Incidence of Campylobacter and Salmonella infections following first prescription for PPI: a cohort study using routine data

Proton pump Inhibitors and Risk of Enteric Infection in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Self-controlled Case Series

BACKGROUND

We tested whether proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are associated with enteric infections among those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), after adequately accounting for baseline differences between PPI users and nonusers.

METHODS

This was a self-controlled case series, with each patient serving as their own control. Ambulatory patients with IBD were included if they were tested for enteric infection by multiplex polymerase chain reaction testing panel (GIPCR) and/or Clostridoides difficile toxin PCR from 2015 to 2019 and received PPIs for some but not all of this period. Rates of enteric infections were compared between the PPI-exposed period vs pre- and post-PPI periods identical in duration to the exposed period. Conditional Poisson regression was used to adjust for time-varying factors.

RESULTS

Two hundred twenty-one IBD patients were included (49% ulcerative colitis, 46% Crohn's disease, and 5% indeterminate colitis). The median PPI duration was 7 months (interquartile range 4 to 11 months). A total of 25 (11%) patients had a positive GIPCR or C. difficile test in the PPI period, 9 (4%) in the pre-PPI period, and 8 (4%) in the post-PPI period. Observed incidence rates for enteric infections were 2.5, 7.4, and 2.2 per 100 person years for the pre-PPI, PPI, and post-PPI periods, respectively (adjusted incidence rate ratios, 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-6.0) for PPI vs pre-PPI and 2.9 (95% CI, 1.3-6.4) for PPI vs post-PPI). The adjusted absolute excess risk associated with PPIs was 4.9 infections per 100 person years.

CONCLUSIONS

Proton pump inhibitors were associated with a 3-fold increased risk for enteric infection among those with IBD but had a modest absolute risk.

Incidence of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Symptoms After 7 Days of Proton Pump Inhibitor Use: A Study on Healthy Volunteers

INTRODUCTION

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed drugs. Chronic PPI use has recently been associated with the risk for developing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). It is not known whether the short-term prescription of a PPI can trigger SIBO. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of SIBO and gastrointestinal symptoms after 7 days of PPI use.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective, pilot, open-label study was conducted on asymptomatic healthy volunteers. The incidence of SIBO was evaluated at the baseline and after administration of 40 mg of pantoprazole once a day for 7 days, through a glucose breath test. In addition, the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms, the number of bowel movements, and the consistency of stools, according to the Bristol scale, were assessed.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight healthy subjects (71.1% women, mean age 25.18 ± 6.5 years) were analyzed. The incidence of SIBO after 7 days of PPI administration was 7.8% (95% CI 1.6-21.3%). The patients that developed SIBO had a greater prevalence of bloating (p = 0.0002) and flatulence (p = 0.004) after 7 days of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that a short-term 7-day PPI course produced SIBO in 7.8% of healthy subjects. Although, inappropriate use of PPIs should be discouraged, but since more than 90% of subjects who received PPIs for one week did not develop SIBO, the advantages of PPI administration seem to outweigh the disadvantages.

Risk of gastric cancer among long-term proton pump inhibitor users: a population-based cohort study

PURPOSE

To elucidate whether long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) users have an increased gastric cancer (GC) risk.

METHODS

We searched the 2009-2019 Korean National Health Insurance Services Database for patients aged > 40 years who claimed for Helicobacter pylori eradication (HPE) during 2009-2014. The GC incidence following a PPI exposure of > 180 cumulative defined daily dose (cDDD) and that following an exposure of < 180 cDDD were compared. The outcome was GC development at least 1 year following HPE. A propensity score (PS)-matched dataset was used for analysis within the same quartiles of the follow-up duration. Additionally, dose-response associations were assessed, and the mortality rates were compared between long-term PPI users and non-users.

RESULTS

After PS matching, 144,091 pairs of PPI users and non-users were analyzed. During a median follow-up of 8.3 (interquartile range, 6.8-9.6) years, 1053 and 948 GC cases in PPI users and non-users, respectively, were identified, with the GC incidence (95% confidence interval (CI)) being 0.90 (0.85-0.96) and 0.81 (0.76-0.86) per 1000 person-years, respectively. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for GC with PPI use was 1.15 (95% CI, 1.06-1.25). Among PPI users, patients in the highest tertile for annual PPI dose showed higher GC development than those in the lowest tertile (aHR (95% CI): 3.87 (3.25-4.60)). GC-related mortality did not differ significantly between PPI users and non-users.

CONCLUSION

In this nationwide analysis in Korea, where the GC prevalence is high, long-term PPI use after HPE showed a significant increase in GC, with a positive dose-response relationship.

Current and Future Approaches for Diagnosing Small Intestinal Dysbiosis in Patients With Symptoms of Functional Dyspepsia

