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PubMed2005

Effect of oral erythromycin on gastric and small bowel transit time of capsule endoscopy.

AIM: To determine the effect of oral erythromycin on gastric and small bowel transit time of capsule endoscopy. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent capsule endoscopy during the 16-mo study period were either given 250 mg oral erythromycin, 1 h prior to swallowing the capsule endoscope or nothing. The gastric and small bowel transit time, and the small bowel image quality were compared. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients received oral erythromycin whereas 14 patients were not given any prokinetic agent. Patients who received erythromycin had a significantly lower gastric transit time than control (16 min vs 70 min, P = 0.005), whereas the small bowel transit time was comparable between the two groups (227 min vs 183 min, P = 0.18). Incomplete small bowel examination was found in three patients of the control group and in one patient of the erythromycin group. There was no significant difference in the overall quality of small bowel images between the two groups. A marked reduction in gastric transit time was noted in two patients who had repeat capsule endoscopy after oral erythromycin. CONCLUSION: Use of oral erythromycin significantly reduces the gastric transit time of capsule endoscopy.

Body Mass Index↗
PubMed2004

Second capsule endoscopy for patients with severe iron deficiency anemia.

BACKGROUND: Patients with iron deficiency anemia are subjected to multiple endoscopic and radiologic examinations of the GI tract. If negative, some of the examinations are repeated, occasionally with positive findings. The diagnostic yield of a second capsule endoscopy in such patients is unknown. The aim of the current study was to assess the diagnostic yield of a second capsule endoscopy in patients with significant iron deficiency anemia and a previous negative evaluation. METHODS: Twenty patients with iron deficiency anemia (Hb < 10 g/dL) were enrolled. All had at least one normal evaluation of the GI tract, including capsule endoscopy. A second capsule endoscopy examination was offered to all patients. RESULTS: The time between the first and the second capsule endoscopy ranged from 2 months to 1 year. Depending on the nature of an abnormality and its relevance to blood loss, the findings were classified as positive, suspicious, clinically irrelevant, or negative. In 7 patients, the second capsule endoscopy disclosed findings that were classified as either positive or suspicious findings, including arteriovenous malformations (2), flat polypoid lesion (1), edematous inflamed mucosa (1), erosions (1), and hemorrhagic gastritis (1). Lesions were located in the small intestine (5), the stomach (1), and the cecum (1). Based on the findings of the second capsule endoscopy, therapy was changed in two patients (10%). CONCLUSIONS: A second capsule endoscopy should be considered for patients with severe iron deficiency anemia and negative initial evaluation.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Diagnostic yield and therapeutic implications of capsule endoscopy in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

AIM: The main aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and therapeutic impact of capsule endoscopy (CE) in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). In addition, we evaluated the software of automatic detection of red zones (SBI, Given Imaging). PATIENTS AND METHODS: From June 2002 to June 2003, thirty-five patients with OGIB underwent capsule endoscopy after negative upper and lower digestive endoscopy. Capsule endoscopy was performed following a 12-hour fasting period and some received 2 L of PEG the night before for bowel preparation. RESULTS: CE was performed for occult (N=18) or overt (N=17) OGIB. Potentially bleeding lesions were found in 16/35 patients (45.7%). Lesions were angiodysplasias (N=8), ulcerations (N=4), tumors (N=2) and active bleeding without visible lesion (N=2). Lesions were located in gastric antrum (N=1), duodenum (N=2) and jejuno-ileum (N=13). Endoscopic (N=10), surgical (N=2) or medical (N=1) treatments were performed in 13/35 (37%). SBI was retrospectively evaluated in 24 patients with sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of respectively 45%, 73%, 50% and 69%. CE retention during 10 days occurred in a patient with a small bowel NSAID-induced stricture. CONCLUSION: CE is a safe and effective procedure in the management of OGIB and had a therapeutic impact in more than one third of patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Wireless capsule endoscopy in a community gastroenterology practice.

