDA have an underlying pathological abnormality, most commonly in the GI tract. Therefore optimal management of IDA requires IRT in combination with appropriate investigation to establish the underlying cause. Unexplained IDA in all at-risk individuals is an accepted indication for fast-track secondary care referral in the UK because GI malignancies can present in this way, often in the absence of specific symptoms. Bidirectional GI endoscopy is the standard diagnostic approach to examination of the upper and lower GI tract, though radiological scanning is an alternative in some situations for assessing the large bowel. In recurrent or refractory IDA, wireless capsule endoscopy plays an important role in assessment of the small bowel.IDA may present in primary care or across a range of specialties in secondary care, and because of this and the insidious nature of the condition it has not always been optimally managed despite the considerable burden of disease- with investigation sometimes being inappropriate, incorrectly timed or incomplete, and the role of IRT for symptom relief neglected. It is therefore important that contemporary guidelines for the management of IDA are available to all clinicians. This document is a revision of previous British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines, updated in the light of subsequent evidence and developments.

Monitoring inflammatory bowel disease during pregnancy: Current literature and future challenges

Inflammatory bowel disease has a high prevalence in women of childbearing age and can have a significant impact on pregnancy, from conceiving to carrying the pregnancy. Active disease during pregnancy is known to have negative effects on pregnancy outcomes; therefore, careful monitoring during this period is an important but challenging aspect of care and is crucial as it affects important management decisions. Recent data seems to suggest that endoscopy is a relatively safe procedure during all trimesters of pregnancy. Serum biomarkers such as C-reactive protein and fecal calprotectin are helpful non-invasive markers, but have shown conflicting results for correlation with disease activity in some initial studies. Further work is necessary to establish standard of care monitoring during pregnancy.

The Safety of Multiple Flexible Sigmoidoscopies with Mucosal Biopsies in Healthy Clinical Trial Participants

During Phase 1 pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics studies, participants may undergo multiple sigmoidoscopies, with a collection of 10-20 biopsies during each procedure. This article characterizes the safety of flexible sigmoidoscopies in clinical trial participants. We determined the number of flexible sigmoidoscopies and rectal biopsies that participants underwent and analyzed the frequency, duration, and severity of flexible sigmoidoscopy-related adverse events (AEs). During the study period, 278 participants underwent 1,004 flexible sigmoidoscopies with the collection of 15,930 rectal biopsies. The average number of procedures per participant was 3.6 (median 3; range 1-25), with an average time interval between procedures of 61.8 days (median 28 days; range 1-1,159). There were no serious AEs. Sixteen AEs were related to flexible sigmoidoscopy and occurred in 16 participants, leading to an overall 1.6% (16/1,004) AE rate per procedure and 0.1% (16/15,930) AE rate per biopsy. Of the 16 AEs, 8 (50%) involved abdominal pain, diarrhea, bleeding, flatulence, and bloating, with an average duration of 4.7 days (median 1 day; range 1-28). Most (14/16) AEs were categorized as Grade 1 (mild), whereas two of the AEs were Grade 2 (moderate). No participant withdrew due to procedure-related AEs. Overall, the number of AEs caused by flexible sigmoidoscopy with multiple biopsies was low and the severity was mild, suggesting that this procedure can be safely integrated into protocols requiring repeated intestinal mucosal sampling.

Gastrointestinal endoscopy in pregnancy

Gastrointestinal endoscopy has a major diagnostic and therapeutic role in most gastrointestinal disorders; however, limited information is available about clinical efficacy and safety in pregnant patients. The major risks of endoscopy during pregnancy include potential harm to the fetus because of hypoxia, premature labor, trauma and teratogenesis. In some cases, endoscopic procedures may be postponed until after delivery. When emergency or urgent indications are present, endoscopic procedures may be considered with some precautions. United States Food and Drug Administration category B drugs may be used in low doses. Endoscopic procedures during pregnancy may include upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, enteroscopy of the small bowel or video capsule endoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasonography. All gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures in pregnant patients should be performed in hospitals by expert endoscopists and an obstetrician should be informed about all endoscopic procedures. The endoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy may be safe for the fetus and pregnant patient, and may be performed during pregnancy when strong indications are present. Colonoscopy for pregnant patients may be considered for strong indications during the second trimester. Although therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography may be considered during pregnancy, this procedure should be performed only for strong indications and attempts should be made to minimize radiation exposure.