The development and application of next generation sequencing technologies for clinical gastroenterology research has provided evidence that microbial dysbiosis is of relevance for the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. Microbial dysbiosis is characterized as alterations of diversity, function, and density of the intestinal microbes. Emerging evidence suggests that alterations of the gastrointestinal microbiome are important for the pathophysiology of a variety of functional gastrointestinal conditions, e.g., irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia (FD), also known as disorders of brain-gut axis interaction. Clinicians have for many years recognized that small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is typified by a microbial dysbiosis that is underpinned by abnormal bacterial loads in these sites. SIBO presents with symptoms which overlap with symptoms of FD and IBS, point toward the possibility that SIBO is either the cause or the consequence of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). More recently, new terms including "intestinal methanogen overgrowth" and "small intestinal fungal overgrowth" have been introduced to emphasize the contribution of methane production by archea and fungi in small intestinal dysbiosis. There is emerging data that targeted antimicrobial treatment of SIBO in patients with FD who simultaneously may or may not have IBS, results in symptom improvement and normalization of positive breath tests. However, the association between SIBO and FGIDs remains controversial, since widely accepted diagnostic tests for SIBO are lacking. Culture of jejunal fluid aspirate has been proposed as the "traditional gold standard" for establishing the diagnosis of SIBO. Utilizing jejunal fluid culture, the results can potentially be affected by cross contamination from oropharyngeal and luminal microbes, and there is controversy regarding the best cut off values for SIBO diagnosis. Thus, it is rarely used in routine clinical settings. These limitations have led to the development of breath tests, which when compared with the "traditional gold standard," have sub-optimal sensitivity and specificity for SIBO diagnosis. With newer diagnostic approaches-based upon applications of the molecular techniques there is an opportunity to characterize the duodenal and colonic mucosa associated microbiome and associated gut microbiota dysbiosis in patients with various gastrointestinal and extraintestinal diseases. Furthermore, the role of confounders like psychological co-morbidities, medications, dietary practices, and environmental factors on the gastrointestinal microbiome in health and disease also needs to be explored.

Predicting Hospital Readmission for Campylobacteriosis from Electronic Health Records: A Machine Learning and Text Mining Perspective

(1) Background: This study investigates influential risk factors for predicting 30-day readmission to hospital for Campylobacter infections (CI). (2) Methods: We linked general practitioner and hospital admission records of 13,006 patients with CI in Wales (1990–2015). An approach called TF-zR (term frequency-zRelevance) technique was presented to evaluates how relevant a clinical term is to a patient in a cohort characterized by coded health records. The zR is a supervised term-weighting metric to assign weight to a term based on relative frequencies of the term across different classes. Cost-sensitive classifier with swarm optimization and weighted subset learning was integrated to identify influential clinical signals as predictors and optimal model for readmission prediction. (3) Results: From a pool of up to 17,506 variables, 33 most predictive factors were identified, including age, gender, Townsend deprivation quintiles, comorbidities, medications, and procedures. The predictive model predicted readmission with 73% sensitivity and 54% specificity. Variables associated with readmission included male gender, recurrent tonsillitis, non-healing open wounds, operation for in-gown toenails. Cystitis, paracetamol/codeine use, age (21–25), and heliclear triple pack use, were associated with a lower risk of readmission. (4) Conclusions: This study gives a profile of clustered variables that are predictive of readmission associated with campylobacteriosis.

Dysbiosis of Gut Microbiome Is Associated With Rupture of Cerebral Aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Environmental factors are important with respect to the rupture of cerebral aneurysms. However, the relationship between the gut microbiome, an environmental factor, and aneurysm rupture is unclear. Therefore, we compared the gut microbiome in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) and ruptured aneurysms (RAs) to identify the specific bacteria causing the rupture of cerebral aneurysms.

METHODS

A multicenter, prospective case-control study was conducted over one year from 2019 to 2020. The fecal samples of patients with stable UIAs and RAs immediately after onset were collected. Their gut microbiomes were analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing. Subsequently, a phylogenetic tree was constructed, and polymerase chain reaction was performed to identify the specific species.

RESULTS

A total of 28 RAs and 33 UIAs were included in this study. There was no difference in patient characteristics between RAs and UIAs: age, sex, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes status, body mass index, and smoking. No difference was observed in alpha diversity; however, beta diversity was significantly different in the unweighted UniFrac distances. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Campylobacter in the RA group was larger than that in the UIA group. Furthermore, the gut microbiome in the RA and UIA groups exhibited significantly different taxonomies. However, Campylobacter was focused on because it is widely known as pathogenic among these bacteria. Then, a phylogenetic tree of operational taxonomic units related to Campylobacter was constructed and 4 species were identified. Polymerase chain reaction for these species identified that the abundance of the genus Campylobacter and Campylobacter ureolyticus was significantly higher in the RA group.

CONCLUSIONS

The gut microbiome profile of patients with stable UIAs and RAs were significantly different. The genus Campylobacter and Campylobacter ureolyticus may be associated with the rupture of cerebral aneurysms.

Nonlinear machine learning pattern recognition and bacteria-metabolite multilayer network analysis of perturbed gastric microbiome

The stomach is inhabited by diverse microbial communities, co-existing in a dynamic balance. Long-term use of drugs such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), or bacterial infection such as Helicobacter pylori, cause significant microbial alterations. Yet, studies revealing how the commensal bacteria re-organize, due to these perturbations of the gastric environment, are in early phase and rely principally on linear techniques for multivariate analysis. Here we disclose the importance of complementing linear dimensionality reduction techniques with nonlinear ones to unveil hidden patterns that remain unseen by linear embedding. Then, we prove the advantages to complete multivariate pattern analysis with differential network analysis, to reveal mechanisms of bacterial network re-organizations which emerge from perturbations induced by a medical treatment (PPIs) or an infectious state (H. pylori). Finally, we show how to build bacteria-metabolite multilayer networks that can deepen our understanding of the metabolite pathways significantly associated to the perturbed microbial communities.

