Childhood Obesity: It is NOT Getting Better

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A recent study (AC Skinner et al. Pediatrics 2018; 141: e20173459) examined obesity prevalence data in children 2-19 years of age from a nationally representative sample (n=3340).  Specifically, the authors used NHANES data from 1999-2016. Thanks to John Pohl’s twitter feed for pointing out this reference.

PDF Link: Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity in US Children, 1999-2016

This article is packed with data and breaks down obesity in categories: overweight, class I obesity, class II obesity & class III obesity.  It provides data based on gender, age, and ethnicity.

The trend in obesity prevalence is best captured in Figure 1.

Among girls:

  • In 1999-2000: class I obesity noted in 14.6% –>17.8% in 2015-16
  • In 1999-2000: class II obesity noted in 4.0% –>5.2% in 2015-16
  • In 1999-2000: class III obesity noted in 0.9% –>1.8% in 2015-16

Among boys:

  • In 1999-2000: class I obesity noted in 14.7% –>19.1% in 2015-16
  • In 1999-2000: class II obesity noted in 4.1% –>6.7% in 2015-16
  • In 1999-2000: class II obesity noted in 1.0% –>2.0% in 2015-16

My take: This article indicates that the prevalence of childhood obesity in the U.S. is not improving and does not appear to have leveled off as has been suggested by some studies.

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Tanyard Creek Park

 

Autoimmune Hepatitis Associated with Anti-TNF Therapy

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A recent study (A Ricciuto et al. J Pediatr 2018; 194: 128-35) identified an index case of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) associated with anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy and reviewed liver biochemistries in a cohort of 659 children.

Key findings:

  • In the index case, features of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) on liver biopsy were noted 23 weeks after starting infliximab.   These findings resolved entirely within 4 months after withdrawal of infliximab
  • Overall, 7.7% of cohort had elevations of ALT while receiving anti-TNF therapy.  Most were mild and attributable to other causes than drug toxicity. No other cases of AIH were identified.

The authors recommend a careful investigation in those with elevations >2-3 times ULN which persists >3 months. Livertox (NIH) website notes the following for infliximab:

“The liver injury caused by infliximab is usually mild and rapidly reversed once therapy is stopped.  However, fatal instances of HBV reactivation and induction of autoimmune hepatitis due to infliximab have been reported, and regular monitoring of patients early during the course of infliximab is recommended.”

My take: Serious liver injury related to anti-TNF therapy is rare. A great place to understand the spectrum of liver problems potentially related to infliximab is the livertox website:

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AIH:

Views from inside Hoover Dam, including Mike O’Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge

Mechanisms in Fatty Liver Disease Improved After Bariatric Surgery

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A recent prospective study (V Nobili et al. J Pediatr 2018; 194: 100-8) consecutively enrolled 20 severely obese adolescents with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The authors used liver histology, immunohistochemistry and cytokine analysis to assess the changes (after 12 months) induced by bariatric surgery with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG).

Key findings:

  • NAFLD Activity Score and fibrosis improved after LSG. Steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, and NAS score showed a significant improvement (Z=-2.7; P=.007) at 12 months following surgery. Fibrosis improvement (Z=-2.449) was noted as well.
  • The histologic improvement “is associated with activation of local cellular compartments (hepatic progenitor cells, hepatic stellate cells, and macrophages), thus, strengthening the role of cellular interactions and hepatic adipocytokine production in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.”

This study has a large number of figures illustrating the changes in liver architecture and immunohistochemistry changes.

My take: This study shows specific improvements following LSG and shows correlation with cytokines and immunohistochemistry providing a mechanistic explanation for these improvements.

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2018 Pediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Clinical Practice Guidelines

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Full text: NASPGHAN Pediatric Gastroesophageal Reflux Clinical Practice Guidelines (R Rosen et al. JPGN 2018; 66: 516-54)

This is a lengthy report with ~50 recommendations/302 references –many with several subrecommendations. I will highlight a few below. Tables 2 defines “red flags” that suggest the need for additional diagnostic tests and Table 3 provides a lengthy differential diagnosis (=everything).

