The November issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology features articles that include expert recommendations on recognizing and defining occasional constipation in clinical practice, as well as quality indicators for the use of capsule endoscopy and deep enteroscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of suspected small bowel disease. The issue also highlights new clinical science, including several randomized controlled trials published as part of the journal’s effort to accelerate the availability of high-quality clinical trial findings to inform clinical practice in GI and hepatology.

Several articles are highlighted below and access to any articles from this issue, or past issues, is available upon request. The College is also able to connect members of the press with study authors or outside experts who can comment on the articles.

Recognizing and Defining Occasional Constipation: Expert Consensus Recommendations
Rao, et al.
From the Authors: “The purpose of this review was to describe the process of developing and proposing a new definition for occasional constipation based on expert consensus and taking into consideration the multifactorial nature of the problem such as alterations in bowel habit that include stool frequency and difficulty with stool passage, perception of the sufferer, duration of symptoms, and potential responsiveness to treatment.”

Quality Indicators for Capsule Endoscopy and Deep Enteroscopy
Leighton, et al.
Addressing a gap, GI endoscopy experts identified quality indicators for capsule endoscopy and deep enteroscopy, which can be useful for diagnosing and treating suspected small bowel disease, using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method. This is a joint publication of the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. 

Comorbidity Influences the Comparative Safety of Biologic Therapy in Older Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Cheng, et al.
From the Authors: “Among adults 60 years and older with IBD initiating biologic therapy, both vedolizumab and ustekinumab were associated with lower rates of infection-related hospitalizations than anti-TNF therapy for those with high comorbidity burden.”

Artificial Intelligence-Aided Colonoscopy Does Not Increase Adenoma Detection Rate in Routine Clinical Practice
Levy, et al.
In a comparison of adenoma detection rates and polyp detection rates (ADR/PDR) before and after the introduction of AI-aided colonoscopy technologies, the authors found that ADR/PDR was lower after the introduction of AI but procedure time was significantly shorter, indicating that the assistive technology did not result in performance improvement.

 

About the American College of Gastroenterology
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of over 17,000 individuals from 86 countries. The College’s vision is to be the preeminent professional organization that champions the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of digestive disorders, serving as a beacon to guide the delivery of the highest quality, compassionate, and evidence-based patient care. The mission of the College is to enhance the ability of our members to provide world class care to patients with digestive disorders and advance the profession through excellence and innovation based upon the pillars of Patient Care, Education, Scientific Investigation, Advocacy and Practice Management. www.gi.org 

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