: Correct reprocessing and microbiological surveillance on endoscopes are fundamental for preventing the transmission of multi-drug resistant strains and device-related infections.
: A questionnaire ...with three domains was created: (1) centre characteristics; (2) endoscope reprocessing procedures; and (3) application of microbiological surveillance. Nurses working in endoscopic units across Italy were invited to anonymously fill out the questionnaire on the SurveyMonkey platform between November 2021 and February 2022.
: A total of 82 out of 132 endoscopic centres participated in the survey, with at least one centre from each Italian region. Data found different concerns regarding the current practice of both reprocessing and microbiological surveillance. According to respondents, the training on reprocessing was performed through theoretical training and only in 10% of centres; the microbiological surveillance was regularly performed in 59% of centres; and sampled endoscopes were not excluded for use in 31% of centres performing the surveillance until the outcome was pending, and when positive, 72% maintained them in quarantine until a successive negative result.
: Reprocessing and microbiological surveillance currently present several criticisms along the endoscopic centres in Italy. Our survey highlights the need for the correct application of the national recommendations in each endoscopic centre to prevent the potential transmission of endoscope-related infections.
Abstract
Reprocessing of both endoscopic instruments and reusable disposals is mandatory to prevent infection transmission. However, toxic colitis due to endoscope contamination by different ...disinfectants following an imperfect washing has been reported. We present a case of peracetic acid-induced colitis and reviewed the literature. Overall, five cases of peracetic acid toxic colitis have been reported. All cases presented with “snow white sign” immediately appearing during endoscopy, two patients complaint of mild abdominal pain (one of whom had also fever and rectal bleeding), whilst the othesr remained totally asymptomatic. Only one patient received a 1-week metronidazole treatment. No immediate complications were observed, and no sequels occurred at clinical-endoscopic follow-up. The identified cause of disinfectant contamination was a defective either manual or automated rinsing of the colonoscope following the reprocessing procedure.(
J Dig Endosc
2011;2(1):15-17)
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may develop rheumatic diseases, particularly enterophatic spondyloarthritis (ESpA). Similarly, an IBD may develop in patients with SpA. Management of ...these patients in a dedicated ambulatory could be advantageous. We pioneered an integrated "GastroReumatology" ambulatory where a gastroenterologist and a rheumatologist with a long-lasting expertise in IBD and spondyloarthritis, respectively, simultaneously visit those patients referred for a suspected ESpA. A total of 101 different patients with suspected or known IBD and/or a rheumatic disease were visited. A new diagnosis of ESpA was eventually achieved in 13 (12.9%) patients, and further 12 patients with an already known ESpA were referred for an appropriate management. No cases of IBD in those patients with an established rheumatic disease were observed. Early diagnosis of ESpA is possible in a "GastroReumatology" ambulatory.
Transmission with endoscopes, particularly duodenoscope, of potential lethal infections prompted different scientific societies to deliver recommendations aimed reducing this risk. Some International ...societies extended recommendations on microbial surveillance to all the endoscopes and devices used in the reprocessing procedure. Considering the relevance of the topic, 8 Italian scientific societies of physicians, nurses and technical operators prepared a concerted document taking into account Institutional advisories and facilities in Italy. The rules for a correct microbial surveillance on endoscopes were detailed in term of what, how and when to perform the procedure, also suggesting behaviors in case of contamination.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Background & Aims: The video capsule endoscopy (VCE) is an accurate and validated tool to investigate the entire small bowel mucosa, but VCE recordings interpretation by the gastroenterologist is ...time-consuming.A pre-reading of VCE recordings by an expert nurse could be accurate and cost saving. We assessed the concordance between nurses and gastroenterologists in detecting lesions on VCE examinations.Methods: This was a prospective study enrolling consecutive patients who had undergone VCE in clinical practice. Two trained nurses and two expert gastroenterologists participated in the study. At VCE pre-reading the nurses selected any abnormalities, saved them as “thumbnails” and classified the detected lesions as a vascular abnormality, ulcerative lesion, polyp, tumor mass, and unclassified lesion. Then, the gastroenterologist evaluated and interpreted the selected lesions and, successively, reviewed the entire video for potential missed lesions. The time for VCE evaluation was recorded.Results: A total of 95 VCE procedures performed on consecutive patients (M/F: 47/48; mean age: 63 ± 12years, range: 27−86 years) were evaluated. Overall, the nurses detected at least one lesion in 54 (56.8%) patients.There was total agreement between nurses and gastroenterologists, no missing lesions being discovered at a second look of the entire VCE recording by the physician. The pre-reading procedure by nurse allowed a time reduction of medical evaluation from 49 (33-69) to 10 (8-16) minutes (difference: -79.6%).Conclusions: Our data suggest that trained nurses can accurately identify and select relevant lesions in thumbnails that subsequently were faster reviewed by the gastroenterologist for a final diagnosis. This could significantly reduce the cost of VCE procedure.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
The video capsule endoscopy is an accurate tool to investigate the entire small bowel. Currently, the nurse actively participates in the procedure from patient preparation to the video download, ...whereas a gastroenterologist interprets the endoscopic findings. However, few studies recently showed high accuracy of nurses in detecting lesions in the small bowel on video capsule endoscopy recordings. This prospective study aimed to assess the ability of experienced and trained nurses in detecting small bowel lesions as compared with gastroenterologists. Forty-six consecutive video capsule endoscopy procedures were analyzed. Overall, the nurse evaluation was highly (95.6%) accurate in detecting small bowel lesions, with a 100% concordance with the gastroenterologist for the relevant findings. In addition, the absence of lesions was confirmed by the endoscopist in all cases classified as negative by the nurse. Data of this study found that trained nurses, with a large experience in endoscopic features, correctly identified small bowel lesions on video capsule endoscopy recordings. Therefore, a trained nurse may accurately select the thumbnails of all mucosal irregularities that may be faster reviewed by the endoscopist for a final diagnosis.
