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Biomedical subjects

C P Choudari

Publications and source records attributed to C P Choudari.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Management of acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage in anticoagulated patients.

Bleeding is the major risk associated with anticoagulation therapy. The gastrointestinal tract is the most common site of bleeding. Anticoagulated patients who present with acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage pose great therapeutic challenges. In patients who experience a life-threatening hemorrhage, difficult decisions must be made regarding reversal of anticoagulation, timing of endoscopy and endoscopic therapy, and when to reinstitute anticoagulation. The current literature on the approach to patients who present with major gastrointestinal bleeding while on anticoagulant therapy is reviewed.

Anticoagulants

Age-related mortality in patients treated endoscopically for bleeding peptic ulcer.

Before the widespread use of endoscopic therapy, mortality from peptic ulcer hemorrhage was highest in elderly patients, and many deaths in this group were a consequence of postoperative complications. Endoscopic intervention greatly reduces the need for an emergency surgical operation, and consequently increasing age may no longer be a risk factor for death from bleeding ulcer. To examine this hypothesis, the outcome of 326 patients undergoing endoscopic therapy for bleeding peptic ulcer was related to age. One hundred two patients were less than 60 years of age (group I), 116 were 61 to 74 years of age (group II), and 108 were older than 75 years (group III). More group III patients were women (p < .0001) and were receiving nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (p < .0001). Associated concomitant diseases were significantly more common in group II and group III patients (p < .001). Forty-nine (45%) group III patients bled from gastric ulcers. More of group II patients were receiving anticoagulant drugs (p < .005). A previous history of peptic ulcer was most common in group I (p < .005), and duodenal ulcer was usually the cause of bleeding in this group. The three groups were well matched in terms of endoscopic stigmata (active bleeding and nonbleeding vessel), admission hemoglobin concentration, the presence of shock, and total transfusion requirements. Endoscopic therapy (injection or heater probe) was possible in 95% of all patients. The need for surgical intervention tended to be lowest in group I (11%, 19%, and 18%), whereas hospital mortality (3%, 6%, and 5%) was very similar. In this large group of unselected patients with major peptic ulcer bleeding, age did not significantly influence response to endoscopic therapy or hospital mortality.

Adolescent

The outcome of peptic ulcer haemorrhage in relation to consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin.

AIM: To compare the outcome of 76 patients who presented with severe peptic ulcer haemorrhage whilst taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or aspirin with that of 112 patients who were not taking these drugs and who developed peptic ulcer haemorrhage over the same time period. METHODS: The two groups of patients were managed identically and endoscopic therapy was attempted in all cases. RESULTS: The group taking NSAIDs or aspirin tended to be older and had a higher prevalence of cardio-respiratory disease. The severity of bleeding (as assessed by the presence of shock, anaemia and endoscopic stigmata) was similar in the two groups. Outcome in terms of uncontrolled haemorrhage, rebleeding and blood transfusion requirements did not differ significantly in the two groups. The NSAID group had a significantly longer duration of admission, almost certainly attributable to a higher prevalence of co-morbid diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the deleterious effects of NSAIDs and aspirin upon renal and platelet function, the prognosis of peptic ulcer bleeding is not adversely affected by NSAID or aspirin therapy.

Age Factors

Distal biliary stricture as a complication of sclerosant injection for bleeding duodenal ulcer.

A patient undergoing repeated endoscopic injection therapy for important bleeding from a duodenal ulcer developed intestinal perforation followed by extrahepatic obstructive jaundice resulting from benign biliary stricture. It is proposed that these complications were a consequence of the use of ethanolamine oleate as part of the injection regimen and caution against the use of this material is needed, particularly as current clinical trials suggest that sclerosants offer no advantage over injection therapy with dilute adrenaline alone.

Aged

Acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage in anticoagulated patients: diagnoses and response to endoscopic treatment.

The underlying diagnosis and clinical course of 52 patients who presented with severe acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage while taking the anticoagulant warfarin is reviewed. A bleeding site was identified in 83% of cases, only slightly fewer than the 92% found in a control of group of 710 patients not taking warfarin who presented in the same four year period. The degree or duration of anticoagulation was unrelated to the frequency of establishing a diagnosis. The commonest diagnosis was peptic ulcer (25 cases) and endoscopic treatment by injection or heater probe was attempted in 23 of these. The outcome in this subgroup was compared with that in 50 closely matched control subjects who had similar risk factors for rebleeding from peptic ulcer. Permanent haemostasis was achieved in (91%) of the anticoagulated and in 92% of the control patients. There were no complications related to endoscopy. Patients who present with acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage while taking warfarin usually bleed from mucosal disease. They should be endoscoped after resuscitation and those with major bleeding from a peptic ulcer should be offered endoscopic treatment.

Acute Disease

Endoscopic injection therapy for bleeding peptic ulcer; a comparison of adrenaline alone with adrenaline plus ethanolamine oleate.

One hundred and seven consecutive patients presenting with significant peptic ulcer haemorrhage were randomised to endoscopic injection with 3-10 ml of 1:100,000 adrenaline (55 patients, group 1) or to a combination of adrenaline and 5% ethanolamine (52 patients, group 2). All had major stigmata of haemorrhage and endoscopic injection was undertaken by a single endoscopist. The groups were well matched with regard to risk factors. Rebleeding occurred in eight of the group 1 patients and seven in the group 2 patients; surgical operation rates, median blood transfusion requirements, and hospital stay were similar in both groups. The efficacy of either form of injection was similar whether patients presented with active bleeding or a non-bleeding visible vessel. No complications occurred. In patients presenting with significant peptic ulcer bleeding, the addition of a sclerosant confers no advantage over injection with adrenaline alone.

Acute Disease

Failures of endoscopic therapy for bleeding peptic ulcer: an analysis of risk factors.

OBJECTIVES: The role of therapeutic endoscopy in bleeding peptic ulcer is well documented. Nevertheless, failures of endoscopic therapy occur, and such patients could be put at an increased risk of death by delays in definitive surgery. The aim of this study was to define factors associated with failed endoscopic therapy. METHODS: Endoscopic intervention was attempted in 326 consecutive patients presenting with bleeding peptic ulcer using injection or heater probe therapy. RESULTS: Endoscopic therapy was possible in 308 (94%) patients, and permanent hemostasis was achieved in 269 (82.5%) of these. Fifty-seven (17.5%) patients continued to bleed or rebled in hospital. Patients who presented with active hemorrhage, shock on admission, and the lowest hemoglobin concentration did less well than those without these risk factors (p < 0.001). A history of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or aspirin usage, coagulopathy, previous peptic ulceration, and concomitant cardiorespiratory disease did not predict outcome of endoscopic therapy. Age of the patient was not an independent risk factor for outcome of therapy. The position of a gastric ulcer did not affect outcome, but a posterior duodenal ulcer was significantly more often associated with failed endoscopic therapy than was the case with an anterior ulcer (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic interventional treatment should be offered to all high-risk bleeding ulcer patients; no subgroup of patients unlikely to benefit from therapy could be identified.

Aged

Gut lavage fluid protein concentrations: objective measures of disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease.

BACKGROUND: Fluid obtained by whole gut lavage normally contains traces of immunoglobulin (Ig) G, albumin, and alpha-1-antitrypsin; higher concentrations have been found in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: In a prospective study, 53 lavages were performed in 45 IBD patients (27 Crohn's disease, 18 ulcerative colitis), in whom disease activity was simultaneously assessed by Crohn's Disease Activity Index or Powell Tuck index. Concentration of IgG in lavage fluid was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and of albumin and alpha-1-antitrypsin by immunoturbidimetry. RESULTS: For IgG, concentrations in lavage fluid correlated closely with activity indices: in Crohn's disease, r = 0.723 (P < 0.0001), in ulcerative colitis, r = 0.714 (P < 0.0001). Results for albumin and alpha-1-antitrypsin concentrations were similar to those for IgG, but they were less sensitive in detecting active disease. However, this method cannot be used as a diagnostic test for IBD; normal results were obtained for IgG in 6 (all inactive) of 42 lavages in patients who had unequivocal radiological or endoscopic abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Assay of protein concentrations in gut lavage fluid is a simple, objective means of grading disease activity in patients with IBD; its potential uses are likely to be in the evaluation of complex cases and in clinical trials.

Adult

Comparison of endoscopic injection therapy versus the heater probe in major peptic ulcer haemorrhage.

One hundred and twenty patients presenting with major peptic ulcer haemorrhage were randomised in a clinical trial comparing endoscopic injection and heater probe therapy. The two groups were well matched with regards to age, admission haemoglobin concentration, the presence of shock, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug usage and endoscopic findings. Permanent haemostasis was achieved in 87% of the injection group and 85% of the heater probe group. Hospital mortality, transfusion requirement and duration of admission were similar in both groups. Endoscopic injection and the heater probe represent equally effective therapy for peptic ulcer bleeding.

Adolescent

Gut lavage fluid proteins as markers of activity of inflammatory bowel disease.

Intestinal secretions may be obtained by gut lavage using a polyethyleneglycol-based electrolyte lavage solution; concentrations of immunoglobulins and other proteins are readily measured in processed gut lavage fluid. As patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have greatly increased numbers of IgG-producing intestinal immunocytes, we measured gut lavage fluid IgG levels in 44 patients with IBD with various degrees of disease activity to determine whether total IgG in gut lavage fluid reflects disease activity. We also measured levels of albumin in gut lavage fluid, to determine the degree of plasma leakage. Both IgG and albumin levels in the patients with active IBD were significantly higher than those in controls and patients with inactive IBD (all p less than 0.00001). IgG is a more specific index of disease activity than albumin, with no overlap between levels in controls and patients with active IBD. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.68, p less than 0.0001) between IgG and albumin levels, suggesting that gut lavage fluid IgG is mainly plasma-derived.

Adolescent

A correlative study of etiology, clinical features and rectal mucosal pathology in adults with acute infectious diarrhea in southern India.

For detailed etiological studies we isolated invasive enteric bacterial pathogens in 16, non-invasive pathogens in 13 and no pathogens in 11 of 40 adults with untreated acute diarrhea of less than 5 days duration at a tertiary care hospital in southern India. It was possible to establish a system for the objective assessment of the clinical severity of illness. Hemorrhage in the rectal mucosal lamina propria. especially pericryptal, was a striking feature in rectal biopsies. This was associated with a vascular lesion with endothelial damage. The prevalence of the vascular lesion did not correlate with the etiological agents or the severity of the histological abnormality in the rectal mucosa. However, there was a good correlation between the presence of vascular abnormalities and clinical severity. While the vascular changes could be the result of non-specific trauma to the rectal mucosa due to diarrhea, it is suggested that they may have an as yet unknown role in determining clinical severity.

Adult