GOALS: This study was performed to evaluate the use of wireless capsule endoscopy in a community gastroenterology practice. BACKGROUND: Experience with wireless capsule endoscopy at referral centers has been reported, but little has been reported about community gastroenterologists' experience. STUDY: A retrospective review of charts and wireless capsule endoscopies performed at a community hospital was performed. RESULTS: A total of 99 wireless capsule endoscopies were reviewed and complete data were available in 72 cases. Indications included suspected obscure GI bleeding in 97% of cases; 55% of patients were taking anti-platelet or anti-coagulant medications; 71% of examinations were complete. Pathologic findings included angioectasias (36%), gastritis/erosions (21%), bleeding (18%), small bowel ulcers (16%), duodenitis (7%), and small bowel erosions (6%). Strictures, Crohn's disease, and tumors were each seen in 3%. There were no abnormal findings in 37%. One complication, nonnatural excretion of the capsule, caused a transient bowel obstruction but passed without endoscopic intervention or surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In a community-based gastroenterology setting, wireless capsule endoscopy is a safe tool that shows abnormalities in a significant proportion of exams.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Clinical utility of wireless capsule endoscopy: experience with 200 cases.

GOALS: To evaluate the indications and diagnoses made with 200 small bowel capsule endoscopies in an academic medical center. BACKGROUND: Wireless capsule endoscopy (PillCam SB) has recently become available as a new tool in the evaluation of patients with small bowel diseases. Its impact on patient care and usefulness in clinical practice has steadily been gaining ground, yet there are few studies that evaluate large numbers of patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of wireless capsule endoscopies was performed between September 2003 and January 2005. Reviewed are the indications for the studies, number of complete and incomplete examinations, evaluation of gastric and small bowel transit times, findings made on examination, and the percent of diagnoses made and diagnoses suspected for each study indication. RESULTS: A total of 200 cases were reviewed. Indications included anemia (66% of cases), gastrointestinal hemorrhage (31% cases), abdominal pain (21% cases), diarrhea (11% cases), and other indications such as evaluation of abnormal radiographic findings or surveillance of inflammatory bowel disease (9% cases). The average patient age was 61.5 years (SD +/- 19.1 years). Males comprised 49% of patients. The wireless capsule endoscopy study completely evaluated the entire small bowel in 87% of cases. The most common cause for an incomplete examination was premature battery failure in 8% of cases. Only 9.5% of studies were normal without findings. Small bowel ulcerations were present in 38% of studies. Vascular ectasias were present in 23% of studies. Overall, a diagnosis was made in 23% of all studies, whereas a diagnosis was suspected based on the findings in an additional 31% of studies. The indication with the highest percentage of diagnoses made or suspected was gastrointestinal hemorrhage, with a diagnostic yield of 65%, followed by anemia 61%, diarrhea 36%, and pain 17%. CONCLUSIONS: Wireless capsule endoscopy is a valuable diagnostic tool in the evaluation of occult small bowel lesions, and was most effective in patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage and anemia.

Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal↗
PubMed2006

Long-term follow-up of patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding after negative capsule endoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Capsule endoscopy (CE) is one of the widely accepted investigations for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), but little is known about the impact of CE on the long-term outcome of patients with OGIB. We studied the long-term outcome of patients with OGIB after CE examination. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-nine consecutive patients (45% men, mean age 58.3 yr) who underwent CE for OGIB were studied. The most clinically relevant finding that was related to bleeding was identified by CE. All patients were followed up for at least 12 months for clinical overt and occult bleeding. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 19 months (range 12 to 31). Possible bleeding lesions were detected by CE in 31 (63.3%) patients, and 15 (30.6%) patients, underwent further interventions including laparotomy and push enteroscopy. The overall long-term rebleeding rate in this cohort was 32.7%. The cumulative rebleeding rate was significantly lower in patients with a negative CE (5.6%) than in patients with a positive CE (48.4%, p=0.03 log-rank test). The sensitivity and negative predictive value of CE in predicting rebleeding were 93.8% and 94.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with OGIB and negative CE had a very low rebleeding rate, and further invasive investigations can be deferred.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Capsule endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract -- the need for a second endoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Capsule endoscopy (CE) has been recognised as an important investigational tool in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease. Studies have shown that CE can identify lesions in the upper gastrointestinal tract as well as in the small intestine. However, contrary to conventional oesophagogastroscopy results, the role of CE findings in the diagnostic algorithm of disorders such as gastrointestinal bleeding has not been well understood. We evaluated the frequency of lesions identified in the oesophagus and the stomach as well as their significance. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated patients who had undergone video CE over the last 2 years at our institution. Indication and findings in the oesophagus and the stomach were analysed and compared to previous oesophagogastroscopy findings. Patients in whom lesions were identified were followed up retrospectively for the significance of these findings. RESULTS: 95 patients were included in the analysis (47 males, 48 females, mean +/- SD age of 54.62 +/- 19.2 years). The commonest indication for CE was gastrointestinal bleeding (45%), the second commonest anaemia (28%). CE identified significant lesions in the stomach of 11/95 (11.57%) patients. These lesions had been overlooked in 9/95 (9%) of patients by conventional oesophagogastroscopy prior to CE examination (p value < 0.05). Eight of 95 (8%) patients had oesophageal abnormalities detected by CE. The diagnosis changed the treatment of 8/11 (82%) patients with significant lesions. CONCLUSIONS: CE has an undefined role in evaluating upper gastrointestinal lesions. Significant lesions missed at oesophagogastroscopy were identified during CE examination. This study underpins the importance of a second conventional endoscopy in the diagnostic algorithm.

Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal↗
PubMed2004

Capsule endoscopy in real life: a four-centre experience of 160 consecutive patients in Israel.

OBJECTIVE: The Given Capsule procedure is a new system designed to aid the gastroenterologist in diagnosing small-bowel disease. Capsule endoscopy has provided gastroenterologists with easy access to small-bowel mucosa for examination by direct visualisation. The aim of our prospective study was to determine the indication for capsule endoscopy and to describe the identified pathology within the gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: Patients with unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding from suspected small-bowel pathology of an undisclosed nature or with unexplained abdominal pain for more than 6 months were eligible to undergo capsule endoscopy. Patients with suspected intestinal obstruction or with a history of major abdominal surgery were excluded. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty patients (70 women, 90 men; mean age 49.0 +/- 19.8 years, range 13-91 years) ingested the capsule easily. They had undergone 6 +/- 2.9 investigative procedures before capsule endoscopy. Two (1.25%) patients who had non-natural excretions underwent surgery: one was found to have Meckel's diverticulum and the other had stricturing Crohn's disease. The mean haemoglobin in iron-deficiency anaemia patients was 9.1 +/- 2.2 g%. The diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy was 57.7% in iron-deficiency anaemia and 52.4% in suspected Crohn's disease. CONCLUSIONS: Capsule endoscopy detected the more clinically significant intestinal lesions. It was of diagnostic value in patients with obscure bleeding, suspected Crohn's disease and malabsorption, but the diagnostic yield in patients with chronic pain or irritable bowel syndrome-type symptoms was low.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Clinical application of video capsule endoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive imaging of the complete small bowel has become possible with the recently available video capsule endoscopy technique. The aim of this study was to review and assess the possibilities and limitations of the clinical application of video capsule endoscopy. METHODS: Literature review. RESULTS: Video capsule endoscopy is a new promising technique with good to excellent visualization of the mucosa of the small bowel. It has a high diagnostic yield in patients with occult gastrointestinal blood loss (OGIB) and Crohn disease (CD). Several other indications need further study. Compared to small-bowel X-ray and push enteroscopy, diagnostic yield appears to be superior. Video capsule endoscopy is very well tolerated by patients. Its most important limitation is the impossibility of taking biopsies and therapeutic interventions. CONCLUSION: Video capsule endoscopy is a promising new diagnostic tool for small-bowel disease.

Capsules↗
PubMed2006

Increased diagnostic yield of small bowel tumors with capsule endoscopy.

BACKGROUND: It is believed that cancers of the small intestine represent <2% of all malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, although the accuracy of this estimate is unknown, because the current methodologies for examining the small bowel have proved inadequate. Capsule endoscopy allows a more detailed inspection of the small intestine and may improve the ability to diagnose small bowel tumors. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of capsule endoscopy in diagnosing small bowel tumors and to help establish the true incidence of tumors in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the charts of 562 patients who underwent capsule endoscopy from August 2001 to November 2003 for a variety of indications was performed. The indication for the procedure was bleeding (alone or in addition to another indication, such as abnormal imaging) in 443 patients. RESULTS: A diagnosis was made by capsule endoscopy in 277 patients (49.3%). Of 562 patients who were included in the study, 50 patients (8.9%) were diagnosed with small bowel tumors. The types of tumor diagnosed by capsule endoscopy included 8 adenocarcinomas (1.4%), 10 carcinoids (1.8%), 4 gastrointestinal stromal tumors (0.7%), 5 lymphomas (0.9%), 3 inflammatory polyps, 1 lymphangioma, 1 lymphangioectasia,1 hemangioma, 1 hamartoma, and 1 tubular adenoma. Of the tumors diagnosed, 48% were malignant. It was observed that 9 of 67 patients (13%) younger than age 50 years who underwent capsule endoscopy for obscure bleeding had small bowel tumors. The pathology results were not available for 10 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Capsule endoscopy diagnosed small bowel tumors in 8.9% of patients who underwent the procedure for a variety of reasons, establishing it as an effective diagnostic modality. This incidence of small bowel tumors suggests an important role for capsule endoscopy in the algorithm for the diagnostic work-up of patients with suspected small bowel lesions. Capsule endoscopy may lead to earlier detection and treatment of small bowel tumors and an improved prognosis for patients with these neoplasms.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Use of capsule endoscopy for established Crohn's disease.

There remains significant uncertainty regarding the role of capsule endoscopy in the setting of known inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Capsule endoscopy should be considered for patients who have indeterminate colitis, who are failing medical therapy or who may require colectomy, who have truly unexplained symptoms based on standard endoscopy and radiography, and who have IBD and obscure bleeding. Although capsule endoscopy clearly detects small bowel pathology with greater sensitivity than other methods, the implications of these lesions are not fully understood. At this time, use of capsule endoscopy as a tool for the evaluation of mucosal healing or for prognostication of post-operative recurrence remains investigational.

Crohn Disease↗
PubMed2006

Use of anticoagulation during wireless capsule endoscopy for the investigation of recurrent obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

Detecting the source of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding can be difficult. Capsule endoscopy is a promising diagnostic tool for investigating patients with this condition, although identifying the source of intermittent or low-grade bleeding remains a diagnostic challenge. We present case reports of two patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, in whom the source of recurrent bleeding episodes was diagnosed by capsule endoscopy while they were on anticoagulation therapy. The first patient, an 81-year-old white woman, was on long-term oral anticoagulation because she had chronic atrial fibrillation. Capsule endoscopy demonstrated a bleeding tumor in the region of the terminal ileum. The second patient, a 59-year-old white man, underwent an initial capsule endoscopy, which was negative. After initiation of anticoagulation with heparin, a second capsule endoscopy procedure in this patient revealed several small bleeding lesions in the proximal small bowel. In both cases a gastrointestinal stromal tumor was identified as the bleeding source and was resected. These two cases demonstrate that provocation of bleeding during capsule endoscopy may increase its sensitivity.

Aged, 80 and over↗
PubMed2003

Initial experience with capsule endoscopy at a major referral hospital.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the utility of capsule endoscopy in patients referred for investigation of suspected disease of the small intestine. DESIGN AND SETTING: Single centre, prospective, cohort study from 4 July 2001 to 8 September 2002. PATIENTS: Sixty consecutive patients who underwent capsule endoscopy for investigation of suspected disease of the small intestine. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Abnormal findings at capsule endoscopy. RESULTS: Examination of the entire small bowel was achieved in 46/60 patients (77%). Thirty-two of 47 patients (68%) referred with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding had positive findings. Seven of nine patients (78%) referred for investigation of suspected Crohn's disease had small bowel erosions or ulcers consistent with Crohn's disease. The capsule was not passed in one patient. CONCLUSION: Capsule endoscopy is a novel, minimally invasive and useful tool for the investigation of the small intestine.

