Digestive System
Online Learning Platform

Scores of 8-14 represent Hazardous or Harmful range. In those cases, the recommendation is to explain to the patient that they may be drinking too much on occasions, and the likely negative impact the alcohol can cause as it is carcinogenic, can help developing cardiovascular disease, can cause dependence and can put you or others at risk.

Any  score of 15 or above associates high risk (drinking could cause harm and it is important a clear determination to cut down or stop alcohol). Any score of 20 or above indicates likely dependence and needs referral to specialist and supervised detoxification

Audit C score has 3 questions and if score is 5 or more, should prompt the full AUDIT of 10 questions.  Most questions ask about the past year alcohol habits. In a full AUDIT , any 15 or above represents high risk of alcohol dependence.

Number 3 is correct but not universal. A standard drink in US contains 14g, 10g in many EU countries and 8g in the UK. EASL advices to standardise to 10g (1 unit) but this is down to the individual countries. https://auditscreen.org/

They recommend dual therapy in bleeding ulcers- Forrest Ia, Ib -(except selected cases of big excavated vascular ulcers that can be considered straight for cap-mounted clip).   In Forrest IIa (non bleeding vessel) they recommend thermal therapy, mechanical therapy, or injection of a sclerosing agent, each as monotherapy or in combination with epinephrine injection

DOI: 10.1055/a-1369-5274

Endoscopy 2021; 53(03): 300 - 332

Check guidelines 

Alcohol intake is a strong and well-established risk factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), but the association with esophageal adenocarcinoma  or adjacent tumors of the esophagogastric junction (EGJA), is not clear.

There is evidence of dietary factors being protective against both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell.  This seems to have a protective effect in both, and probably reduces obesity which is a known  risk factor for adenocarcinoma

Chronic GERD can lead to Barrett´s oesophagus which is a factor for adenocarcinoma, but not for SCC.

High compsumption of hot beverages have been linked to SCC, not adenoca.

Interestingly, Mate te (very common in Argentina) seems to have a increased risk for SCC.

It is not 2 times higher, it is actually > 10 times higher!!

This is the reason ADR is probably  the most important surrogate marker of a good  quality colonoscopy, (others are bowel preparation, caecal intubation and withdrawal time) and we need to maintain ADR  at least >20%

Based on the KSGE (Korean society of GI endoscopy) 2021 guidelines : Repeat EUS-guided acquisition provides a conclusive diagnosis in the majority of cases with indeterminate cytopathological diagnoses and, therefore, should be strongly recommended ahead of other modalities, such as biopsy under computed tomography-guidance or diagnostic surgical exploration.

Also common sense will tell us repeating EUS is the less invasive option and has high chances of being successful in tissue adquisition. If persisting negative/inconclusive material, MDT re-discussion should take place and possibly surgical team should speak to the patient regarding risks and benefits of  laparoscopic examination or even proceeding to pancreatectomy -the incidence of benign disease among patients undergoing pancreatic resection for suspicion of malignancy is extremely variable, ranging  from roughly 4-13% , but in some series has been reported up to 35%.

Andexanet is factor Xa inhibitor which is approved to reverse Rivaroxaban and Apixaban. However, it has not being proved to be efficacious against Edoxaban. Dabigatran is  a direct thrombin (factor IIa) inhibitor, not a Xa inhibitor.

This is likely a lower GI bleed, however, the fact that is so abrupt and has caused   haemorrhagic shock makes us wonder if he is not having a severe upper GI bleed – frail patient taking clopidogrel - Severe upper GI bleed sometimes can be so brisk and profuse that blood travels the intestine fast wihtout being digested, so patient passes per rectum red bright blood instead of black melaena. (Blood is laxative too) As many as 10–15% of patients suspected initially to have lower GI bleed are ultimately found to have an UGI source.

Once OGD is done and clear, the next step should be depending on the clinical and hemodinamic status. Either prepare the patient for colonoscopy/ video capsule (If clinically stable)  or repeat CT angio (If clinically worse)-->If bleeding point is located and there is no access to IR (interventional radiology) the surgeons may want to proceed with exploration and colectomy but this is the last resource as obviously this is an elderly patient with cardiovascular factors (Clopidogrel) whose surgery would be high risk of mortality and morbidity.