Although there are a lot of unknowns with regard to COVID-19, we’ve gained a substantial amount of knowledge since the pandemic started. A large, community-based practice found that less than 1% of their asymptomatic endoscopy patients tested positive for COVID-19 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). That result is somewhat reassuring, but the same study, highlighted below, also reported that positivity rates on PCR tests did not necessarily correlate with symptoms of infection. In light of the increasing prevalence of COVID-19, it’s critical to perform PCR testing 72 hours prior to procedures to assist with patient triage.
Author: Praveen Suthrum
January 15, 2021 –The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed healthcare in many ways including the incorporation of telemedicine into clinical practice. The pandemic has also forced gastroenterology clinicians to be adaptable in the way they provide care to patients due to stay at home orders or COVID-19 surges. Additionally, many gastroenterologists have needed to take on new professional or personal roles by working as hospitalists due to COVID-19 surges, or playing the role of a teacher to assist their children with homeschooling. We have demonstrated that gastroenterology clinicians can successfully adapt to an ever-changing health care environment. Gastroenterology clinicians should strongly consider…
As the world continues to battle against the global COVID-19 pandemic, technology has had an important role to play, particularly with work-from-home arrangements in place for many workers. Now, the health monitoring aspect of smartwatches is coming under the spotlight, with new research showing that the Apple Watch can be used to detect COVID-19—sometimes, before an individual even knows that he/she is infected. Most smartwatches, of course, come with heart rate tracking capabilities as a bare minimum, and the Apple Watch series isn’t any different. According to researchers over at Mount Sinai Health System, “subtle changes” in your heartbeat can be used to signal the…
During his 2020 US presidential campaign the Democratic candidate Joe Biden had some clear goals: expand access to health insurance, simplify the country’s notoriously complex healthcare system, cut the costs of prescription drugs, and expand access to abortion.1 Then covid-19 cast a shadow on the whole presidential race. As Biden takes the oath of office on 20 January he faces the immediate challenge of dealing with the pandemic hurricane buffeting the US and reversing years of undercooked protection and prevention measures. But he does have one thing on his side that he might not have expected at the beginning of the…
Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic turn this year’s scientific meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology into a virtual affair, but the outbreak also played an outsize role in the content of the conference. A search of the ACG abstracts turns up no fewer than 150 mentions of COVID-19 and the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the disease, with studies looking at everything from the effect of the pandemic on medical practices to case studies on how the infection behaves in patients with a variety of GI conditions. The volume and quality of the research, some of which earned awards…
A liquid biopsy test that detects circulating tumor DNA identified patients likely to redevelop colorectal cancer after having undergone surgery to remove tumors, Medpage Today reported Jan. 17. Researchers had 218 patients take the ctDNA test: 20 had detectable ctDNA and 15 of those patients had CRC recurrence. Five patients who didn’t have disease recurrence all received adjuvant chemotherapy. Researchers believe targeting patients likely to redevelop CRC with chemotherapy could prevent the relapse. Among 198 patients who tested negative for ctDNA, 13.5 percent redeveloped the disease.
U.S. gastroenterologists surveyed by an endoscope manufacturer expressed interest in using single-use duodenoscopes for approximately half of their endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedures, according to a report of the findings at the 2020 virtual annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. Sara Larsen, MSc, and her colleagues from Ambu Inc, which manufactures the aScope Duodeno single-use scope for ERCP, surveyed the physicians to assess their willingness to use single-use duodenoscopes in their endoscopy practices (abstract P1857). Between Feb. 17 and March 16, 2020, 70 gastroenterologists who perform ERCP answered an electronic survey about using single-use scopes instead of reusable ones.…
West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Gastro Group of the Palm Beaches joined Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital, the Town-Crier reported Jan. 14. The group rebranded as Tampa General Hospital Gastro Group of the Palm Beaches. Gastro Group of the Palm Beaches has five gastroenterologists. The group was formed 40 years ago. Gastroenterologist Steven Krumholz, MD, said, “After nearly 40 years of providing next-level service to our patients, we are thrilled to take this important step in joining forces with Tampa General Hospital and advancing treatment for patients.” Tampa General Hospital aims to make additional acquisitions in 2021 to grow its affiliated network.
A noninvasive multimodal blood test demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for the detection of colorectal advanced neoplasia, according to prospective study results presented at Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium. These findings suggest the blood test, FirstSight (CellMax Life), can be used to stratify individuals for screening or for post-polypectomy surveillance colonoscopy, according to the researchers.
Investing firm Assured Healthcare Partners and West Long Branch, N.J.-based Allied Digestive Health struck a deal Jan. 13. Matt Jameson, managing director of Assured Healthcare Partners, and Bob Gialanella, MD, president and CEO of Allied Digestive Health, elaborated on the deal and offered insights into the platform’s future. Note: Responses were edited for style and content. Question: With several private equity-backed gastroenterologist platforms in the space, how will you stand out from the competition? Matt Jameson: ADH has always been a physician-centric organization with high quality standards. ADH’s partnership model will continue to help high-quality gastroenterologists in New Jersey and surrounding…