C-reactive protein at 24 hours after hospital admission may have relevant prognostic accuracy in acute pancreatitis: a retrospective cohort study

Introduction: C-reactive protein (CRP) and Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) have been used in early risk assessment of patients with AP. Objectives: We evaluated prognostic accuracy of CRP at 24 hours after hospital admission (CRP24) for in-hospital mortality (IM) in AP individually and with BISAP. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 134 patients with AP from a Portuguese hospital in 2009---2010. Prognostic accuracy assessment used area under receiver---operating characteristic curve (AUC), continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results: Thirteen percent of patients had severe AP, 26% developed pancreatic necrosis, and 7% died during index hospital stay. AUCs for CRP24 and BISAP individually were 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65---0.95) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.59---0.95), respectively. No patients with CRP24 <60 mg/l died (P = 0.027; negative predictive value 100% (95% CI 92.3---100%)). AUC for BISAP plus CRP24 was 0.81 (95% CI 0.65---0.97). Change in NRI nonevents (42.4%; 95% CI, 24.9---59.9%) resulted in positive overall NRI (31.3%; 95% CI, − 36.4% to 98.9%), but IDI nonevents was negligible (0.004; 95% CI, − 0.007 to 0.014). Conclusions: CRP24 revealed good prognostic accuracy for IM in AP; its main role may be the selection of lowest risk patients.

Can red cell distribution width be used as a marker of Crohn's disease activity?

Introduction: Recently, it has been suggested an association between red cell distribution width (RDW) and Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI), but its use is not yet performed in daily clinical practice. Objectives: To determine whether RDW can be used as a marker of Crohn’s disease (CD) activity. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including patients with CD, observed consecutively in an outpatient setting between January 1st and September 30th 2013. Blood cell indices, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein were measured. CD activity was determined by CDAI (active disease if CDAI ≥ 150). Associations were analyzed using logistic regression (SPSS version 20). Results: 119 patients (56% female) were included in the study with a mean age of 47 years (SD 15.2). Twenty patients (17%) had active disease. The median RDW was 14.0 (13---15). There was an association between RDW and disease activity (p = 0.044). After adjustment for age and gender, this association remained consistent (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03---1.39, p = 0.016). It was also found that the association between RDW and disease activity was independent of hemoglobin and ESR (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.08---1.72, p = 0.01) and of biologic therapy (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03---1.37, p = 0.017). A RDW cutoff of 16% had a specificity and negative predictive value for CDAI ≥ 150 of 88% and 86%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, RDW proved to be an independent and relatively specific marker of CD activity. These results may contribute to the implementation of this simple parameter, in clinical practice, aiming to help therapeutic decisions.

Abordagem terapêutica do polipo maligno

A designação de polipo maligno significa a presença de um adenoma com um foco de carcinoma que invade a submucosa (carcinoma invasivo). Este tempo é habitualmente utilizado quando um polipo que foi ressecado por via endoscópica, se vem a comprovar, após exame histológico, conter carcinoma invasivo. A incidência de polipos malignos, removidos endoscopicamente, é em média de 4,7% (0,2-9,4%). O risco de malignidade está associado à dimensão, localização e configuração histológica. A abordagem terapêutica dum polipo maligno varia entre uma atitude conservadora, considerando a polipectomia tratamento adequado e suficiente e uma atitude cirúrgica de ressecção complementar, no caso contrário. A ressecção cirúrgica deverá tomar em conta os riscos potenciais de carcinoma residual e/ ou metastático da lesão excisada em comparação com o risco potencial, em termos de mobilidade e mortalidade, do próprio acto cirúrgico. A ressecção endoscópica de um polipo maligno pediculado, constitui habitualmente tratamento curativo, desde que esteja assegurada a sua excisão completa, com uma margem livre de ressecção e que o carcinoma não seja pouco diferenciado ou indiferenciado (grau III) e não exista invasão linfática ou vascular. O risco de doença metastática nesta situação é de 0,3%. Um polipo maligno sessil ressecado endoscopicamente possui maior risco de metastização (1,5%), mesmo com critérios histológicos favoráveis. A ressecção cirúrgica complementar deverá ser contemplada, em doentes cujo risco cirúrgico seja inferior ao risco de metastização. Cada caso deverá ser considerado individualmente, devendo a abordagem terapêutica ser devidamente ponderada pelos médicos intervenientes (gastrenterologista, anatomopatologista, cirurgião), em função dos riscos e beneficio de eventual ressecção cirúrgica complementar, após discussão com o doente e/ ou seus familiares.