The satisfaction perceived by patients with chronic diseases affects clinical outcomes and healthcare costs. Some patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) develop a more severe form requiring ...biologic therapy. We assessed the quality of care perceived by IBD patients in dedicated centers.
This prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study enrolled consecutive IBD patients who underwent biologic therapy in the participating centers. The nurses directly involved in the management of these patients explained the rationale of the survey, provided a specific questionnaire (CACHE), and collected data. The CACHE included 31 items structured in 6 domains: staff care, clinician care, center facilities, patient information, accessibility, and patient support. Patients' satisfaction score for each domain ranged from 0 to 100%.
Sixteen different Italian centers participated and a total of 450 patients were enrolled (283 with Crohn's disease and 167 with ulcerative colitis). The overall score was 82.2±19.6, satisfaction with the clinicians care scoring the highest (87.6±3.2) and the information provided to the patient scoring the lowest (70.7±7.9). More specifically, it emerged that 5.2-19.5% of patients were unsatisfied with: 1) the communication between the IBD medical team and primary care physicians; 2) information received about the disease or patients' associations; and 3) the accessibility of the center.
Although our data revealed an acceptably high rate of global satisfaction among IBD patients receiving biologic therapy, more effort should be made to improve patient information and communication between IBD teams, other specialists and primary care physicians.
Management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients requires a multidisciplinary approach. Among the working team, the role of IBD nurse is expected to be particularly relevant when managing ...patients receiving biological therapies. We performed a survey to assess the presence of IBD nurse in centers where patients were receiving biologics.
For this Italian nationwide survey a specific questionnaire was prepared. IBD nurse was defined as a nurse directly involved in all phases of biological therapy, from pre-therapy screening, administration and monitoring during therapy, to follow up performed by a dedicated helpline, completed a specific training on biological therapy therapy, and observed international guidelines.
A total of 53 Italian IBD centers participated in the survey, and 91 valid questionnaires were collected. Overall, 34 (37.4%) nurses could be classified as IBD specialists. IBD nurses had a significantly higher educational level than other nurses, they were more frequently operating in Central or Southern than in Northern Italy, they were working in an Academic center rather than in a General hospital, and in IBD centers with >25 patients on biological therapy. On the contrary, mean age, gender distribution, years of nursing, and years working in the IBD unit did not significantly differ between IBD and other nurses.
Our nationwide survey showed that the presence of an IBD nurse is still lacking in the majority of Italian IBD centers where patients receive biological therapies, suggesting a prompt implementation.
Reprocessing of both endoscopic instruments and reusable disposals is mandatory to prevent infection transmission. However, toxic colitis due to endoscope contamination by different disinfectants ...following an imperfect washing has been reported. We present a case of peracetic acid-induced colitis and reviewed the literature. Overall, five cases of peracetic acid toxic colitis have been reported. All cases presented with "snow white sign" immediately appearing during endoscopy, two patients complaint of mild abdominal pain (one of whom had also fever and rectal bleeding), whilst the others remained totally asymptomatic. Only one patient received a 1-week metronidazole treatment. No immediate complications were observed, and no sequels occurred at clinical-endoscopic follow-up. The identified cause of disinfectant contamination was a defective either manual or automated rinsing of the colonoscope following the reprocessing procedure.
Immune-inflammatory biomarkers (IIBs) showed a prognostic relevance in patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC). We aimed at evaluating the prognostic power of a new comprehensive biomarker, the ...Pan-Immune-Inflammation Value (PIV), in patients with mCRC receiving first-line therapy.
In the present pooled-analysis, we included patients enrolled in the Valentino and TRIBE trials. PIV was calculated as: (neutrophil count × platelet count × monocyte count)/lymphocyte count. A cut-off was determined using the maximally selected rank statistics method. Generalised boosted regression (GBR), the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox hazards regression models were used for survival analyses.
A total of 438 patients were included. Overall, 208 patients (47%) had a low-baseline PIV and 230 (53%) had a high-baseline PIV. Patients with high PIV experienced a worse PFS (HR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.36-2.03, P < 0.001) and worse OS (HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.57-2.57; P < 0.001) compared to patients with low PIV. PIV outperformed the other IIBs in the GBR model and in the multivariable models.
PIV is a strong predictor of survival outcomes with better performance than other well-known IIBs in patients with mCRC treated with first-line therapy. PIV should be prospectively validated to better stratify mCRC patients undergoing first-line therapy.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
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