Proton pump inhibitors and dementia risk: Evidence from a cohort study using linked routinely collected national health data in Wales, UK

OBJECTIVES

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed for prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal conditions or for gastroprotection from other drugs. Research suggests they are linked to increased dementia risk. We use linked national health data to examine the association between PPI use and the development of incident dementia.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

A population-based study using electronic health-data from the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank, Wales (UK) from 1999 to 2015. Of data available on 3,765,744 individuals, a cohort who had ever been prescribed a PPI was developed (n = 183,968) for people aged 55 years and over and compared to non-PPI exposed individuals (131,110). Those with prior dementia, mild-cognitive-impairment or delirium codes were excluded. Confounding factors included comorbidities and/or drugs associated with them. Comorbidities might include head injury and some examples of medications include antidepressants, antiplatelets and anticoagulants. These commonly prescribed drugs were investigated as it was not feasible to explore all drugs in this study. The main outcome was a diagnosis of incident dementia. Cox proportional hazard regression modelling was used to calculate the Hazard ratio (HR) of developing dementia in PPI-exposed compared to unexposed individuals while controlling for potential confounders. The mean age of the PPI exposed individuals was 69.9 years and 39.8% male while the mean age of the unexposed individuals was 72.1 years and 41.1% male. The rate of PPI usage was 58.4% (183,968) and incident dementia rate was 11.8% (37,148/315,078). PPI use was associated with decreased dementia risk (HR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.65 to 0.67, p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This study, using large-scale, multi-centre health-data was unable to confirm an association between PPI use and increased dementia risk. Previously reported links may be associated with confounders of people using PPI's, such as increased risk of cardiovascular disease and/or depression and their associated medications which may be responsible for any increased risk of developing dementia.

Incidence, risk factors, and health service burden of sequelae of campylobacter and non-typhoidal salmonella infections in England, 2000-2015: A retrospective cohort study using linked electronic health records

BACKGROUND

Reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Guillain-Barré syndrome, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease may be sequelae of Campylobacter or non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infections. Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and antibiotics may increase the risk of gastrointestinal infections (GII); however, their impact on sequelae onset is unclear. We investigated the incidence of sequelae, their association with antibiotics and PPI prescription, and assessed the economic impact on the NHS.

METHODS

Data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink for patients consulting their GP for Campylobacter or NTS infection, during 2000-2015, were linked to hospital, mortality, and Index of Multiple Deprivation data. We estimated the incidence of sequelae and deaths in the 12 months following GII. We conducted logistic regression modelling for the adjusted association with prescriptions. We compared differences in resource use and costs pre- and post-infection amongst patients with and without sequelae.

FINDINGS

Of 20,471 patients with GII (Campylobacter 17,838), less than 2% (347) developed sequelae, with IBS (268) most common. Amongst Campylobacter patients, those with prescriptions for PPI within 12 months before and cephalosporins within 7-days before/after infection had elevated risk of IBS (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.1, 1.5-2.9) and (aOR 3.6, 1.1-11.7) respectively. Campylobacter sequelae led to ∼ £1.3 million, (£750,000, £1.7 million) in additional annual NHS expenditure.

INTERPRETATION

Sequelae of Campylobacter and NTS infections are rare but associated with increased NHS costs. Prior prescription of PPI may be a modifiable risk factor. Incidence of sequelae, healthcare resource use and costs are essential parameters for future burden of disease studies.

[Proton pump inhibitors and cancers: A hazardous association?]

Proton pump inhibitors, a major progress in gastro-enterology, are globally among the most widely prescribed drugs. But, due to their strong gastric acid inhibition, they can be responsible for side effects, particularly in cancer patients. They are involved in renal function impairment, bone fractures, digestive bacterial overgrowth, particularlyclostridium difficile infections, anemia and hypomagnesemia. Long term use can increase the risks of gastric, pancreatic and liver cancers. They decrease absorption of weak bases drugs, particularly tyrosine kinase inhibitors and capecitabine and are responsible for a poorer prognosis if taken concomitantly with erlotinib, gefitinib and pazopanib. Modification of cyclin dependent kinases is also possible as well as decrease of efficacy of immune check point inhibitors (microbiome modifications). Absoption and efficacy of capecitabine seem also poorer with negative prognosis effect on treatment of gastric and colon cancer. Their long term use, particularly in cancer patients, should probably be avoided.

Campylobacter Infections in Children

EDUCATION GAP

Campylobacter is one of the 2 most common causes of foodborne illness in the United States. It most commonly occurs in children younger than 5 years of age. Campylobacter species can cause a wide range of syndromes, from asymptomatic infections to severe systemic infections.

OBJECTIVES

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Recognize that Campylobacter is a common cause of foodborne illness in the United States and internationally. 2. Understand the indications for testing and the treatment of Campylobacter infection.

Proton Pump Inhibitors: Risks and Rewards and Emerging Consequences to the Gut Microbiome

In recent years, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been criticized for their various adverse interactions and side effects, creating a dilemma among practitioners regarding their use. Our goal is to review the proper use and possible side effects that might be caused by or associated with PPI use. Conclusions were drawn based on the evidence supporting or refuting short-term and long-term adverse events associated with PPI use. We also looked for the evidence regarding effects of PPIs on gut microbiota and their overall safety profile. Although there are significant discrepancies in the current literature regarding various adverse effects associated with PPI use, current data suggest that PPI use is not associated with an increased risk of bone fractures, community-acquired pneumonia, cardiovascular events, hypocalcemia, and gastric malignancies. A mild increased risk of vitamin B₁₂ deficiency and chronic kidney disease, and a moderate increase in the risk of rebound hypersecretion, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and enteric infections, including Clostridium difficile, has been noted with PPI therapy. PPI's link with dementia and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is not clear and requires further investigation. When used appropriately, PPIs are safe medications and are associated with minimal side effects. A clear indication and potential short-term and long-term side effects should be considered before starting PPI therapy.

Proton-Pump Inhibitors and Long-Term Risk of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Older Adults

OBJECTIVES

To estimate associations between long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and pneumonia incidence in older adults in primary care.

DESIGN

Longitudinal analyses of electronic medical records.

