Stelara’s Rapid Benefit in UC; GI Bleeding and COVID; Colon Cleanser Chaser

Ustekinumab (Stelara) in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis improved symptoms in as little as 7 days, a post hoc analysis of the UNIFI trial found. (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology)

Endoscopic fine needle biopsy outperformed bite-on-bite biopsy in diagnostic yield and safety for patients with subepithelial lesions. (Digestive and Liver Disease)

Incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding in COVID-19 patients was similar to the general population, with melena as the most common presentation, and esophagitis, ulcers, colitis, and gastritis as the most common endoscopic findings. (Gastro Hep Advances)

Real-world data from Italy showed the impact of COVID-19 on pediatric endoscopy practices, with “drastic” reductions in procedures for suspected functional gastrointestinal disorders or celiac disease, as well as reductions in diagnostic endoscopies for suspected inflammatory bowel disease and the assessment of mucosal healing. (Digestive and Liver Disease)

Management of acute cholecystitis, which affects roughly 200,000 people in the U.S. each year, gets a comprehensive review in JAMA.

High social vulnerability was linked to a higher risk for postoperative complications following colorectal surgery, but the effect appeared to be mediated by certain perioperative/intraoperative risk factors. (The American Journal of Surgery)

Compared to the general population, the risk for small bowel adenocarcinomas was eight times higher in people with Crohn’s disease and twice as high in those with ulcerative colitis, a population-based study from Norway and Sweden found; both groups also had about a twofold greater risk for neuroendocrine tumors. (Annals of Oncology)

A former elections administrator in Texas pleaded guilty to spiking her employees’ drinks with colon cleanser. (KETK)