R Rosen et al. JPGN 2018; 66: 516-54

The article reviews several frequent clinical diagnostic/management issues and provides two algorithms with suggested evaluation/treatment for infants and older children.  The older child algorithm (algorithm 2) suggests referral to GI if not improved with acid suppression or unable to wean after course of treatment.  For pediatric GI physicians, this algorithm suggests use of endoscopy if persistent symptoms on PPI or inability to stop PPI; pH-MII or pH-metry recommended if normal-appearing endoscopy.

Key point:

  • For infants: “if excessive irritability and pain is the single manifestation, it is unlikely to be related to GERD.”

Some of the Recommendations -My Top Ten:

  • 3.5 We suggest not to use esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy to diagnose GERD in infants and children.
  • 3.13 We suggest not to use a trial of PPIs as a diagnostic test for GERD in infants.
  • 3.14 We suggest a 4 to 8 week trial of PPIs for typical symptoms (heartburn, retrosternal or epigastric pain) in children as a diagnostic test for GERD
  • 3.15 We suggest not to use a trial of PPIs as a diagnostic test for GERD in patients presenting with extraesophageal symptoms.
  • 5.1 We suggest not to use antacids/alginates for chronic treatment of infants and children with GERD.
  • 5.4 We recommend not to use H2RA or PPI for the treatment of crying/distress in otherwise healthy infants.
  • 5.5 We recommend not to use H2RA or PPI for the treatment of visible regurgitation in otherwise healthy infants
  • 5.7 We suggest not to use H2RAs or PPIs in patients with extraesophageal symptoms (ie, cough, wheezing, asthma), except in the presence of typical GERD symptoms and/or diagnostic testing suggestive of GERD.
  • 5.10 We suggest to consider the use of baclofen prior to surgery in children in whom other pharmacological treatments have failed.
  • 6.4 We suggest to consider the use of transpyloric/jejunal feedings in the treatment of infants and children with GERD refractory to optimal treatment as an alternative of fundoplication.

My take: This is an excellent updated summary of current best clinical practices for evaluation/management of pediatric GERD.

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Disclaimer: These blog posts are for educational purposes only. Specific dosing of medications/diets (along with potential adverse effects) should be confirmed by prescribing physician/nutritionist.  This content is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a condition.

 

Note full text link available online identified in Google Search

Isopropyl Alcohol -Antiemetic Aromatherapy

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April MD et al. Aromatherapy versus oral ondansetron for antiemetic therapy among adult emergency department patients: A randomized controlled trial. Ann Emerg Med 2018 Feb 17; [e-pub]. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.01.016) Thanks to Ann Beach for this reference.

Review/excerpt of this study from NEJM Journal Watch: by Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH.

In the current trial, 120 adult ED patients with nausea or vomiting who did not require intravenous access were randomized to inhaled isopropyl alcohol plus 4 mg oral ondansetron; inhaled isopropyl alcohol plus oral placebo; or inhaled saline plus 4 mg oral ondansetron. Isopropyl alcohol was provided in the form of a standard alcohol swab. Patients received a single dose of the oral intervention but could sniff alcohol or saline swabs repeatedly. Nausea was measured on a 100-mm visual analog scale at baseline and 30 minutes.

Mean nausea scores decreased by 30 mm in the alcohol/ondansetron group, 32 mm in the alcohol/placebo group, and 9 mm in the saline/ondansetron group. Rescue antiemetic therapy was given to 28%, 25%, and 45% of each group, respectively. Differences between alcohol and saline groups were statistically significant. Patients in the inhaled alcohol groups also had better nausea control at the time of discharge and reported higher satisfaction with nausea treatment. No adverse events occurred. The mechanism of action is currently unknown.

Dr. Pallin’s comments on study:

It is uncommon for us to assign a rating of “Practice Changing” to a small, single-center study, but these results are truly remarkable and are consistent with prior research. For patients not obviously requiring IV therapy, we should treat nausea with repeated inhalations from an isopropyl alcohol swab instead of administering any other drug. And, although this study provides no direct evidence of benefit to patients who do require IV therapy, there would seem to be little downside to trying this simple and safe intervention in that group, too.

