Pro-kinetic medications as aids in imaging the small bowel by video-capsule

The Use of Pre-Endoscopic Metoclopramide Does Not Prevent the Need for Repeat Endoscopy: A U.S. Based Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) can cause upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), often needing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Second-look endoscopies verify resolution, but cost concerns prompt research on metoclopramide's efficacy compared to erythromycin.

METHODS

We analyzed the Diamond Network of TriNetX Research database, dividing UGIB patients with PUD undergoing EGD into three groups: metoclopramide, erythromycin, and no medication. Using 1:1 propensity score matching, we compared repeat EGD, post-EGD transfusion, and mortality within one month in two study arms.

RESULTS

Out of 97,040 patients, 11.5% received metoclopramide, 3.9% received erythromycin, and 84.6% received no medication. Comparing metoclopramide to no medication showed no significant difference in repeat EGD (10.1% vs. 9.7%, p = 0.34), transfusion (0.78% vs. 0.86%, p = 0.5), or mortality (1.08% vs. 1.08%, p = 0.95). However, metoclopramide had a higher repeat EGD rate compared to erythromycin (9.4% vs. 7.5%, p = 0.003), with no significant difference in transfusion or mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The need to repeat EGD was not decreased with pre-EGD use of metoclopramide. If a prokinetic agent is to be used prior to EGD, erythromycin shows superior reduction in the need of repeat EGD as compared to metoclopramide.

Use of prokinetics and other quality factors in capsule endoscopy - old and new insights (Review)

Despite the extensive recent development of different techniques for endoscopic evaluation for both diagnostic and therapeutic reasons, the small bowel remains quite difficult to visualize. Capsule endoscopy and device assisted enteroscopy are presently considered the best diagnostic tools for examination of small bowel disorders, assessing diverse pathologies such as obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, iron deficiency anemia, Crohn disease, small bowel tumors and polyposis syndromes. Like any other imagistic method, it has specific indications, and contraindications, and possibly it is more important to consider limitations. In order to obtain a better result, it is necessary to respect the procedural quality indicators. Among them the use of prokinetics - diverse pharmacological substances increasing the success rate of capsule endoscopy have raised debates. Capsule endoscopy small bowel evaluation is a reliable, non-invasive and safe with many advantages and minimum risks, with a proper selection of patients, and can be used as first line investigation.

Do prokinetics influence the completion rate in small-bowel capsule endoscopy? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The use of purging for bowel cleansing prior to small-bowel capsule endoscopy (SBCE) has now been established in clinical practice. Despite that, the number of incomplete SBCEs is still around 15-20%. To date, the use of prokinetics in SBCE - aiming to improve completion rate (CR) - remains a contentious issue resulting in lack of consensus among capsule experts.

METHODS

Extensive medical literature searches were conducted (to November 2012), using suitable MeSH terms and keywords, in search of studies that compared capsule ingestion with prokinetic agents vs. controls or placebo. We examined the effects of prokinetic administration on SBCE CR (primary end point), as well as on the following secondary end points: diagnostic yield (DY), gastric transit time (GTT) and small-bowel transit time (SBTT) by meta-analysis of all relevant studies.

RESULTS

A total of 17 eligible studies (14 prospective, 3 retrospective) were identified, including 1028 individuals who ingested the capsule with no prokinetic vs. 876 who received a prokinetic. Overall, there was a higher CR in patients who ingested the capsule with prokinetics vs. controls (OR [95% CI]: 1.96 [1.38-2.78]). Of the two most readily available prokinetics, metoclopramide was associated with superior SBCE CR vs. control (OR [95% CI]: 2.8 [1.35-3.21]), while erythromycin showed no benefit (OR [95% CI]: 1.36 [0.61-3.03]). Where prokinetics were used alone, neither metoclopramide nor erythromycin showed any benefit on CR. There was no benefit of prokinetics (over controls) on DY. However, metoclopramide had a significant effect on GTT and SBTT.

LIMITATIONS

The majority of the included studies were heterogeneous, and the effect of prokinetics on image quality and mucosal visualization was not examined.

CONCLUSION

Our pooled data shows that the use of prokinetics for capsule ingestion improves CR in SBCE. This effect appears to be particularly evident with metoclopramide, when used concurrently with purging and/or use of real-time monitoring. In a small number of studies, erythromycin showed - through its gastrokinetic effect - marginal benefit. No prokinetic has a beneficial effect on SBCE DY.

