Introduction

Recent evidence suggests a possible role of artificial intelligence in procedural quality measurement for endoscopic submucosal dissection by artificial intelligence¹. Precise frame by frame differentiation of operational phases may allow for a deeper understanding of the procedure and open a wide range of possibilities from automated documentation to concise training support.

Aims & Methods

In this study, we aimed to develop an algorithm for frame by frame procedural phase recognition during ESD. To this end, a dataset (27 ESDs, 2071546 single frames) was annotated for the operational supra-phases diagnostics, marking, needle injection, dissection and bleeding. Furthermore, the subphases scope manipulation, injection and application of electrical current were annotated where appropriate. A training-subset (17 ESDs, 898440 single frames) was used to train a video swin transformer with uniform frame sampling to detect the classes. The trained algorithm was evaluated internally (6 ESDs, 769523 single frames) and on a separate dataset (4 ESDs, 403583 single frames).

Results

Overall F1 Scores for internal validation and validation on the separate dataset were 83% and 90%, respectively. True positive rates for diagnostics, marking, needle-injection, dissection and bleeding were 100%, 100%, 96%, 97% and 93%, respectively. Overall F1 score over all supra-phases was 94%, overall accuracy was 93%. True positive rates for scope manipulation, injection and application of electrical current were 92%, 98% and 91%, respectively. Overall F1 score for subphases was 91%, overall accuracy was 97%.

Conclusion

The trained algorithm classified full length ESD videos on a frame by frame basis for concise surgical phases with high accuracy. Future research will focus on the development of intraprocedural quality measures, as well as automated reporting.

References

1. Cao J, Yip HC, Chen Y, et al. Intelligent surgical workflow recognition for endoscopic submucosal dissection with real-time animal study. Nat Commun 2023;14:6676.

Disclosure

All authors declare no conflict of interest concerning this study.

Introduction

Treatment response in patients with severe erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (eGERD) is often inadequate using regular doses of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), thus necessitating escalation of dosing. High-dose PPIs improve compliance in such patients, leading to better outcomes. However, comparative data on effectiveness of high-dose PPIs is limited.

Aims & Methods

This interim analysis assessed symptomatic improvement of regurgitation in an ongoing, prospective, real-world, observational study to compare the effectiveness of rabeprazole 40mg to pantoprazole 80mg and omeprazole 40mg/esomeprazole 80mg. Adult patients with endoscopically confirmed severe eGERD were enrolled. Patients shifted from low-dose PPIs or started on high-dose PPIs were included; those with complications of GERD were excluded.

Results

A total of 260 patients (rabeprazole, 130; omeprazole/esomeprazole, 65; pantoprazole, 65) from 37 sites in India were analyzed. Although symptomatic improvement of diurnal and nocturnal regurgitation based on patient-reported severity scores was observed among the three arms after 4±1 weeks of treatment, the complete-resolution rate of diurnal regurgitation was significantly higher with rabeprazole (17.97%) compared to omeprazole/esomeprazole (5.08%; p=0.018) and higher than pantoprazole (8.20%; p=0.077). Similarly, complete resolution of nocturnal regurgitation was significantly higher with rabeprazole (14.06%) compared to omeprazole/esomeprazole (1.59%; p=0.007) and higher than pantoprazole (7.94%; p=0.221). Among patients with associated work-related stress (n=132), one-fifth in the rabeprazole arm experienced complete resolution of diurnal regurgitation compared to none in the omeprazole/esomeprazole (p=0.013) or pantoprazole (p=0.030) arms. Patients with lack of regular physical exercise (83.08%) exhibited higher rate of complete resolution of nocturnal regurgitation with rabeprazole (13.73%) compared to the other PPIs. Overall, elderly patients >60 years of age (mean±SD, 68.82±6.54 years) treated with rabeprazole showed significantly higher complete-resolution rates of diurnal regurgitation compared to pantoprazole (36.67% vs. 0%; p=0.003). For complete resolution of nocturnal regurgitation, rabeprazole proved to be significantly better when compared to omeprazole/esomeprazole (31.25% vs. 0%; p=0.015) in elderly patients (Table 1).

Conclusion

The interim results showed that rabeprazole led to significantly higher complete-resolution rates of diurnal and nocturnal regurgitation at 4±1 weeks of treatment than omeprazole/esomeprazole in adults with severe eGERD. In elderly patients, rabeprazole showed significant resolution over pantoprazole.

Disclosure

Study funded by: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., Hyderabad, Telangana, India

Introduction

Previous antibiotic use influences the antibiotic resistance of H. pylori. However, the specific impact of prior clarithromycin use on the success of eradication therapies remains unclear.

Aims & Methods

The objective of this study was to examine the association between prior macrolide (particularly clarithromycin) consumption in the general population and the effectiveness of H. pylori eradication regimens in treatment-naïve patients.
A retrospective, observational, multicentre, and ecological study was conducted. Multivariate logistic regression was performed with the modified intention-to-treat effectiveness as the main outcome. Key variables included first-line clarithromycin-based treatments, therapy duration (7, 10, 14 days), proton pump inhibitor dose (low, standard, high), compliance (>90%), and clarithromycin consumption (defined daily doses/1,000 inhabitants/day, from the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network). Nested hierarchical models incorporated macrolide consumption, matched by year and country, and assessed the interaction between consumption and first-line empirical treatments from the European Registry on H. pylori Management (Hp-EuReg).