My take: Who is doing the pediatric study to try to replicate these results in the pediatric population?

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Foggy Morning in Sandy Springs

How to Cultivate Clostridium difficile Infections

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The emergence of more frequent and virulent Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) has generally been attributed to antibiotic usage.  A recent study (J Collins et al Nature 553, 291–4.  doi:10.1038/nature25178) suggests that changes in our diet are a contributing factor as well.

From Abstract:

Here we show that two epidemic ribotypes (RT027 and RT078) have acquired unique mechanisms to metabolize low concentrations of the disaccharide trehalose. RT027 strains contain a single point mutation in the trehalose repressor that increases the sensitivity of this ribotype to trehalose by more than 500-fold. Furthermore, dietary trehalose increases the virulence of a RT027 strain in a mouse model of infection. RT078 strains acquired a cluster of four genes involved in trehalose metabolism, including a PTS permease that is both necessary and sufficient for growth on low concentrations of trehalose. We propose that the implementation of trehalose as a food additive into the human diet, shortly before the emergence of these two epidemic lineages, helped select for their emergence and contributed to hypervirulence.

From GI & Hepatology News: Food additive makes C difficile more virulent: “Prior to 2000, trehalose was limited by a relatively high cost of production.”  However, with innovations in production, trehalose concentrations in food increased, particularly in ice cream, pasta, and ground beef; “concentration in food skyrocketed form around 2% to 11.25%.”  In addition, the FDA in 2000 noted that trehalose as “generally recognized as safe.”

My take: “On the basis of these observations, we propose that the widespread adoption and use of the disaccharide trehalose in the human diet has played a significant role in the emergence of these epidemic and hypervirulent strains,” Dr. Collins and his colleagues wrote in Nature.

Flower Display in Las Vegas Hotel

March for Our Lives

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Today there is a “March for Our Lives”

Some relevant tweets:

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For the Next Upper GI Bleed, Azithromycin?

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Earlier this week, I was tasked with helping a teenager with an upper GI bleed.  I was surprised to learn that our hospital did not have IV erythromycin available due to a shortage.  A potential alternative is azithromycin.

The following is a 2017 ACG abstract (D Issa et al): A Comparison of Azithromycin to Erythromycin Infusions in Improving Visualization of Endoscopy for Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Introduction: Several studies show the use of intravenous erythromycin prior to upper endoscopy for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) improves visualization and decreases the need for second look endoscopy. Erythromycin requires reconstitution delaying administration in emergency procedures. Azithromycin is more readily available as it is part of pneumonia treatment protocols and does not require reconstitution. Physiologic studies show azithromycin produces motility effects similar to that of erythromycin.

Aim: To assess the effect of azithromycin in improving the quality of endoscopic visualization in upper GIB compared to erythromycin.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients admitted with acute upper GIB who underwent emergent endoscopy and were ordered either erythromycin or azithromycin before procedure. Primary outcome of the quality of visualization was assessed by two gastroenterologists, blinded to the choice of infusion, using a scoring system ranging from 0 to 8 with a maximum of 2 points assigned to each of the fundus, body, antrum and bulb. Secondary outcomes included time elapsed between administering the infusion and starting the procedure, length of hospital stay, blood transfusions, and procedure-related complications.

Results: The study included 31 patients in the erythromycin group and 18 patients in the azithromycin group. Mean age was 57 years and 68% were male. The overall median visualization score was significantly higher in the azithromycin group compared to that of the erythromycin group {7.0 (1.5) vs. 6.0 (3.0), respectively; P=0.02}. Time between administration of azithromycin and starting the procedure was longer than that of erythromycin but did not meet statistical significance (67 vs 48.5 minutes, respectively; P = 0.92). Length of hospital stay was comparable between the two groups after adjusting for the admission primary diagnosis (6.0 days for azithromycin vs. 7.0 days for erythromycin; P=0.48). Four patients were ordered erythromycin but this was not administered on time whereas all patient who were ordered azithromycin started the infusion prior to the procedure. Procedure immediate complications, need for second look endoscopy and number of transfused blood units did not differ between the groups.

