Research out of Europe shows that fecal transplants may be an effective treatment for people with end-stage chronic liver disease. The transplants work by replacing “bad” bacteria in the gut microbiome with “good” bacteria from a healthy donor. Fecal transplant pills have been approved in the United States to treat C. difficile infection. In addition to the cirrhosis research, there are a number of other potential applications for fecal transplantation.
Author: Abhay Panchal
Boston Children’s Hospital has been named the top hospital for pediatric gastroenterology in 2023 and 2024 by U.S. News and World Report. Fifty facilities were ranked based on success with patient volume, commitment to best practices, advanced clinical staff and technologies. Read more about the methodology here. The 25 best hospitals for pediatric gastroenterology in 2023 and 2024:
Clinicians should screen adults with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to a guideline update to the American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Care in Diabetes — 2023. The recommendation is particularly relevant for patients with obesity or cardiometabolic risk factors and those with established cardiovascular disease, the update’s authors wrote. Early diagnosis will help to ensure the optimal outcomes, the ADA said.
Diagnosing and treating gastrointestinal tract diseases can be notoriously invasive and time-consuming: blood and stool lab work; biopsies, colonoscopies and endoscopies; and X-rays, CT scans and MRI imaging. But what if there was an alternative as simple as popping a Bayer aspirin? Researchers in the University of Maryland’s MEMS Sensors and Actuators Laboratory (MSAL) in the A. James Clark School of Engineering have developed an ingestible capsule with a new packaging technology that can protect its tiny components in the sometimes harsh environment of the GI tract, then dissolve at precise moments and locations needed to deliver drugs, reveal sensors…
The article discusses the issue of the physician compensation gap and offers insights on how to address this disparity. It highlights that there is a growing discrepancy between the salaries of primary care physicians (PCPs) and specialists, with specialists earning significantly more. This disparity is often attributed to the relative value unit (RVU) system, which favors procedures performed by specialists over the primary care services provided by PCPs.
UnitedHealthcare has adopted a $0 out-of-pocket expense benefit for virtual visits for eligible members enrolled in applicable fully insured employer-sponsored plans. The new coverage enhancement is designed to make remote urgent care more affordable and convenient, UHC said. Starting July 1, eligible UnitedHealthcare members enrolled in fully insured medical plans, including policies with high deductibles, will begin to pay nothing out-of-pocket for round-the-clock virtual visits, effectively waiving any deductibles or copays, UHC said.
Private equity, physician groups and health insurers have acquired the vast majority of physician practices during the last five years. As physician polling data has shown, most physicians are choosing to become employed rather than operate their own practice due to increased costs and burden from policies like commercial insurer prior authorizations. However, the data show that hospitals are not the primary acquirers of physicians.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Suflave, a new low-volume, lemon-lime flavored liquid osmotic laxative for colonoscopy preparation in adults, the manufacturer, Sebela Pharmaceuticals, has announced. Suflave comes in a carton containing two bottles and two flavor packets. Each bottle contains 178.7 g polyethylene glycol 3350, 7.3 g sodium sulfate, 1.12 g potassium chloride, 0.9 g magnesium sulfate, and 0.5 g sodium chloride. One bottle and one flavor packet are equivalent to one dose. Administration of both doses is required for a complete preparation for colonoscopy. After each dose, an additional 16 ounces of water must be…
Offering improved gastrointestinal bleeding and anatomic structure visualization, Olympus’ new endoscopy system EVIS X1 is set to be available for purchase in November or December 2023, along with two compatible endoscopes: the GIF-1100, a videoscope for use in the upper digestive tract, and the CF-HQ1100DL/I, a colonovideoscope for use in the lower digestive tract.
Here are five lawsuits involving gastroenterologists or gastroenterology practices that Becker’s has reported on since Aug. 12: