Success and complication rates for ERCP in Austria are comparable to those reported elsewhere. In our study, endoscopists with a case volume exceeding 50 ERCPs per year had higher success and lower overall complication rates.

No abstract

Cholylsarcosine is efficacious and safe for enhancing fat absorption and nutritional status in short bowel syndrome patients with residual colon. Natural conjugated bile acids improve steatorrhea to a smaller extent and greatly worsen diarrhea.

Small (<10 mm) and diminutive (<6 mm) polyps harbour high-grade dysplasia or cancer in 0.3-5% of cases. The potential to grow and develop advanced histology is low. Traditional guidelines still recommend the removal of all polyps. Visual characterisation with modern endoscopic technology could enable us to leave diminutive hyperplastic polyps in situ and remove but discard small polyps. In expert hands, high-definition white-light endoscopy and virtual chromoendoscopy can reach an accuracy of more than 90% in distinguishing between hyperplastic and adenomatous pathology. For less experienced endoscopists the values are lower and therefore the concept is not yet fit for routine use. Polyps can be removed completely with snares but not with forceps. The cold snaring technique in particular has proved safe and effective for small polyps. With more experience in the future a ‘cut and discard' strategy for small polyps and a ‘do not resect' strategy for diminutive polyps will save money and time to deal with more advanced lesions.

Anatomically inhomogeneous infection with different, multiple H. pylori strains is common. Prospective clinical study design, collection of samples from multiple sites and microbiologic methods that allow the detection of coinfections are mandatory for collection of reliable data on antimicrobial resistance patterns in representative patient populations. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02925091).