Capsules↗
PubMed2006

Capsule endoscopy findings in patients with suspected Crohn's disease and biochemical markers of inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Because it provides a direct view of superficial lesions in the small bowel, capsule endoscopy is a promising diagnostic tool for studying patients with suspected Crohn's disease undetected by conventional modalities. AIM: To assess the role of capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis of patients with suspected Crohn's disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight patients (16 males, mean age 46.2 years) with suspected Crohn's disease but negative at conventional imaging were examined using capsule endoscopy. They were divided into 2 groups: 12 patients with ongoing symptoms (Group 1), and 26 with ongoing symptoms and biochemical markers of inflammation (Group 2). Capsule endoscopy findings were classified as diagnostic (multiple erosions/ulcerations), suspicious (<or=3 erosions/ulcerations), non-specific and normal. RESULTS: Capsule endoscopy findings were diagnostic for Crohn's disease in 13 (34.2%) patients, suspicious in 2 (5.3%), non-specific in 4 (10.5%) and normal in 19 (50%), with an overall detection rate of 39.5%. The yield of positive findings was 8.3% in Group 1 and 46.2% in Group 2 (p=0.022). Capsule endoscopy findings prompted specific measures or patient management changes in 39.5% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Capsule endoscopy has a high diagnostic yield in patients with suspected Crohn's disease and both clinical and biochemical markers of inflammation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Capsule endoscopy and push enteroscopy in the diagnosis of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding.

BACKGROUND: In obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, it is often difficult to detect the bleeding sites located in the small bowel with conventional radiological, scintigraphic or angiographic techniques. Push enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy are currently considered to be the most effective diagnostic procedures. The aim of this study was to compare the detection rates between capsule endoscopy and push enteroscopy. METHODS: From May 2002 through January 2003, we prospectively examined by capsule endoscopy 39 patients with suspected small bowel diseases, in particular GI bleeding of unknown origin in Renji Hospital. Among them, 32 complained of obscure recurrent GI bleeding. Between January 1993 and October 1996, we used push enteroscopy on 36 patients who suffered from unexplained GI bleeding. All patients had prior normal results on gastroscopy, colonoscopy, small bowel barium radiography, scintigraphy and/or angiography. RESULTS: M2A capsule endoscopy disclosed abnormal small bowel findings in 26 (82%) out of 32 patients. Twenty-one of them had significant pathological findings explaining their clinical disorders. Diagnostic yield was therefore 66% (21 of 32 patients). Definite bleeding sites diagnosed by capsule endoscopy in 21 patients included angiodysplasia (8), inflammatory small-bowel (5), small-bowel polyps (4), gastrointestinal stromal tumour (2), carcinoid tumour and lipoma (1), and hemorrhagic gastritis (1). Push enteroscopy detected the definite sources of bleeding in 9 (25%) of the 36 patients. Patients with definite bleeding sources included angiodysplasias (2), leiomyosarcoma (2), leiomyoma (1), lymphoma (1), Crohn's disease (1), small-bowel polyps (1) and adenocarcinoma of ampulla (1). Suspected bleeding sources were shown by push enteroscopy in two additional patients (6%), and in other five patients (16%) by capsule endoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The present study of patients with obscure GI bleeding showed that capsule endoscopy significantly superior to push enteroscopy in detecting GI bleeding (P < 0.001). Capsule endoscopy is safe and painless, and should become the initial diagnostic choice for patients with obscure GI bleeding.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

A prospective trial comparing wireless capsule endoscopy and barium contrast series for small-bowel surveillance in hereditary GI polyposis syndromes.