SETTING

England PARTICIPANTS: Individuals aged 60 and older in primary care receiving PPIs for 1 year or longer (N=75,050) and age- and sex-matched controls (N=75,050).

MEASUREMENTS

Net hazard ratios for pneumonia incidence in Year 2 of treatment were estimated using the prior event rate ratio (PERR), which adjusts for pneumonia incidence differences before initiation of treatment. Inverse probability weighted models adjusted for 78 demographic, disease, medication, and healthcare usage measures.

RESULTS

During the second year after initiating treatment, PPIs were associated with greater hazard of incident pneumonia (PERR-adjusted hazard ratio=1.82, 95% confidence interval=1.27-2.54), accounting for pretreatment pneumonia rates. Estimates were similar across age and comorbidity subgroups. Similar results were also obtained from propensity score- and inverse probability-weighted models.

CONCLUSION

In a large cohort of older adults in primary care, PPI prescription was associated with greater risk of pneumonia in the second year of treatment. Results were robust across alternative analysis approaches. Controversies about the validity of reported short-term harms of PPIs should not divert attention from potential long-term effects of PPI prescriptions on older adults.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Long-term Proton Pump Inhibitor Use

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) potently inhibit gastric acid secretion and are widely used for treatment of acid-related diseases including gastroesophageal reflux disease and secondary prevention of aspirin/NSAID-induced ulcers. Although clinically important adverse effects of PPIs can occur, just as with other drugs, those are not frequently observed during or after administration. Thus, PPIs are regarded as relatively safe and considered to be clinically beneficial. Recently, PPIs have become frequently administered to patients with functional gastrointestinal diseases or primary prevention of drug-related gastroduodenal damage, even though their beneficial effects for those conditions have not been fully confirmed. PPIs tend to be given for conditions in which the necessity of the drug has not been clarified, thus otherwise rare adverse effects are presented as clinically relevant. Although several PPI-related adverse effects have been reported, their clinical relevance is not yet clear, since the evidence reported in those studies is not at a high enough level, as the majority are based on retrospective observational studies and the reported hazard ratios are low. It is important to administer PPIs only for patients who will gain a substantial clinical benefit and to continue to investigate their adverse effects with high quality prospective studies.

Proton Pump Inhibitors: Are They a Real Threat to the Patient?

Background

Proton pump inhibitors are among the most frequently prescribed drugs in the world and are generally considered safe. However, there is growing concern regarding their safety.

Summary

A nonsystematic review of the current literature was performed regarding proton pump inhibitors and their adverse effects. Proton pump inhibitors seem to be associated with fundic gland polyp development (without clinical relevance) and Clostridium difficile infection. Also, in cirrhotic patients, their prescription should be carefully reviewed. Regarding their association with other enteric infections, micronutrient deficiency, dementia, and chronic kidney disease, current evidence is still of low quality, and further studies are needed.

Key Messages

Considering the current evidence, most patients with a clear clinical indication for proton pump inhibitor treatment should probably benefit from the maintenance of their treatment without significant adverse effects. However, higher-quality studies are needed to confirm or dismiss most of the proposed adverse effects.

The Risk of Community-Acquired Enteric Infection in Proton Pump Inhibitor Therapy: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous meta-analyses suggest that users of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have a higher risk of developing enteric infections compared with nonusers. These previous meta-analyses have considerable heterogeneity, and it is not clear whether the effect of PPIs is different for different types of microorganisms.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to update previous meta-analyses, concentrating on enteric infection in community settings and exploring potential sources of heterogeneity.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted on electronic databases (all available years until November 2017). PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science were searched using specific keywords related to PPI therapy and community-acquired enteric infection. Eligible studies were selected based on prespecified criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 9 observational studies evaluating community-acquired enteric infection were eligible, including 12 separate analyses. The meta-analysis showed that PPI users have an increased risk of developing community-acquired enteric infection (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 4.28; 95% CI = 3.01-6.08). There was significant heterogeneity between the studies ( I² = 85%; P < 0.001), which was partly explained by type of microorganism. The strength of the association was similar for Salmonella (pooled OR = 4.84; 95% CI = 2.75-8.54; I² = 58.7%; P = 0.064) and Campylobacter (pooled OR = 5.09; 95% CI = 3-8.64; I² = 81%; P < 0.001) but lower for studies that combined all bacteria (pooled OR = 2.42; 95% CI = 0.96-6.14; I² = 94.3%; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

PPI users have an increased risk of developing community-acquired enteric infections compared with nonusers. The heterogeneity was partially explained by type of microorganism; the association is stronger for Salmonella and Campylobacter than for all bacteria combined.

Acid-Suppressive Therapy and Risk of Infections: Pros and Cons

This narrative review summarises the benefits, risks and appropriate use of acid-suppressing drugs (ASDs), proton pump inhibitors and histamine-2 receptor antagonists, advocating a rationale balanced and individualised approach aimed to minimise any serious adverse consequences. It focuses on current controversies on the potential of ASDs to contribute to infections-bacterial, parasitic, fungal, protozoan and viral, particularly in the elderly, comprehensively and critically discusses the growing body of observational literature linking ASD use to a variety of enteric, respiratory, skin and systemic infectious diseases and complications (Clostridium difficile diarrhoea, pneumonia, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, septicaemia and other). The proposed pathogenic mechanisms of ASD-associated infections (related and unrelated to the inhibition of gastric acid secretion, alterations of the gut microbiome and immunity), and drug-drug interactions are also described. Both probiotics use and correcting vitamin D status may have a significant protective effect decreasing the incidence of ASD-associated infections, especially in the elderly. Despite the limitations of the existing data, the importance of individualised therapy and caution in long-term ASD use considering the balance of benefits and potential harms, factors that may predispose to and actions that may prevent/attenuate adverse effects is evident. A six-step practical algorithm for ASD therapy based on the best available evidence is presented.

