Gut
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Treatment of pain in chronic pancreatitis by inhibition of pancreatic secretion with octreotide.
It has been suggested that pancreatic ductal hypertension, secondary to pancreatic outflow obstruction, is a cause of pain in chronic pancreatitis. This study investigated the effect of inhibiting pancreatic secretion with octreotide in chronic pancreatitis pain. Ten patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis and severe daily pain were included in an intraindividual double blind crossover study. ⋯ Pain score (29.6 (4.5) v 28.7 (5.8)) and consumption of analgesics were no different during the octreotide and placebo periods. It is concluded that short term inhibition of pancreatic secretion does not result in pain relief in patients with chronic pancreatitis. This finding is in contrast with the hypothesis that outflow obstruction of pancreatic secretion with consequent ductal hypertension is an important cause of severe persistent pain in chronic pancreatitis.
-
The impairment of formation and maintenance of a formed fibrin clot contributes to the prolonged bleeding and high incidence of rebleeding in upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. To investigate the basis for the use of drug therapy in gastric bleeding, this study used thrombelastography to determine the effects of pharmacological manipulation of gastric juice on coagulation and fibrinolysis. The thrombelastograph is a mechanical device that provides a visual assessment of all stages of coagulation and fibrinolysis. ⋯ Sucralfate, and to a lesser extent aprotinin significantly inhibited fibrinolysis but exacerbated the detrimental effect of gastric juice on the parameters of coagulation. Alkalisation of gastric juice reduces the adverse effect on coagulation and fibrinolysis. Tranexamic acid, aprotinin, and sucralfate can all reduce or inhibit clot lysis, but the adverse effects on clot formation may outweigh any potential benefit in the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding.
-
Comparative Study
Relation between gastric emptying rate and energy intake in children compared with adults.
Measurement of gastric emptying rate of solids in children is difficult because the available methods are either invasive or induce a substantial radiation burden. In this study the newly developed 13C octanoic acid breath test was used to examine the gastric emptying rate of solids and milk in healthy children and to compare gastric emptying in children and adults. Fifteen healthy children and three groups of nine healthy adults were studied, using three different test meals labelled with 50 mg of 13C octanoic acid: a low caloric pancake (150 kcal), a high caloric pancake (250 kcal), and 210 ml of milk (134 kcal). ⋯ The milk test meal, however, was emptied at a faster rate in adults and at slower rate in children compared with the low caloric solid test meal. Moreover, the emptying rate of milk in children was significantly slower than in adults. In conclusion, a similar gastric emptying rate of solids but a slower emptying of full cream milk was shown in children of school age compared with adults, using the non-radioactive 13C octanoic acid breath test.