Efficient management of diarrhea in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Article Abstract:

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a disease that involves a defect in the immune system and results in infections by organisms that do not usually produce disease. This disease affects almost every organ in the body and has a very poor prognosis. Between 30 and 50 percent AIDS patients will develop a chronic, watery, nonbloody diarrhea that is associated with progressive weight loss and malnutrition. A recent study compared the efficacy and cost effectiveness of different methods of evaluating and treating diarrhea in AIDS patients. Three evaluation strategies were compared: a full evaluation costing $5,419 and involving the direct visualization and sampling of material from the colon; a limited evaluation costing $1,997 and involving blood tests and stool samples to detect microorganisms; and a minimal evaluation costing $1,700, and involving only a stool sample. Patients who did not receive a specific diagnosis were treated for their symptoms with the anti-diarrheal medicine diphenoxylate hydrochloride. Patients who received a specific diagnosis were treated with an appropriate antibiotic, which kills the responsible microorganism. In all three evaluation groups, almost 75 percent of the patients had remission from their diarrhea. The most cost effective strategy for managing AIDS-related diarrhea was the minimal evaluation which was inexpensive, easy to perform, and did not cause the patient any discomfort. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Care and treatment, Evaluation, Complications and side effects, Drug therapy, Diarrhea, AIDS (Disease)

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Prevention of colorectal cancer by flexible endoscopy and polypectomy: a case-control study of 32,702 veterans

Article Abstract:

People who have undergone endoscopic procedures of the colon and rectum may be less likely to develop colorectal cancer, as these procedures may have a protective effect against cancer. Researchers studied 8,722 colon cancer patients and 7,629 rectal cancer patients and compared them to similar patients who did not have colorectal cancer to determine the percentage of patients who had undergone endoscopic procedures. All patients were U.S. military veterans seen at Veterans Affairs' hospitals. Patients who did not develop colorectal cancer were 50% more likely than those who did develop colorectal cancer to have undergone endoscopic procedures. Endoscopy of the colon using flexible instruments may protect patients from developing colorectal cancer by detecting polyps for removal.

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Prevention of colorectal cancer by endoscopic polypectomy

Article Abstract:

Colon cancer may be prevented with the use of screening technologies that identify cancer-causing polyps for removal before progression to cancer. Colon cancer is the second cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. A national study showed that people who had polyps removed after screening were 76% to 90% less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who did not undergo such procedures. A study of military veterans cared for at Veterans Affairs hospitals showed that use of flexible endoscopy to identify polyps for removal may lower the risk of getting colorectal cancer by 50%. Such findings may validate for health care management the use of flexible endoscopy despite the increased costs it generates.

Health aspects, Editorial

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