#FGBlog – making waves: water exchange vs hybrid approach in colonoscopy

Water-aided colonoscopy is rapidly becoming more widely adopted by lower gastrointestinal endoscopists, and has previously been shown to increase patient comfort, adenoma detection rate and bowel cleanliness, albeit potentially at the cost of increased insertion time [1]. Two main variations in technique exist. Water exchange (WE) involves only using water to distend the bowel and […]

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#FGBlog: #FGBlog: How can we support patients with advanced chronic liver disease better in our units?

Deaths from advanced chronic liver disease are increasing over the past 50 years1. Regardless of what type of gastroenterologist you are, you can probably think of a case of a patient with advanced chronic liver disease who has died. You may even have reflected on whether the circumstances could have been different if only we […]

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#FGBlog: Measuring disability in IBD, and its predictive value in treatment decisions

The importance of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is now widely appreciated. Despite this, only relatively recently were PROMs routinely incorporated into clinical trials as outcomes. Current tools available include the IBD questionnaire (IBDQ) for measuring health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and IBD-control for measuring patients’ perspective of disease control. […]

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#FGBlog: Dedicated Barrett’s oesophagus surveillance lists: the future for better dysplasia detection?

Getting surveillance for Barrett’s oesophagus (BO) right is critical for early detection and prevention of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. When identified early, Barrett’s can be treated effectively with minimally invasive endoscopic techniques. Despite clear national guidelines on when and how to perform surveillance for BO, adherence to these guidelines is variable. In the most recent edition of […]

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A new approach to coeliac disease diagnosis?

It is well-established that UK endoscopy services are under pressure, with post-Covid waiting lists pushing demand to an all-time high.1 Whilst a no-biopsy approach has been advocated in the diagnosis of coeliac disease (CD) in children since 2012, British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines issued in 2014 still advise four duodenal biopsies for the diagnosis […]

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A potential new role for faecal calprotectin in monitoring biliary tract disease

Most gastroenterologists have long been familiar with faecal calprotectin (fCal), and it is widely used as a non-invasive test both to screen for the presence of inflammation in those with lower GI symptoms, and to quantitatively monitor disease activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Calprotectin is a member of the S100 protein family found […]

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