Guidelines for gastroenterological endoscopy in patients undergoing antithrombotic treatment have been produced by the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society in collaboration with the Japan Circulation Society, the Japanese Society of Neurology, the Japan Stroke Society, the Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis and the Japan Diabetes Society. Previous guidelines from the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society have focused primarily on prevention of hemorrhage after gastroenterological endoscopy as a result of continuation ofantithrombotic therapy, without considering the associated risk of thrombosis. The new edition of the guidelines includes discussions of gastroenterological hemorrhage associated with continuation of antithrombotic therapy, as well as thromboembolism associated with withdrawal of antithrombotic therapy.

As an increase in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been reported in Japan, and public interest in GERD has been increasing, the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology published the Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines for GERD (1st edition) in 2009. Six years have passed since its publication, and there have been a large number of reports in Japan concerning the epidemiology, pathophysiology, treatment, and Barrett's esophagus during this period. By incorporating the contents of these reports, the guidelines were completely revised, and a new edition was published in October 2015. The revised edition consists of eight items: epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, internal treatment, surgical treatment, esophagitis after surgery of the upper gastrointestinal tract, extraesophageal symptoms, and Barrett's esophagus. This paper summarizes these guidelines, particularly the parts related to the treatment for GERD. In the present revision, aggressive proton pump inhibitor (PPI) maintenance therapy is recommended for severe erosive GERD, and on-demand therapy or continuous maintenance therapy is recommended for mild erosive GERD or PPI-responsive non-erosive GERD. Moreover, PPI-resistant GERD (insufficient symptomatic improvement and/or esophageal mucosal break persisting despite the administration of PPI at a standard dose for 8 weeks) is defined, and a standard-dose PPI twice a day, change in PPI, change in the PPI timing of dosing, addition of a prokinetic drug, addition of rikkunshito (traditional Japanese herbal medicine), and addition of histamine H2-receptor antagonist are recommended for its treatment. If no improvement is observed even after these treatments, pathophysiological evaluation with esophageal impedancepH monitoring or esophageal manometry at an expert facility for diseases of the esophagus is recommended.

Indomethacin may injure the small intestine through a TLR4/MyD88-dependent pathway.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are well known to cause gastroduodenal mucosal lesions as an adverse effect. Recently, the serious problem of NSAID-induced small intestinal damage has become a topic of great interest to gastroenterologists, since capsule endoscopy and balloon enteroscopy are available for the detection of small intestinal lesions. Such lesions have been of great concern in clinical settings, and their treatment and prevention must be devised as soon as possible. The prevalence of NSAIDs-induced small intestinal injury is higher than had been expected. Recent studies show that more than 50% of patients taking NSAIDs have some mucosal damage in the small intestine. The gross appearance of NSAIDinduced enteropathy varies, appearing variously as diaphragm-like strictures, ulcers, erosions, and mucosal redness. To investigate NSAID-induced enteropathy, and to rule out other specific enteropathies, other useful methods (in addition to capsule endoscopy and balloon enteroscopy) include such modalities as radiological examination of the small intestine, the permeability test, scintigraphy or the fecal excretion test using 111 Indium-labeled white blood cells, and measurement of the fecal calprotectin concentration. Diaphragm-like strictures and bleeding from mucosal breaks may be treatable with interventional enteroscopy. Misoprostol, metronidazole, and sulfasalazine are frequently used to treat NSAID-induced enteropathy, but have undesirable effects in some cases. In the experimental model, we confirmed that several existing drugs for gastroduodenal ulcers prevented indomethacin-induced small intestinal injury. Such drugs may be useful for preventing the adverse effects of NSAIDs not only in the stomach but also in the small intestine. We hope to examine these drugs in future clinical studies.

General interest in functional gastrointestinal disorders is increasing among Japanese doctors as well as patients. This increase can be attributed to a number of factors, including recent increased interest in quality of life and advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal disease. Japan recently became the world's first country to list ''functional dyspepsia'' as a disease name for national insurance billing purposes. However, recognition and understanding of functional dyspepsia (FD) remain poor, and no standard treatment strategy has yet been established. Accordingly, the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (JSGE) developed an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for FD, consisting of five sections: concept, definition, and epidemiology; pathophysiology; diagnosis; treatment; and prognosis and complications. This article summarizes the Japanese guideline, with particular focus on the treatment section. Once a patient is diagnosed with FD, the doctor should carefully explain the pathophysiology and benign nature of this condition, establish a good doctor-patient relationship, and then provide advice for daily living (diet and lifestyle modifications, explanations, and reassurance). The proposed pharmacological treatment is divided into two steps: initial treatment including an acid inhibitory drug (H2RA or PPI) or prokinetics, (strong recommendation); second-line treatment including anxiolytics, antidepressants, and Japanese traditional medicine (weak recommendation). H. pylori eradication, strongly recommended with a high evidence level, is positioned separately from other treatment flows. Conditions that do not respond to these treatment regimens are regarded as refractory FD. Patients will be further examined for other organic disorders or will be referred to specialists using other approaches such as psychosomatic treatment.

In 2012, the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society published "Guidelines for Gastroenterological Endoscopy in Patients Undergoing Antithrombotic Treatment" concerning thromboembolism associated with antithrombotic therapy withdrawal. Since then, physicians have started prescribing oral anticoagulants, creating a need for standards reflecting their use in clinical practice. Therefore, new findings regarding anticoagulants are included in this appendix. However, the evidence levels are low for many statements contained herein and these appended guidelines still need to be verified in clinical settings.

Management of small bowel diseases has evolved since the advent of capsule endoscopy (CE) and balloon‐assisted enteroscopy (BAE). One of the most common indications for enteroscopy is obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), followed by small bowel stenosis, tumors, and inflammatory bowel disease. Although enteroscopes have been regarded as useful tools, correct guidelines are required to ensure that we manipulate these enteroscopes safely and efficiently in clinical practice. Herein, the Japanese Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society has developed ‘Clinical Practice Guidelines for Enteroscopy’ in collaboration with the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology, the Japanese Gastroenterological Association, and the Japanese Association for Capsule Endoscopy. These guidelines are based on the evidence available until now, but small bowel endoscopy is a relatively new technology, so the guidelines include recommendations based on a consensus reached among experts when the evidence has not been considered sufficient. These guidelines were not designed to be disease‐based, but focus on how we should use small bowel CE and BAE in everyday clinical practice.

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