Gastroenterology

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Making good decisions requires that physicians have reliable and practical data. Comparative effectiveness reviews and objective findings on different medical interventions and strategies, as provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in its Effective Health Care Program, can help physicians make the most informed choices among treatment options.

LATEST ARTICLES

Effective Health Care Clinician Guides

FDA approves first biologic treatment for children with ulcerative colitis

FDA has approved infliximab (Remicade, Janssen Biotech) for the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in pediatric patients older than 6 years who have had an inadequate response to conventional therapy.

Searching for celiac disease: Whom to test and how to test

Celiac disease is one of the most common chronic disorders of mankind and affects 0.5% to 1% of the general population in many countries.

Routine use of acid-suppressive medication outside ICU questioned

Prophylactic acid suppression is not appropriate for most hospital patients who are not being treated in intensive care, according to researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston.

Physician's Focus: Surgery as Early Intervention in Morbid Obesity

Bariatric surgery has been shown to be more effective than traditional weight loss methods at reducing body mass index and the severity of comorbid conditions with acceptable risk for severely obese patients. Current research suggests possible benefits in expanding the eligibility parameters beyond BMIs greater than 35 with comorbidities or greater than 40 with or without comorbidities. To increase your knowledge of the procedures and gain confidence in suggesting them as an option, visit ModernMedicine's Morbid Obesity Resource Center. This Resource Center offers brief instructional videos from doctors at Columbia University Medical Center, clinical articles on the procedures and management of surgical candidates, a downloadable assessment checklist you can use right away, as well as a CME opportunity. From the archives of ModernMedicine comes an article of the role of the PCP in bariatric procedures plus a patient handout.