Results

The study included 27,549 naïve patients from 23 countries with macrolide consumption data from 2013 to 2022. Higher macrolide consumption, within 0 to 8 years before treatment was associated with reduced treatment effectiveness. The eradication rate consistently decreased as macrolide consumption increased, particularly within the previous four years. The efficacy of triple-clarithromycin-metronidazole, triple-clarithromycin-amoxicillin, and some bismuth-quadruple therapies containing clarithromycin decreased with higher macrolide consumption. The eradication rate decreased from 93% to 82% when clarithromycin consumption occurred 2 years before treatment. Table 1 presents the effects of macrolide consumption delays (0 to 8 years) on treatment effectiveness for each evaluated regimen, revealing consistent patterns among triple therapies with amoxicillin or metronidazole plus clarithromycin, though some variation was observed for quadruple therapies.

Conclusion

Higher macrolide consumption in the general population negatively impacts the effectiveness of first-line H. pylori clarithromycin-containing eradication treatments, with the effect decreasing after 5 years of exposure.

Disclosure

Javier P. Gisbert has served as speaker, consultant, and advisory member for or has received research funding from: Mayoly, Allergan/Abbvie, Diasorin, Richen, Juvisé and Biocodex.
Olga P. Nyssen received research funding from: Mayoly, Allergan/Abbvie, Richen, Juvisé and Biocodex.

Introduction

In patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), total proctocolectomy with restorative ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is a definitive surgical treatment for refractory disease or colorectal dysplasia. A short rectal cuff is typically retained and anastomosed to the pouch, and may become inflamed over time, a condition referred to as cuffitis. The clinical relevance of cuffitis remain unexplored. In this study, we aimed to characterize the long-term disease course associated with histologic cuffitis.

Aims & Methods

Patients with UC who underwent total proctocolectomy and IPAA were prospectively followed in a comprehensive pouch clinic at a tertiary referral center for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We included all patients who underwent at least one pouch endoscopy with paired pouch and cuff biopsies between 2017 and 2024. Cuffitis was defined as a NANCY Index histologic score of 3-4, and pouchitis was defined as histologic subscore of PDAI³2. Outcomes assessed included documented inflammatory pouch flares, defined by clinical evaluation; antibiotics used due to pouch inflammation; and initiation of biologics. Associations were evaluated using Poisson regression to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and Fisher’s exact test for categorical comparisons.

Results

A total of 116 patients underwent 250 pouch endoscopies during the study period. Average age of the cohort was 50.4 (±14.9) and 59% were females. Histologic pouchitis was detected in 80 (68.9%), and cuffitis in 76 (65.5%) patients. Most patients had extensive disease prior to IPAA (n=105, 90.5%) and indication for surgery was refractory UC (n=94, 81.0%). Concurrent pouchitis and cuffitis were identified in 54 (46.5%) patients. Patients with histologic-proven cuffitis had a significantly higher incidence rate of subsequent disease flares(IRR 4.39, 95% CI: 2.26-9.86, p<0.001) and required more antibiotic courses (IRR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.11-3.62, p=0.027) compared to those who never developed cuffitis. These associations remained significant after adjusting for the presence of histologic pouchitis. No significant difference was observed in the initiation of biologics (p=0.81). Among patients with at least two endoscopies during follow-up and isolated cuffitis at baseline (n=61), 6 patients with isolated cuffitis further developed new-onset pouchitis, while 15 patients with isolated pouchitis subsequently developed cuffitis. The remaining 40 patients (65.5%) maintained the same inflammatory pattern over time.

Conclusion

Histologic-proven cuffitis is independently associated with adverse long-term outcomes in patients post-IPAA, including flares and repeated antibiotic use, even in the absence of pouchitis. The persistence of inflammation in the retained rectal cuff, representing a remnant of the previously diseased colonic mucosa, raises mechanistic questions about its potential role in modulating inflammatory activity of the pouch. These findings emphasize the clinical importance of evaluating the rectal cuff in patients post-IPAA. Routine histologic assessment of the cuff should be incorporated into post IPAA surveillance, and interventional studies are warranted to determine whether targeted treatment of cuffitis can mitigate pouch related morbidity.

Disclosure

Jacob E Ollech: Has received grant support from Pfizer, consulting fees from Takeda, and
speaker fees from Abbvie, Janssen, Pfizer, Takeda, Novartis, and Bristol Myers Squibb.
Iris Dotan: consultation fee or honorarium from: Abbott, Abbvie, Athos, Arena, Altman
Research, Cambridge Healthcare, Celltrion, Celgene/BMS, Eli-Lilly, Ferring, Falk Pharma, Food
Industries Organization, Gilead, Galapagos, Iterative Scopes, Integra Holdings, Janssen,
Neopharm, Pfizer, Rafa laboratories, Roche/Genentech, Sangamo, Sublimity, Sandoz, Takeda,
Wildbio. Grants: Altman Research, BMS, Pfizer