We have identified a number of risk factors for incomplete CE procedures that can be used to risk-stratify patients and guide interventions to improve completion rates.

Due to the high diagnostic yield and noninvasive nature of CE, repeat CE appears to be of benefit and should be considered for specific patients before other types of small bowel studies.

(Anesth Analg. 2015;121:988–991) Thrombocytopenia, defined as a platelet count <100,000/mm3 in this study, is a relative contraindication to neuraxial analgesia because of the unknown risk of hematoma. Although the risk of hematoma might outweigh the benefits of neuraxial anesthesia, withholding neuraxial anesthesia may result in suboptimal pain management and increased risk of general anesthesia-associated maternal morbidity. Consequently, the authors of the present study evaluated risk estimates of spinal-epidural hematoma after neuraxial anesthesia and of general anesthesia-associated complications in thrombocytopenic parturients. The primary goal was to determine a precise platelet threshold for withholding neuraxial anesthesia in thrombocytopenic parturients.

With the present system of performing only emergency cases on the weekend, Monday tends to have more add-on cases. Consistent with the fact that upper gastrointestinal bleeding is the most common emergency condition, EGD is more common in add-on cases than with elective cases. Although speculative, the reasons for Friday having fewer add-on cases may be the result of a change of physician on call that day; consequently, most cases may be performed earlier in the week. For unknown reasons, fewer cases tend to be added on in September than in the other months evaluated. These data demonstrate that even in the same institution with similar patients, variability in the number of add-on cases likely is a result of many additional factors governing add-on cases, which require appropriate resource planning to ensure adequate allocation of services to ensure ideal patient care.