Anemia is a common complication of inflammatory bowel diseases. An international working party has formed and developed guidelines for evaluation and treatment of anemia and iron deficiency that should serve practicing gastroenterologists. Within a total of 16 statements, recommendations are made regarding diagnostic measures to screen for iron- and other anemia-related deficiencies regarding the triggers for medical intervention, treatment goals, and appropriate therapies. Anemia is a common cause of hospitalization, prevents physicians from discharging hospitalized patients, and is one of the most frequent comorbid conditions in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. It therefore needs appropriate attention and specific care.

In patients with functional dyspepsia, scanning by a novel ultrasonographic method was carried out to investigate postprandial accommodation of the proximal stomach. Twenty patients with functional dyspepsia and 20 controls were scanned fasting in a sitting position after drinking 500 ml meat soup. Images were recorded up to 25 min after the ingestion period using an ultrasound sector scanner with a 3.25-MHz transducer. The area in a sagittal section and the maximal diameter in a oblique frontal section were chosen as the main variables for calculating the emptying fraction of the proximal stomach, defined as: (aV2.5min - aVactual/aV2.5min. All subjects were asked to score total symptoms (1-9) provoked by the meal. From 7.5 to 25 min after the ingestion period the patients exhibited both smaller area in the sagittal section (P < 0.018) and shorter diameter in the frontal section (P < 0.046) compared with the healthy controls, and they suffered more symptoms in response to the meal (P = 0.002). Dyspeptic patients revealed higher emptying fractions (P = 0.0005, ANOVA), and H. pylori status did not influence the emptying fractions. Diagnostic sensitivity of the method at 20 min postprandially was 70% and the specificity was 65%. Patients with functional dyspepsia have impaired accommodation of the proximal stomach to a meal, temporarily related to symptom induction.

Olafsdottir E, Aksnes L, Fluge G, Berstad A. Faecal calprotectin levels in infants with infantile colic, healthy infants, children with in ammatory bowel disease, children with recurrent abdominal pain and healthy children. Acta Paediatr 2002; 91: 45-50. Stockholm. ISSN 0803-5253 This study investigated faecal calprotectin concentration, a measure of intestinal in ammation, in infants and children with abdominal pain. Faecal calprotectin was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit in spot stool samples in 76 infants with typical infantile colic, 7 infants with transient lactose intolerance and 27 healthy infants. All infants were 2-10 wk of age. In addition, 19 children with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP; mean age 11.5 y), 17 with in ammatory bowel disease (IBD; mean age 11.1 y; 10 had Crohn's disease and 7 ulcerative colitis) and 24 healthy children (mean age 5.3 y) were studied. In infants with infantile colic the mean faecal calprotectin concentration was not different from that in healthy infants (278 § 105 vs 277 § 109 mg kg ¡1 , p = 0.97) or in infants with transient lactose intolerance (300.3 § 124 mg kg ¡ 1 , p = 0.60). The calprotectin level was similar in boys and girls and fell signi cantly with age (p = 0.04). Children with IBD had faecal calprotectin levels (293 § 218 mg kg ¡1 ) much higher than healthy children (40 § 28 mg kg ¡1 , p < 0.0001) and children with RAP without identi ed organic disease (18 § 24 mg kg ¡1 , p < 0.0001).Conclusion: Faecal calprotectin may differentiate between functional abdominal pain and IBD in school-aged children. In young infants high faecal calprotectin levels are normal.

Impaired gastric accommodation, hypersensitivity to distension and delayed gastric emptying are major pathophysiological mechanisms in functional dyspepsia (FD). Acotiamide (Z-338) was well-tolerated in healthy volunteers. To determine the effect of three doses of Acotiamide on major pathophysiological mechanisms, symptoms, quality of life (QOL) and safety in functional dyspeptics. A phase IIa, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (14, 21 and 28 days, respectively, for run-in, study drug administration and follow-up). Gastric accommodation, sensitivity to distension and gastric emptying were assessed by barostat and (13)C breath test, symptoms by daily diary cards and QOL by SF-36. A total of 71 patients were enrolled (62 evaluable). There was no effect on gastric emptying and sensitivity to distension. 300 mg was better than placebo for meal accommodation (P = 0.024). 100 mg was better than placebo at week 2 for upper abdominal bloating (P = 0.001) and overall symptom score (P = 0.022), and at week 3 for bloating (P = 0.008) and heartburn (P = 0.041). 100 mg was also better than placebo for QOL (physical function) (P = 0.003). Acotiamide was safe and well-tolerated in patients with FD. The involved mechanism could at least in part depend on an effect on meal-induced accommodation. 100 mg Acotiamide exhibited the potential to improve FD symptoms and QOL. Further studies are indicated.