In the News

Oral anticoagulants, NSAIDs don't appear to affect FIT accuracy

Researchers in the Netherlands performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that compared fecal immunochemical test (FIT) results in average-risk patients who were taking oral anticoagulants or aspirin/NSAIDs versus those who were not taking the drugs.

Higher circulating vitamin D level associated with lower colorectal cancer risk

Participants who had circulating vitamin D levels under 30 nmol/L had a 31% higher risk of colorectal cancer compared to those with levels between 50 and 62.5 nmol/L.

MKSAP quiz: Long-term refractory constipation

This month's quiz asks readers to determine the most appropriate management for a 36-year-old woman with a 12-year history of refractory constipation that began after a difficult childbirth.

CDC tracking hepatitis A outbreaks

The CDC received more than 2,500 reports of hepatitis A infections associated with person-to-person transmission from multiple states from January 2017 to April 2018.

Spotlight on albumin in cirrhosis

An open-label randomized trial looked at long-term albumin administration in patients with decompensated disease, and another evaluated the use of IV albumin in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis and hyponatremia at admission.

Drug cleared to treat moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis

It is the first oral medication to be approved for chronic use in this population.

More patient deaths associated with intragastric balloon weight-loss systems

Clinicians should closely monitor patients with intragastric balloons for complications and explain symptoms that could be signs of serious or life-threatening problems, the FDA advised.

Guideline recommends colorectal cancer screening starting at age 45

Adults should be screened with either a high-sensitivity stool-based test or a structural (visual) examination, depending on patient preference and test availability, the guideline said.

H2 blockers prevented clinically important GI bleeding better than PPIs in ICU patients

The retrospective study included 70,093 ICU patients who had at least one risk factor for stress ulcers and therefore had received a proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) or histamine H2-receptor antagonist (H2 blocker) for three or more days.