Proton pump inhibitors: Risks of long-term use

Proton pump inhibitors are among the most commonly prescribed classes of drugs, and their use is increasing, in particular for long-term treatment, often being over-prescribed and used for inappropriate conditions. In recent years, considerable attention has been directed towards a wide range of adverse effects, and even when a potential underlying biological mechanism is plausible, the clinical evidence of the adverse effect is often weak. Several long-term side effects have been investigated ranging from interaction with other drugs, increased risk of infection, reduced intestinal absorption of vitamins and minerals, and more recently kidney damage and dementia. The most recent literature regarding these adverse effects and their association with long-term proton pump inhibitor treatment is reviewed, and the mechanisms through which these possible complications might develop are discussed.

The Risks and Benefits of Long-term Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors: Expert Review and Best Practice Advice From the American Gastroenterological Association

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The purpose of this review is to evaluate the risks associated with long-term use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), focusing on long-term use of PPIs for three common indications: gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett's esophagus (BE), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) bleeding prophylaxis.

METHODS

The recommendations outlined in this review are based on expert opinion and on relevant publications from PubMed, EMbase, and the Cochrane library (through July 2016). To identify relevant ongoing trials, we queried clinicaltrials.gov. To assess the quality of evidence, we used a modified approach based on the GRADE Working Group. The Clinical Practice Updates Committee of the American Gastroenterological Association has reviewed these recommendations. Best Practice Advice 1: Patients with GERD and acid-related complications (ie, erosive esophagitis or peptic stricture) should take a PPI for short-term healing, maintenance of healing, and long-term symptom control. Best Practice Advice 2: Patients with uncomplicated GERD who respond to short-term PPIs should subsequently attempt to stop or reduce them. Patients who cannot reduce PPIs should consider ambulatory esophageal pH/impedance monitoring before committing to lifelong PPIs to help distinguish GERD from a functional syndrome. The best candidates for this strategy may be patients with predominantly atypical symptoms or those who lack an obvious predisposition to GERD (eg, central obesity, large hiatal hernia). Best Practice Advice 3: Patients with Barrett's esophagus and symptomatic GERD should take a long-term PPI. Best Practice Advice 4: Asymptomatic patients with Barrett's esophagus should consider a long-term PPI. Best Practice Advice 5: Patients at high risk for ulcer-related bleeding from NSAIDs should take a PPI if they continue to take NSAIDs. Best Practice Advice 6: The dose of long-term PPIs should be periodically reevaluated so that the lowest effective PPI dose can be prescribed to manage the condition. Best Practice Advice 7: Long-term PPI users should not routinely use probiotics to prevent infection. Best Practice Advice 8: Long-term PPI users should not routinely raise their intake of calcium, vitamin B12, or magnesium beyond the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Best Practice Advice 9: Long-term PPI users should not routinely screen or monitor bone mineral density, serum creatinine, magnesium, or vitamin B12. Best Practice Advice 10: Specific PPI formulations should not be selected based on potential risks.

The risk of Clostridium difficile infection in patients with pernicious anaemia: a retrospective cohort study using primary care database

Background

Studies have found an association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use and Clostridium difficile infection. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mechanism by which PPIs induce an increased risk of C. difficile infection is supported by the same mechanism acting in another cause of achlorhydria, pernicious anaemia.

Methods

Using a database of anonymised primary care records between 1990 and 2013, we selected exposed patients with a diagnosis of pernicious anaemia treated with vitamin B12 therapy. Each exposed patient was matched by age, gender and general practice to up to 10 controls. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for C. difficile infection with pernicious anaemia, adjusted for potential confounders.

Results

We identified 45,467 exposed patients matched to 449,635 controls. The crude incidence rate of C. difficile infection was 1.85/1000 person-years for the exposed cohort and 1.09/1000 person-years for controls. Patients with pernicious anaemia had a greater risk of C. difficile infection than the controls (adjusted HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.40-1.76).

Conclusions

Pernicious anaemia patients have an increased risk of C. difficile infection. This supports the theory that severe achlorhydria is the mechanism that increases the risk of C. difficile infection in long-term PPI users.

Acid-suppression medications and bacterial gastroenteritis: a population-based cohort study

Aims

To investigate whether acid‐suppression medicines (ASMs) increase the risk of bacterial gastroenteritis.

Methods

A population‐based, propensity‐score matched cohort study using a record‐linkage database in Tayside, UK. The study consisted of 188 323 exposed to ASMs (proton‐pump inhibitors and histamine‐2 receptor antagonists) and 376 646 controls (a propensity‐score matched cohort from the rest of population who were not exposed to ASMs) between 1999 and 2013. The main outcome measure was a positive stool test for Clostridiumdifficile, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella or Escherichia coli O157. The association between ASMs and risk of bacterial gastroenteritis was assessed by a Cox regression model.

Results

There were 22 705 positive test results (15 273 C. difficile [toxin positive], 6590 Campylobacter, 852 Salmonella, 129 Shigella and 193 E. coli O157, not mutually exclusive) with a total of 5 729 743 person‐years follow up time in Tayside, 1999–2013. The adjusted hazard ratios for culture positive diarrhoea for the proton‐pump inhibitors and histamine‐2 receptor antagonists exposed vs. unexposed cohort were 2.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.33, 3.17) during follow–up time for samples submitted from the community and 1.28 (95% CI 1.08, 1.52) for samples submitted from hospitals. Compared with the unexposed cohort, patients in the exposed group had increased risks of C. difficile and Campylobacter [adjusted hazard ratios of 1.70 (95% CI 1.28, 2.25), 3.71 (95% CI 3.04, 4.53) for community samples, and 1.42 (95% CI 1.17, 1.71), 4.53 (95% CI 1.75, 11.8) for hospital samples, respectively].

