1. 6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) often can be used when patients are intolerant of azathioprine. S Hubener et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016; 14: 445-53.  This retrospective study showed that 15 of 20 patients with autoimmune hepatitis and prior azathioprine intolerance responded to 6-MP.  This is somewhat unexpected as azathioprine is metabolized into 6-MP.  However, rather than 6-thiouracil, the “imidazol component of azathioprine, which is cleaved off…might trigger adverse reactions.”  Another artical on thiopurines (Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2016; 43: 863-883) (thanks to Ben God for this reference) provides a thorough review of the pharmacogenetics and pharmocokinetics of these medications.  While this review reinforces the recommendation to check TPMT before treatment, it notes that only a small proportion of thiopurine toxicity is related to deficient TPMT activity.
2. There is no formal validated or consensus definitions of mild, moderate, or severe IBD. L Peyrin-Biroulet et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016; 14: 348-54.  While the Lemann index measures the cumulative structural bowel disease, the authors propose criteria which involves three areas of severity: impact of the disease on the patient (eg. clinical symptoms), inflammatory burden (eg. biomarkers, mucosal disease, disease extent), and disease course (eg. structural disease, intestinal resection, perianal disease, extraintestinal manifestations)
3. Fundic gland polyps (often associated with proton pump inhibitor therapy) are not premalignant lesions. There is an “inverse correlation between the FGPs and gastric neoplasia.” S Varghese et al. Gastroenterol Hepatol; 2016; 12: 153-4.
4. Parents of newborns do not know how to use car seats.  BD Hoffman et al (J Pediatr 2016; 171: 48-54) showed that 95% of car seats were misused (291 families).  Serious misuse was present in 91%.

Related blog posts: Lemann index: Short Takes on IBD Articles | gutsandgrowth

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