Discussion: Azithromycin infusion before endoscopy for upper GIB was associated with better visualization than that of erythromycin, the current standard of care. Randomized trials are needed to validate these findings.

Here is a link to a summary from Gastro and Endoscopy News: Azithromycin Appears Worthy Stand-In For Erythromycin in Upper GI Bleeding

There have been prior publications showing that azithromycin, like erythromycin, has prokinetic properties: Broad J, Sanger GJ. The antibiotic azithromycin is a motilin receptor agonist in human stomach: comparison with erythromycin. Br J Pharmacol. 2013 Apr;168(8):1859-67.

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Disclaimer: These blog posts are for educational purposes only. Specific dosing of medications/diets (along with potential adverse effects) should be confirmed by prescribing physician/nutritionist.  This content is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare provider. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a condition.

Motility in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

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Briefly noted: D Kraus et al J Pediatr 2018; 194: 238-40.  This study of 7 young adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD_ showed normal gastrointestinal motility using a wireless motility capsule (WMC).  The study findings are limited by the small sample size and a selection bias of enrolling only patients capable of swallowing a WMC. This study, however, is important as it supports the notion of ‘enteric muscle sparing’ in DMD.

Related blog post: Don’t Let the Chief of Staff Review This Study

Chattahoochee River

IBD Shorts -March 2018

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T Piester et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2018; 24: 227-34.  Stanford group published data on 49 patients which highlight the utility of a point of care (mobile) infliximab (IFX) dosing calculator: http://med.stanford.edu/gastroenterology/infliximab-calc/  In their cohort, the IFX calculator recommendations were for IFX dosing escalations in 13% of the 222 calculations.  Overall, the IFX calculator was part of a larger quality initiative (QI) to achieve therapeutic drug levels >5 mcg/mL which occurred in 81% during the QI period.

JC deBruyn et al. JPGN 2018; 66: 268-77. This was a retrospective review of infliximab (IFX) in pediatric Crohn’s disease with 180 children. The authors determined that IFX had good therapeutic durability with 91% remaining on IFX after 2 years of treatment.

FS Macaluso et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2018; 24: 394-401. In this 2-year study, among 630 patients, 46 had a modestly-dosed immunomodulator added to anti-TNF therapy due to loss of response (31 to IFX or biosimilar, 10 with adalimumab, and 5 with golimumab).  This resulted in a steroid-free remission in 15 (32.6%) and a clinical response in 6 (13.0%). The immunomodulators were azathioprine in 15, 6-mercaptopurine in 5, methotrexate in 20, and mycophenolate mofetil in 6. The median doses for immunomodulators were 1.64 mg/kg/day, 0.84 mg/kg/day, 15.6 mg/week, and 1500 mg/day respectively.

C Reenaers et al. Clin Gastroenter Hepatol 2018; 16: 234-43. This retrospective study examined 7-year outcomes from a STORI cohort of 115 adults with Crohn’s disease (CD) with combination therapy who had infliximab withdrawal after achieving sustained remission. Among those restarting infliximab, treatment failed in 30.1%; 70.2% “had no failure of de-escalation strategy.” Major complicatins occurred in 18.5% of patients. Risk factors for failure included anemia (Hgb <12.5), increased white blood cell count >5.0, and upper GI location of CD.

VM Merrick et al. JPGN 2018; 66: 274-80.  This UK “real-life” review of 37 centers and 524 patients (429 with Crohn’s disease) found a remarkably poor rate of documentation.  They could determine the remission rates in only 71 of these patients (65% 46 of 71).  Thus, in the real-world, presumably in adults and children, most institutions do not know their remission rates.  While the determination of remission still relies on imperfect measures, the centers who participate in ImproveCareNow have high documentation rates –this is also a real-world experience as more than 29,000 patients and more than 900 pediatric GI doctors participate.