Conclusions

The results suggest that community prescribed ASMs were associated with increased rates of C. difficile and Campylobacter positive gastroenteritis in both the community and hospital settings.

Risk of Adverse Outcomes for Older People with Dementia Prescribed Antipsychotic Medication: A Population Based e-Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Over recent years there has been growing evidence of increased risk of mortality associated with antipsychotic use in older people with dementia. Although this concern combined with limited evidence of efficacy has informed guidelines restricting antipsychotic prescription in this population, the use of antipsycotics remains common. Many published studies only report short-term outcomes, are restricted to examining mortality and stroke risk or have other limitations. The aim of this study was to assess adverse outcomes associated with the use of antipsychotics in older people living with dementia in Wales (UK).

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of a population-based dementia cohort using the Welsh Secure Anonymised Information Linkage databank. The prior event rate ratio (PERR) was used to estimate the influence of exposure to antipsychotic medication on acute cardiac events, venous thromboembolism, stroke and hip fracture, and adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to compare all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 10,339 people aged ≥65 years were identified with newly diagnosed dementia. After excluding those who did not meet the inclusion criteria, 9674 people remained in the main cohort of whom 3735 were exposed to antipsychotic medication. An increased risk of a venous thromboembolic episode [PERR 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.83-2.0], stroke (PERR 1.41, 95% CI 1.4-1.46) and hip fracture (PERR 1.62, 95% CI 1.59-1.65) was associated with antipsychotic use. However, there was no long-term increased mortality in people exposed to antipsychotics (adjusted hazard ratio 1.06, 95% CI 0.99-1.13).

CONCLUSIONS

The increase in adverse medical events supports guidelines restricting antipsychotic use in this population.

Prior event rate ratio adjustment for hidden confounding in observational studies of treatment effectiveness: a pairwise Cox likelihood approach

Observational studies provide a rich source of information for assessing effectiveness of treatment interventions in many situations where it is not ethical or practical to perform randomized controlled trials. However, such studies are prone to bias from hidden (unmeasured) confounding. A promising approach to identifying and reducing the impact of unmeasured confounding is prior event rate ratio (PERR) adjustment, a quasi-experimental analytic method proposed in the context of electronic medical record database studies. In this paper, we present a statistical framework for using a pairwise approach to PERR adjustment that removes bias inherent in the original PERR method. A flexible pairwise Cox likelihood function is derived and used to demonstrate the consistency of the simple and convenient alternative PERR (PERR-ALT) estimator. We show how to estimate standard errors and confidence intervals for treatment effect estimates based on the observed information and provide R code to illustrate how to implement the method. Assumptions required for the pairwise approach (as well as PERR) are clarified, and the consequences of model misspecification are explored. Our results confirm the need for researchers to consider carefully the suitability of the method in the context of each problem. Extensions of the pairwise likelihood to more complex designs involving time-varying covariates or more than two periods are considered. We illustrate the application of the method using data from a longitudinal cohort study of enzyme replacement therapy for lysosomal storage disorders. © 2016 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Inverse trends of Campylobacter and Salmonella in Swiss surveillance data, 1988-2013

Clinical isolates of Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella spp. are notifiable in Switzerland. In 1995, Campylobacter replaced Salmonella as the most frequently reported food-borne pathogen. We analysed notification data (1988-2013) for these two bacterial, gastrointestinal pathogens of public health importance in Switzerland. Notification rates were calculated using data for the average resident population. Between 1988 and 2013, notified campylobacteriosis cases doubled from 3,127 to 7,499, while Salmonella case notifications decreased, from 4,291 to 1,267. Case notifications for both pathogens peaked during summer months. Campylobacter infections showed a distinct winter peak, particularly in the 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14 winter seasons. Campylobacter case notifications showed more frequent infection in males than females in all but 20-24 year-olds. Among reported cases, patients' average age increased for campylobacteriosis but not for salmonellosis. The inverse trends observed in case notifications for the two pathogens indicate an increase in campylobacteriosis cases. It appears unlikely that changes in patients' health-seeking or physicians' testing behaviour would affect Campylobacter and Salmonella case notifications differently. The implementation of legal microbiological criteria for foodstuff was likely an effective means of controlling human salmonellosis. Such criteria should be decreed for Campylobacter, creating incentives for producers to lower Campylobacter prevalence in poultry.

Proton pump inhibitors and gastroenteritis

An association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and bacterial gastroenteritis has been suggested as well as contradicted. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the use of PPIs and occurrence of bacterial gastroenteritis in the prospective Rotterdam Study. The Rotterdam Study is a population-based cohort study among 14,926 subjects aged 45 years and older with up to 24 years of follow-up. Analyses were performed with a generalized estimating equations method in participants who handed-in a diagnostic stool sample. Furthermore, a nested case–control analysis was performed using the total cohort as a reference group. A bacterial microorganism was isolated in 125 samples, whereas 1174 samples were culture negative. In the generalized estimating equations analysis, we found that participants with a bacterial gastroenteritis were more likely than controls to be current users of PPIs (adjusted OR 1.94; 95 % CI 1.15–3.25). Different sensitivity analyses did not change this result. A considerably higher effect was observed (adjusted OR 6.14; 95 % CI 3.81–9.91), using the total cohort as a reference in a nested case–control analysis. Current PPI therapy is associated with an increased risk of bacterial gastroenteritis. However, by reducing the risk of selection and information bias in our study design, we demonstrated that the effect is lower than previously assumed.

