Effect of syndromic molecular point-of-care testing in adults with suspected gastroenteritis

A recent study conducted on patients with suspected gastroenteritis suggests that there was a reduction in single-occupancy room use due to syndromic molecular point-of-care testing (mPOCT). This study’s results were published in the journal, The Lancet, Infectious diseases.

This was a pragmatic, open-label, randomized controlled trial that included 277 patients who were hospitalized with suspected gastroenteritis. Out of these, 137 patients were assigned to receive mPOCT of stool or rectal samples while 140 remained in the control group that received routine clinical care. The primary end-point measured was the duration of time in single-occupancy rooms based on modified intention-to-treat. The secondary end-points were related to the time to results, time to de-isolation, antibiotic use, and also safety outcomes.

Those assigned to mPOCT group showed a lesser duration of single-occupancy room stay than the control group (1.8 days vs 2.6 days). Similarly, the median (IQR) time was less for the group that received mPOCT compared to the control group (1.7h vs 44.7h). The time to de-isolation in the mPOCT and control groups was 0.6 and 2.2 days, respectively, with antibiotics administered in 65% and 47% of the participants of each group.

Based on the above results, it may be concluded that mPOCT for patients with suspected gastroenteritis yields more rapid results than conventional testing and thus, can reduce the single-occupancy room use.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum well-tolerated to improve Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms in adults compared to placebo

A recent study confirmed the efficacy of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Lpla33 in improving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adults. The study findings were published in the World journal of gastroenterology.

The multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study enrolled 307 individuals, between 18 and 70 years who were suffering from diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). They were randomized to receive L. plantarum 1B Lpla33 at 1 × 109, L. plantarum 10B Lpla33 or 1 × 1010 (10B)colony-forming units/d, or placebo for 8 weeks in a 1:1:1 ratio. Change in IBS severity scoring system (IBS-SSS) total score after the intervention period was the primary outcome of the study. The secondary outcomes included IBS related quality of life, abdominal pain severity, perceived stress, as well as stool and microbial profile.

After the intervention period, IBS-SSS was found to be significantly reduced in participants receiving L. plantarum 1B and L. plantarum 10B when compared to the placebo. Similarly, a reduction in sub-scores associated with quality of life, abdominal pain and distension, and bowel habits were observed in both the L. plantarum groups compared to the placebo. Furthermore, 62.5% and 88.4% of the participants who received L. plantarum 1B and 10B, were categorized as stool consistency responders and demonstrated a decrease in the incidence of diarrheal stool form compared to the placebo group.

Based on the above findings, it may be concluded that L. plantarum Lpla33 (DSM34428) shows good tolerability, improvement in IBS symptoms, and normalization of bowel habits in adults suffering from IBS-D.

Safety and efficiency of modified tissue-selecting therapy stapler combined with complete anal canal epithelial preservation operation in circumferential mixed hemorrhoids

A recent study suggested that a modified tissue-selecting therapy stapler combined with complete anal canal epithelial preservation operation (M-TST-CACP) was safe and efficient for use in the treatment of circumferential mixed hemorrhoids. This study was published in the journal, Langenbeck’s Archives of Surgery.

The trial was a single-center, statistical-analyst blinded, and randomized controlled trial (RCT) that included 306 patients. The statistical difference between the M-TST-CACP group and the procedure for prolapse and hemorrhoids (PPH) group was noted using the t-test or Mann-Whitney U test.

It was seen that the M-TST-CACP group showed a higher cure rate, lower recurrence and anal incontinence score, and lower rate of anal stenosis than the PPH group. Thus, the above results showed that M-TST-CACP may have better efficiency and safety than PPH and can be adopted by surgeons to treat circumferential mixed hemorrhoids.

Effect of body weight loss on overall survival of patients with metastatic gastric cancer

A recent study suggests that body weight loss (BWL) acts as a strong factor in the overall survival of patients with metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer (mGC/GEJC). The study was published in the journal, Gastric cancer.

In this Phase 3 TAGS trial, body weight data from 451 patients were available for study. The participants were divided into a trifluridine/tipiracil group and placebo group. Safety and efficacy were assessed in patients who experienced < 3% BWL or ≥ 3% BWL from start of treatment until day 1 of cycle 2. Additionally, overall survival due to BWL was determined using univariate and multivariate analyses.

The findings of the study revealed that patients had longer median OS with < 3% BWL versus ≥ 3% BWL subgroups. According to the univariate analyses, an unadjusted hazard ratio (HR=0.58) for the < 3% over ≥ 3% BWL subgroup, demonstrated a strong prognostic effect of early body weight loss. Moreover, the multivariate analyses indicated early BWL as both predictive and prognostic for overall survival. Thus, this study may suggest that body weight loss can have an effect on the overall survival of patients with mGC/GEJC.