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October 31, 2012News for digestive disease specialists
ACG SmartBrief is an official publication of the ACG.
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  Clinical Updates 
  • IBS responds to mesalamine treatment, study shows
    Mesalamine, used for years to treat inflammatory bowel disease, reduced abdominal pain and improved stool consistency in patients who had irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, researchers reported at the American College of Gastroenterology conference. Study author Dr. Jeffrey Aron of the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disorders in San Francisco said patient stress can spark inflammation and IBS symptoms, and he said the findings could allow gastroenterologists to offer a safe and effective treatment. Medscape (free registration) (10/29)
  • Research links statins to lower esophageal cancer rates
    Statins may help protect against esophageal cancer, especially for patients with Barrett's esophagus, according to Mayo Clinic researchers who analyzed data from 13 studies. Their presentation at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting showed statin use was linked to a 30% decrease in esophageal cancer cases. Medscape (free registration) (10/26)
  • Case study details first U.S. use of Hemospray for bleeding
    A case study that won a presidential award at the American College of Gastroenterology's annual meeting detailed the first U.S. use of Hemospray, an experimental treatment composed of nanoparticles for hemostasis. Physicians at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Ill., used the spray on a 13-year-old cancer patient with a bleeding ulcer after other therapies failed. Medscape (free registration)/Reuters (10/26)
  • Non-celiac gluten sensitivity is not so common, study finds
    A Columbia University study found the rate of non-celiac gluten sensitivity was about half as common as celiac disease. Data reported at the 2012 American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting suggest women accounted for more cases of NCGS than men, and they said caution should be used in embarking upon a gluten-free diet. "Unless one is afflicted with a gluten-related disorder, this diet is most likely unnecessary, and may present with some potential long-term health risks if not followed properly” said researcher Daniel DiGiacomo. Healio (10/24)
  • ACG Note: New AJG podcast discusses the prevalence of IBS symptoms in IBD
    AJG Journal co-editor Paul Moayyedi, MD, FACG, talks with Alexander C. Ford, MD, and Eamonn M. M. Quigley, MD, FACG, about the findings from the first systemic review of the literature on this topic published in the October issue along with Dr. Quigley's editorial that suggests it is "premature to conclude IBS is a significant problem among patients with IBD." Listen to the podcast here. Access the study here. Read the editorial here.
  Legal & Regulatory 
  • ACG Note: Class Recall: Ethicon Endo-Surgery Circular Stapler Sets – User Difficulty With Firing Stapler Devices
    The FDA announced a recall on Oct. 26 for these products distributed from April 2011 to July 2012. According to the agency, users have had difficulty using the stapler device in procedures to treat prolapse or hemorrhoids. Read the FDA notice here.
  • GAO: Medicare gap discounts didn't shift drug prices
    Prices for brand-name prescription treatments used by Medicare patients didn't increase after drugmakers offered the government discounts to help seniors deal with "doughnut hole," the Government Accountability Office reported. Before the start of the discount program, 77 brand-name treatments increased 36% for Medicare patients within the coverage gap between January 2007 and December 2010, compared with 35% for those not within the gap. From December 2010 to December 2011, prices for both groups increased just 13%. USA Today (10/29)
  Practice News 
  • Vender begins term as new ACG president
    Dr. Ronald Vender was elected ACG's president for 2012-2013 at the American College of Gastroenterology's 77th Annual Scientific Meeting. Vender is a professor of internal medicine at Yale School of Medicine as well as associate dean for clinical affairs. He is also Yale Medical Group's chief medical officer. BeckersASC.com (10/24)
  Business & Market Trends 
  • Clinicians use smartphones to view EHRs only, report says
    Data from research firm KLAS showed 70% of clinicians use their smartphones or tablets to look up EHRs but don't enter any information because it is too difficult to do so using a small screen. The report authors said many clinicians are concerned that mobile applications don't show all of the relevant patient information they need. Medscape (free registration) (10/29)
  Patient's Perspective 
  • Study explores cancer's effect on quality of life
    Data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey revealed equal or even better health-related quality of life among breast cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma survivors compared with adults without history of cancer. Cervical, blood and colorectal cancer survivors, along with patients with cancers associated with five-year survival rates under 25% such as pancreatic and liver cancer, fared worse in quality-of-life measures, researchers said. Nurse.com (10/30)
  ACG News 
  • Register now for ACG’s Western Regional Postgraduate Course, Jan. 25 to 27 in Los Angeles
    Join colleagues for a comprehensive program featuring live cases, hands-on sessions and presentations from nationally known experts highlighting the latest clinical updates. Topics to be discussed over the 2 ½ day course include: eosinophilic esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, occult and obscure GI bleeding, hepatitis B and C, IBD, pancreaticobiliary, endoscopy, and more. Registration is now open. Hands-on sessions are included as part of the registration fee. The course will take place at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, just 10 miles from LAX, it is located on the west side of Los Angeles and adjacent to Beverly Hills. The course takes place during the bye week between the playoffs and the Super Bowl, so no one will miss their favorite sports action. Review the agenda here. Register here. 
  • The Red Journal Request for Manuscripts
    The American Journal of Gastroenterology plans to publish ACG's clinical management guideline on Celiac Disease and the Rome Foundation Working Group document on the Role of Food in GI Disorders in an upcoming special issue of AJG in spring 2013. The Co-Editors invite submission of original research manuscripts addressing the role of nutrients or food in GI and liver diseases, particularly manuscripts that provide scientific information applicable to clinical practice. Submissions are subject to peer review, and some accepted manuscripts may be published in other upcoming issues of AJG. Interested authors should submit manuscripts via the ScholarOne website by Dec. 10, 2012. Questions? E-mail Lindsey Topp, Managing Editor, at ltopp@gi.org.
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  SmartQuote 
Where there is no imagination there is no horror."
--Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
Scottish physician and writer


  
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