High incidence of hospitalisation due to infectious gastroenteritis in older people associated with poor self-rated health

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the incidence and risk factors for gastroenteritis-related hospitalisations in older adults.

DESIGN

Longitudinal cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

The 45 and Up Study is a large-scale Australian prospective study of adults aged ≥ 45 years (mean 62.7 years) at recruitment in 2006-2009. Self-reported demographic, health and dietary information at recruitment from 265,440 participants were linked to infectious gastroenteritis hospitalisation data.

OUTCOME MEASURES

We estimated the incidence of hospitalisation for infectious gastroenteritis, and calculated HRs using Cox regression, adjusting for sociodemographic, health and behavioural variables, with age as the underlying time variable.

RESULTS

There were 6077 incident infectious gastroenteritis admissions over 1,111,000 person-years. Incidence increased exponentially with increasing age; from 2.4 per 1000 (95% CI 2.2 to 2.5) in individuals aged 45-54 years to 9.5 per 1000 (95% CI 9.2 to 9.8) in those aged 65+ years. After adjustment, hospitalisation due to infectious gastroenteritis was significantly more common in those reporting use of proton pump inhibitors (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.5 to 1.7), and those with poorer self-rated health (HR 4.2, 95% CI 3.6 to 4.9).

CONCLUSIONS

Infectious gastroenteritis results in hospitalisation of approximately 1% of people ≥ 65 years old each year. Early recognition and supportive treatment of diarrhoea in older patients with poorer self-rated health may prevent subsequent hospitalisation.

Association between use of proton pump inhibitors and non-typhoidal salmonellosis identified following investigation into an outbreak ofSalmonellaMikawasima in the UK, 2013

In November 2013, national public health agencies in England and Scotland identified an increase in laboratory-confirmedSalmonellaMikawasima. The role of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) as a risk factor for salmonellosis is unclear; we therefore captured information on PPI usage as part of our outbreak investigation. We conducted a case-control study, comparing each case with two controls. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. Thirty-nine of 61 eligible cases were included in the study. The median age of cases was 45 years; 56% were female. Of these, 33% were admitted to hospital and 31% reported taking PPIs. We identified an association between PPIs and non-typhoidal salmonellosis (aOR 8·8, 95% CI 2·0–38·3). There is increasing evidence supporting the existence of an association between salmonellosis and PPIs; however, biological studies are needed to understand the effect of PPIs in the pathogenesis ofSalmonella. We recommend future outbreak studies investigate PPI usage to strengthen evidence on the relevance of PPIs inSalmonellainfection. These findings should be used to support the development of guidelines for patients and prescribers on the risk of gastrointestinal infection and PPI usage.

Gastric secretion

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review summarizes the past year's literature regarding the neural, paracrine, hormonal, and intracellular regulation of gastric acid secretion.

RECENT FINDINGS

Gastric acid facilitates the digestion of protein as well as the absorption of iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and certain medications. High gastric acidity, in combination with pepsin and lipase, kills ingested microorganisms and may play a role in preventing bacterial overgrowth, enteric infection, and possibly spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, community-acquired pneumonia, and infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Stimulants of acid secretion include histamine, gastrin, acetylcholine, and ghrelin. Inhibitors include somatostatin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and adrenomedullin. Helicobacter pylori stimulates or inhibits depending upon the time course of infection and the area of the stomach predominantly infected. Proteins implicated in H-K-ATPase membrane trafficking include myosin IIB, F-actin, ezrin, and Rab GTPases.

SUMMARY

Our understanding of the regulation of gastric acid secretion continues to advance. Such knowledge is crucial for the management of acid-peptic disorders and the development of novel medications, such as cholecystokinin-2 receptor antagonists.

Proton pump inhibitors and risk of bone fractures

OPINION STATEMENT

There are 34 studies in almost 2 million participants that have reported on the association between proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and risk of fracture. There is substantial variation between the results of each study but systematic reviews of the data suggest overall there is an association between PPI therapy and risk of fracture. The magnitude of the association is modest and is most likely due to confounding factors as patients prescribed PPI therapy tend to be more frail with more risk factors for fractures than those not given these drugs. There is no clear dose-response relationship and there is no association between PPI therapy and risk of fracture in those at highest risk. Finally, there is no clear mechanism through which PPI therapy increases the risk of fracture, as recent randomized trials show no impact of PPI therapy on calcium absorption and there is no association between PPI therapy and risk of osteoporosis. We therefore feel there is insufficient evidence to change PPI prescribing habits based on risk of fracture. Similarly, we do not recommend bone mineral density investigations for patients taking PPI therapy other than would be normally indicated. There is no evidence to support prescription of calcium and/or vitamin D in patients simply because they are taking PPI therapy. As with all medications, we only recommend prescribing PPI therapy when there is a clear indication that benefit will outweigh risk and at the lowest effective dose. Patients should be regularly assessed as to whether acid suppression is still required.

Proton pump inhibitor use represents an independent risk factor for myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

There is substantial debate regarding the development of acute coronary syndrome in patients using proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) combined with clopidogrel. However, data remain limited to address the effect of PPIs alone on the subsequent risk of myocardial infarction (MI). We aimed to explore the subsequent risk of MI in PPI users who had no previous history of MI.

METHODS

The records of inpatients and outpatients with PPI prescriptions were retrieved from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000 and 2009. We conducted two different study designs, the first using propensity score (PS)-matching analyses and the second using case-crossover analyses. The risk of developing MI for PPI users was analyzed in the PS-matched study. The association between risk of MI and prior PPI exposure was further validated in the case-crossover study.