Endoscopic capsule placement improves the completion rate of small-bowel capsule endoscopy and increases diagnostic yield

BACKGROUND

The methods for increasing the rate of complete small-bowel examinations by capsule endoscopy (CE) demonstrate conflicting results, and it is unknown whether improving the completion rate of CE transit is correlated with improvement in diagnostic yield.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine whether a higher rate of complete small-bowel examinations results in a higher diagnostic yield of CE.

DESIGN

Case-control comparison.

SETTING

Tertiary care university hospital.

PATIENTS

A total of 273 patients underwent conventional CE (group A), and 261 patients underwent real-time CE (group B). Furthermore, the patients in groups A and B were divided into 2 subgroups by pyloric transit time (A1, A2 and B1, B2, respectively).

INTERVENTIONS

After swallowing the capsule, each patient was monitored with a real-time viewer in group B, and the patients underwent endoscopic placement if the capsule was delayed in the esophagus or stomach.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

Pyloric transit time, small-bowel transit time, the rate of complete small-bowel examinations, and the diagnostic yield.

RESULTS

The rate of complete small-bowel examinations was significantly higher in group B than in group A (87.4% vs 78.0%, respectively; P = .004). The diagnostic yield was significantly higher in group B2 than in group A2 (60.0% vs 41.7%, respectively; P = .019).

LIMITATIONS

Nonrandomized study.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic placement improves the rate of complete small-bowel examinations, resulting in a higher diagnostic yield of CE.

The effect of metoclopramide in capsule enteroscopy

Clinical utility of prokinetics in capsule endoscopy (CE) is not clearly established. The objective of this prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled trial was to determine if metoclopramide is useful in CE by increasing the rate of complete enteroscopy. Ninety-five patients referred for CE were randomized to no metoclopramide (group B, n = 48) or 10 mg metoclopramide (group A, n = 47). Complete enteroscopy was possible in 38 patients of group A (80.9%) and 37 of group B (77.1%) (P = 0.422) with two cases of gastric retention in group B (4.2%; P = 0.253). Median gastric transit time was 26 min (1-211) in group A and 28 min (4-200) in group B (P = 0.511). Mean small bowel transit time, calculated after excluding 20 patients with incomplete enteroscopy, was similar in both groups (221.2 +/- 89 min vs. 256 +/- 82.2 min; P = 0.083). There were also no differences in the total number of findings (group A 4.5 +/- 4.7; group B 4.7 +/- 3.7, P = 0.815). Administration of 10 mg metoclopramide orally 15 min before capsule ingestion did not significantly increase the rate of total enteroscopies and had no effect on transit times. It also did not modify CE diagnostic yield.

American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute technical review on obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

This literature review and the recommendations therein were prepared for the AGA Institute Clinical Practice and Economics Committee. The paper was approved by the Committee on March 12, 2007, and by the AGA Institute Governing Board on May 19, 2007.

Estudio de los tiempos de tránsito gastrointestinal con cápsula endoscópica

INTRODUCTION

Until the introduction of capsule endoscopy (CE), studies of gastrointestinal transit times were based on indirect data or data obtained with radiographic techniques. We analyzed gastric and intestinal transit times through the images obtained with EC and evaluated the influence of age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and abdominal perimeter on these times.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

Of the total number of procedures performed over one year, we reviewed 89 in which CE reached the blind gut. Transit times through the pylorus and the ileocecal valve, as well as a series of clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients, were recorded.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 59.2 years with a mean BMI of 25.5. Gastric transit times ranged from 0.7 to 171 min (mean 22.6) while small intestine transit times ranged from 91 to 416 min (mean 283.3). No significant associations were found between gastric and intestinal transit times with age, sex, BMI, or abdominal perimeter. A significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) was found between transit time of CE through the stomach with respect to the time taken between the pylorus and the cecal pole.

CONCLUSION

CE is a good method to study gastrointestinal transit times directly and could lead to greater knowledge of the pathogenesis of various gastrointestinal entities. Age, sex and nutritional status do not seem to influence intestinal kinetics. In contrast, longer or shorter gastric emptying times have an inverse effect on the transit of CE through the small intestine.