The aim of this study was to record gastric myoelectric activity using multichannel electrogastrography (EGG) and to determine if there are differences due to age, gender, body mass, and study location. In 61 normal subjects from four centers, fasting multichannel EGG was recorded for 1 h, followed by two 1-h postprandial recordings after a test meal. Variables assessed included dominant frequency (DF) and its power, percentage time in 2- to 4-cpm frequency, and percentage slow-wave coupling (%SWC). There were no significant differences in EGG parameters with respect to gender or age. Subjects with a BMI > 25 had a decrease in the absolute DF power but a similar increase in the postprandial DF power. Subjects with a BMI > 25 had a postprandial decrease in the %SWC compared to those with a BMI < 25. There was a decrease in postprandial %SWC in European/Asian centers compared to American centers. In conclusion, multichannel EGG provides assessment of electrical slow-wave coupling in addition to determining dominant frequency, power, and percentage normal rhythm. This multicenter study of normal subjects shows similar multichannel EGG values among different genders and ages. Body mass and ethnicity may impact on some of the EGG values.

In a large retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing ERCP that included low-risk patients and patients with malignant biliary obstruction, rectal indomethacin was associated with a significant decrease in the absolute rate and severity of pancreatitis.

Multichannel EGG recording improved the detection of abnormal gastric myoelectric activity in symptomatic patients. This study also demonstrates prolonging the postprandial recording to 2 h increases the diagnostic yield for both single-channel and multichannel EGG.

Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIP) is a gastrointestinal motility disorder characterized by chronic symptoms and signs of bowel obstruction in the absence of a fixed, lumen-occluding lesion. Radiographic findings consist of dilated bowel with air-fluid levels. Pseudo-obstruction is an uncommon condition and can result from primary or secondary causes. The management is primarily focused on symptom control and nutritional support to prevent weight loss and malnutrition. The principles of management of patients with CIP involve 1) establishing a correct clinical diagnosis and excluding mechanical obstruction; 2) differentiating between idiopathic and secondary forms; 3) performing a symptomatic and physiologic assessment of the parts of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract involved by manometric and whole gut transit scintigraphic studies; 4) careful assessment of nutritional status of the patient; and 5) developing a therapeutic plan addressing the patient's symptoms and nutritional status. Treatment of CIP includes frequent small meals with a low-fat, low-fiber diet, liquid nutritional supplements may be needed; prokinetic agents such as metoclopramide may help to reduce upper GI symptoms. Trials of drugs such as erythromycin, domperidone, cisapride, and tegaserod may be considered if there is no response. Subcutaneous octreotide may be helpful to improve small bowel dysmotility especially in patients with scleroderma. In patients with symptoms suggestive of bacterial overgrowth, courses of antibiotics such as metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline may be needed. Nutritional assessment and support is an important aspect of management. Enteral nutrition is usually preferred. In carefully selected patients, feeding jejunostomy with or without decompression gastrostomy may be tried. Long term parenteral nutrition should be reserved for patients who can not tolerate enteral nutrition. Complications associated with total parenteral nutrition include infections, sepsis, and cholestatic hepatic dysfunction.

A new method of evaluating the liver parenchyma (acoustic liver biopsy) that takes advantage of the proximity of the endoscopic ultrasound transducer to the liver and uses commercial image analysis technology that is inexpensive and widely available was developed. This is a preliminary study of this new technology, which demonstrates that endoscopic ultrasound, can be standardized in order to image, analyze, and compare the mean echogenecity and mean standard deviation of the pixel density in the liver in order to distinguish cirrhotic patients from patients without cirrhosis.

No abstract

Functional (nonulcer) dyspepsia refers to upper abdominal pain or discomfort with or without symptoms of early satiety, nausea, or vomiting with no definable organic cause. The current Rome II criteria help to diagnose functional dyspepsia and avoid misdiagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome as functional dyspepsia. Assessment of gastric emptying with scintigraphy or breath testing may be useful in identifying delayed gastric emptying in patients with dyspeptic symptoms and may be helpful in patient management. Electrogastrography is a noninvasive test that evaluates for gastric dysrhythmias. Satiety testing is being evaluated as an indirect test for impaired fundic relaxation and visceral hypersensitivity. The symptom response to Helicobacter pylori therapy in patients with functional dyspepsia and a negative endoscopy examination but a positive H. pylori test is marginal. Lifestyle modifications often are suggested for initial treatment of functional dyspepsia. Dietary changes such as frequent small meals, low-fat diet, and avoidance of certain aggravating foods may improve symptoms. Additional measures include cessation of smoking, avoiding excess alcohol intake, and minimizing coffee intake. Antacids and over-the-counter histamine type 2 receptor antagonists may be helpful as an "on-demand" therapy for intermittent symptoms. They are safe and relatively inexpensive. Different subgroups of functional dyspepsia are based on the predominant symptom and may help in choosing an appropriate drug to initiate therapy. If the predominant symptom is epigastric pain (ulcer-like functional dyspepsia), histamine-2 receptor antagonists or proton pump inhibitors are the initial treatment of choice. If fullness, bloating, early satiety or nausea is the predominant complaint (dysmotility-like functional dyspepsia), a prokinetic agent may help. Metoclopramide is the only available effective prokinetic agent at present. If metoclopramide is used, short-term treatment and discussion of possible side effects with the patient are advised. If there is no response to these initial treatments, switching therapy from proton pump inhibitor to prokinetic or vice versa can be tried. If these treatment options fail, patient re-evaluation for other disorders (including other functional bowel disorders) is advised. A low-dose tricyclic antidepressant at bedtime may be helpful for treatment of visceral hypersensitivity.

There is a significant difference (p < 0.018) in the sum of the esophageal variceal CSA between those patients who will experience future variceal bleeding and those who will not. There is a 76-fold increase per year in the risk of future variceal bleeding for each one cm(2) increase in variceal CSA. Using a cutoff value for the CSA of 0.45 cm(2), the sensitivity and specificity for future variceal bleeding above and below this point is 83% and 75%, respectively.