RESULTS

In the PS-matched study, we included 126,367 PPI users and 126,367 PS-matched PPI non-users. After 120 days of follow-up, PPI use was associated with a 1.58-fold greater risk of MI (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11 to 2.25). In the case-crossover study, adjusted odds ratios of PPI for MI risk were 4.61 (95% CI = 1.76 to 12.07) for the 7-day window and 3.47 (95% CI = 1.76 to 6.83) for the 14-day window.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of PPIs may be independently associated with an increased risk of MI. However, the benefits of PPIs may greatly outweigh the risks of adverse cardiovascular effects, with number needed to harm of 4357.

Potential association between the recent increase in campylobacteriosis incidence in the Netherlands and proton-pump inhibitor use - an ecological study

The Netherlands saw an unexplained increase in campylobacteriosis incidence between 2003 and 2011, following a period of continuous decrease. We conducted an ecological study and found a statistical association between campylobacteriosis incidence and the annual number of prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), controlling for the patient's age, fresh and frozen chicken purchases (with or without correction for campylobacter prevalence in fresh poultry meat). The effect of PPIs was larger in the young than in the elderly. However, the counterfactual population-attributable fraction for PPIs was largest for the elderly (ca 45% in 2011) and increased at population level from 8% in 2004 to 27% in 2011. Using the regression model and updated covariate values, we predicted a trend break for 2012, largely due to a decreased number of PPI prescriptions, that was subsequently confirmed by surveillance data. Although causality was not shown, the biological mechanism, age effect and trend-break prediction suggest a substantial impact of PPI use on campylobacteriosis incidence in the Netherlands. We chose the ecological study design to pilot whether it is worthwhile to further pursue the effect of PPI on campylobacteriosis and other gastrointestinal pathogens in prospective cohort studies. We now provide strong arguments to do so.

Association between recent use of proton pump inhibitors and nontyphoid salmonellosis: a nested case-control study

BACKGROUND

The association between proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and nontyphoid salmonellosis (NTS) continues to be debated. The current study was designed to determine the association between use of oral PPIs and the diagnosis of NTS.

METHODS

The Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2010 was searched for cases of NTS, defined by the International Classification of Disease, Ninth revision, Clinical Modification. A nested case-control study in hospitalized population was conducted using 4 controls for each case patient (14 736 case patients and 58 944 controls), matched for age, month and year of entry, Charlson comorbidity index score, and well-known predisposing factors for NTS, including autoimmune diseases, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, diabetes, cirrhosis, transplantation, gastrointestinal operations or diseases, and malignancies.

RESULTS

Persons with NTS had a higher rate of using oral PPIs within the prior year (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.95-2.24; P < .001). The association was greatest for current PPI use (adjusted OR, 5.39; 95% CI, 4.79-6.06; P < .001). Although use of H2-receptor antagonists (adjusted OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.71-1.98), antibiotics (5.21; 4.81-5.64), steroids (3.18; 2.99-3.39), and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (2.37; 2.26-2.48) within the 30 days were also associated with NTS, the linkage between PPI use and NTS remained significant in the subgroup without these medications.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of oral PPIs was associated with the occurrence of NTS. The risk waned with time after discontinuation.

A case study of the Secure Anonymous Information Linkage (SAIL) Gateway: a privacy-protecting remote access system for health-related research and evaluation

With the current expansion of data linkage research, the challenge is to find the balance between preserving the privacy of person-level data whilst making these data accessible for use to their full potential. We describe a privacy-protecting safe haven and secure remote access system, referred to as the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Gateway. The Gateway provides data users with a familiar Windows interface and their usual toolsets to access approved anonymously-linked datasets for research and evaluation. We outline the principles and operating model of the Gateway, the features provided to users within the secure environment, and how we are approaching the challenges of making data safely accessible to increasing numbers of research users. The Gateway represents a powerful analytical environment and has been designed to be scalable and adaptable to meet the needs of the rapidly growing data linkage community.

Operationalising factors that explain the emergence of infectious diseases: a case study of the human campylobacteriosis epidemic

A framework of general factors for infectious disease emergence was made operational for Campylobacter utilising explanatory variables including time series and risk factor data. These variables were generated using a combination of empirical epidemiology, case-case and case-control studies, time series analysis, and microbial sub-typing (source attribution, diversity, genetic distance) to unravel the changing/emerging aetiology of human campylobacteriosis. The study focused on Scotland between 1990-2012 where there was a 75% increase in reported cases that included >300% increase in the elderly and 50% decrease in young children. During this period there were three phases 1990-2000 a 75% rise and a 20% fall to 2006, followed by a 19% resurgence. The rise coincided with expansions in the poultry industry, consumption of chicken, and a shift from rural to urban cases. The post-2000 fall occurred across all groups apart from the elderly and coincided with a drop of the prevalence of Campylobacter in chicken and a higher proportion of rural cases. The increase in the elderly was associated with uptake of proton pump inhibitors. During the resurgence the increase was predominantly in adults and the elderly, again there was increasing use of PPIs and high prevalences in chicken and ruminants. Cases associated with foreign travel during the study also increased from 9% to a peak of 16% in 2006 before falling to an estimated 10% in 2011, predominantly in adults and older children. During all three periods source attribution, genetic distance, and diversity measurements placed human isolates most similar to those in chickens. A combination of emergence factors generic for infectious diseases were responsible for the Campylobacter epidemic. It was possible to use these to obtain a putative explanation for the changes in human disease and the potential to make an informed view of how incidence rates may change in the future.