Risks versus benefits of gastrointestinal endoscopy during pregnancy

Although gastrointestinal endoscopy is generally safe, its safety must be separately analyzed during pregnancy with regard to fetal safety. Fetal risks from endoscopic medications are minimized by avoiding FDA category D drugs, minimizing endoscopic medications, and anesthesiologist attendance at endoscopy. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy seems to be relatively safe for the fetus and may be performed when strongly indicated during pregnancy. Despite limited clinical data, endoscopic banding of esophageal varices and endoscopic hemostasis of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding seems justifiable during pregnancy. Flexible sigmoidoscopy during pregnancy also appears to be relatively safe for the fetus and may be performed when strongly indicated. Colonoscopy may be considered in pregnant patients during the second trimester if there is a strong indication. Data on colonoscopy during the other trimesters are limited. Therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography seems to be relatively safe during pregnancy and should be performed for strong indications (for example, complicated choledocholithiasis). Endoscopic safety precautions during pregnancy include the performance of endoscopy in hospital by an expert endoscopist and only when strongly indicated, deferral of endoscopy to the second trimester whenever possible, and obstetric consultation.

Colonoscopy-assisted reposition of the incarcerated uterus in mid-pregnancy: a report of four cases and a literature review

The treatment of mid-gestational uterine incarceration remains a challenge. The success rate of manual reduction decreases with gestational age, and an operative procedure may carry important fetal, next to possible maternal morbidities. We will present four cases of uterine incarceration between the 15th and 25th week of pregnancy of which three colonoscopy-assisted manual repositions proved successful. It illustrates that conservative treatment of uterine incarceration is feasible, even during the late second trimester. That is why a review of the conservative approach of this rare condition is also presented.

Inflammatory bowel disease and pregnancy: report of two cases treated with infliximab and a review of the literature

Inflammatory bowel disease is relatively frequent in women of childbearing age. Disease management requires greater attention during this clinical condition because of potential risk of maternal-fetal complications. Infliximab has been shown to be safe during pregnancy and lactation, but reports in the literature are scarce. We report two cases of refractory Crohn's disease treated with infliximab with good results, in women. Both patients became pregnant during maintenance regimen and treatment was continued. The literature regarding pregnant patients with inflammatory bowel disease was reviewed.

Haemorrhoids during pregnancy

Haemorrhoids are varicose veins of the rectum covered by mucosa at or near the anal canal. They are normally asymptomatic, can occur at any age and affect both males and females. In this review, we address the issue of the approach of the obstetrician to haemorrhoids and their management. Haemorrhoids are common in young women and commoner during pregnancy and the puerperium. Obstetricians and gynaecologists should be familiar with haemorrhoids, a proctological disease, diagnosis and their treatment, but they have little experience regarding the impact of pregnancy on haemorrhoids. The obstetrician must be able to relieve symptoms in patients who are pregnant, or who have just delivered.

Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and pregnancy: a review of the literature

CONTEXT: The inflammatory bowel disease is diagnosed frequently among woman of childbearing capacity. The management must be carefully because there are potential risks for the mother and fetus. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: We review literature about the management of inflammatory bowel disease in pregnancy. Some studies are needed to ensure the best approach to inflammatory bowel disease in pregnant women.

Implementation of colonoscopy for mass screening for colon cancer and colonic polyps: efficiency with high quality of care

As awareness of colon cancer by the public continues to increase, screening colonoscopy procedures will proportionately increase. There is much written on the design of new ambulatory gastroenterology clinics, but little practical information about high-volume, mass colonoscopic screening of patients in the hospital outpatient setting. Many institutions struggle with inefficient endoscopy units that cannot always meet the dual needs of high quality and efficient performance of screening endoscopy. The patient undergoing screening colonoscopy seeks an efficient unit with state-of-the-art equipment, highly skilled physicians, highly competent staff, accurate case documentation, comfortable surroundings, and consumer-friendly follow-through of care. Optimizing these factors in existing spaces may require revision of an endoscopy unit's operations and, possibly, renovation of the endoscopy suite.