BACKGROUND: Capsule endoscopy has demonstrated its clinical utility in the evaluation of the small bowel, and, accordingly, it has been suggested that it could be useful for the identification of small-intestinal polyps in patients with polyposis syndromes. The objective was to establish the effectiveness of wireless capsule endoscopy for detecting small-bowel polyps in patients with hereditary GI polyposis syndromes in comparison with barium contrast series. METHODS: Consecutive patients with GI polyposis syndromes were included. Small-bowel follow-through series and capsule endoscopy were performed within 1 week, in a blind fashion. The number and the location of polyps were analyzed. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (n = 20) or Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (n = 4) were included. Capsule endoscopy detected small-bowel polyps in 7 of 24 patients (29%), whereas a barium contrast study identified small-intestinal polyps in only 3 of these 7 patients. In the 4 remaining patients, all of them with familial adenomatous polyposis, polyps detected by the capsule but missed in radiographic series were located at either ileum (2 patients), jejunum (1), or duodenum (1). No procedure-related complication was observed in any patient. CONCLUSIONS: Wireless capsule endoscopy is a highly accurate technique for the detection of small-bowel polyps in patients with hereditary GI polyposis syndromes, and it represents a valuable alternative to barium contrast series in the surveillance of patients with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

Administration, Rectal↗
PubMed2005

Improved capsule endoscopy after bowel preparation.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic yield of capsule endoscopy depends on the quality of visualization of the small-bowel wall and complete passage through the small bowel. This study examined the effect of bowel preparation on the volume of intestinal content and on small-bowel transit. METHODS: Sixty-one consecutive patients (34 men, 27 women; mean age 56 years, range 17-88 years) were enrolled in the study. Although not randomized, 33 patients received a bowel preparation, and 28 had no preparation. Gastric emptying, small-bowel transit time, overall preparation assessment, and bowel-wall visualization were evaluated by 3 investigators who were unaware of whether the patient had undergone bowel preparation. RESULTS: Small-bowel transit time was significantly shorter in patients with bowel preparation (median 213 minutes: 95% CI[190, 267]) than in those without preparation (median 253 minutes: 95% CI[228, 307]) (p <0.01). The capsule reached the cecum in 97% of patients in the bowel-preparation group, compared with 76% in the nonpreparation group (p=0.02). Bowel preparation improved the quality of visualization significantly; this effect was more pronounced in the distal small bowel. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that bowel preparation accelerates small-bowel capsule transit and leads to a higher rate of complete capsule endoscopy. Visualization of the small bowel was improved by bowel preparation. Bowel preparation before capsule endoscopy is recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Influence of patient selection on the outcome of capsule endoscopy in patients with chronic gastrointestinal bleeding.

BACKGROUND: In chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, success rates in the range of 48% to 76% have been reported for diagnosing clear bleeding sources using capsule endoscopy. The influence of patient selection on the numbers of positive findings yielded by capsule endoscopy is as yet unclear. METHODS: From April 2001 to June 2003, capsule endoscopy was carried out in 74 of a total of 127 patients (58%) who presented for capsule endoscopy with a high suspicion of gastrointestinal bleeding in the small-bowel region. Seventy of the 74 patients were included in the analysis. This group of patients was divided into a study group (32 patients) and a post-study group (38 patients), and the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Stricter patient selection was carried out in the study group than in the post-study group: 49% of those in the study group underwent capsule endoscopy, compared with 65% of those in the post-study group. The overall success rate for detecting relevant bleeding sources was 54%; in the study group, the rate was 66%; whereas in the post-study group, it was only 45%. Significant differences observed between the two groups of patients included the lowest hemoglobin value (5.9+/-1.4 g/dL in the study group, compared with 7.7+/-2.1 g/dL in the post-study group) and transfusion requirements (a median of 10 units in the study group, vs. 2 units in the post-study group). None of the patients who had a minimum hemoglobin value >or=10 g/dL had a positive capsule result. CONCLUSIONS: Patient selection has a considerable influence on the success rate of capsule endoscopy. In patients with chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, the minimum hemoglobin value and transfusion requirements appear to be the decisive parameters.

Adolescent↗