Summary Background Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients receiving anti‐tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agents can help optimise outcomes. Consensus statements based on current evidence will help the development of treatment guidelines. Aim To develop evidence‐based consensus statements for TDM‐guided anti‐TNF therapy in IBD. Methods A committee of 25 Australian and international experts was assembled. The initial draft statements were produced following a systematic literature search. A modified Delphi technique was used with 3 iterations. Statements were modified according to anonymous voting and feedback at each iteration. Statements with 80% agreement without or with minor reservation were accepted. Results 22/24 statements met criteria for consensus. For anti‐TNF agents, TDM should be performed upon treatment failure, following successful induction, when contemplating a drug holiday and periodically in clinical remission only when results would change management. To achieve clinical remission in luminal IBD, infliximab and adalimumab trough concentrations in the range of 3‐8 and 5‐12 μg/mL, respectively, were deemed appropriate. The range may differ for different disease phenotypes or treatment endpoints—such as fistulising disease or to achieve mucosal healing. In treatment failure, TDM may identify mechanisms to guide subsequent decision‐making. In stable clinical response, TDM‐guided dosing may avoid future relapse. Data indicate drug‐tolerant anti‐drug antibody assays do not offer an advantage over drug‐sensitive assays. Further data are required prior to recommending TDM for non‐anti‐TNF biological agents. Conclusion Consensus statements support the role of TDM in optimising anti‐TNF agents to treat IBD, especially in situations of treatment failure.

Background: Post-liver-transplant biliary anastomotic strictures (ASs) are currently managed with repeated endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies (ERCPs) inserting multiple plastic stents. Fully covered self-expanding metal stents (FCSEMSs) are being increasingly reported in the management of this condition, however no prospective randomized trials have been performed to date. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine whether FCSEMSs decrease overall numbers of ERCPs needed to achieve stricture resolution and to establish the safety, efficacy and costeffectiveness in this setting. Methods: Two tertiary referral centres performed this open-label prospective randomized trial. A total of 32 patients consented and subsequently 20 were randomized with 10 in the FCSEMS arm and 10 in the plastic arm. The FCSEMS arm had the stent in situ for 12 weeks with the plastic stent arm undergoing 3-monthly multiple plastic stenting with or without dilatation over a year. Results: The median number of ERCPs performed per patient in the FCSEMS was 2 versus 4.5 (p = 0.0001) in the plastic stenting arm. Stricture resolution was achieved in all 10 patients with FCSEMSs compared with 8/10 in the plastic arm [p = not significant (NS)]. Complications occurred in 1/10 patients in the FCSEMS arm versus 5/10 in the plastic arm (p = 0.051). Days in hospital for complications was 6 in the FCSEMS versus 56 in the plastic arm (p = 0.11). Cost analysis shows that the FCSEMS arm was more cost effective. No cases of FCSEMS migration were seen. Conclusions: FCSEMSs reduced the number of ERCPs needed to achieve stricture resolution with similar recurrence rates between arms. The FCSEMSs may do so with fewer complications making it cost effective.

Endoscopic severity is associated with a worse outcome in ASC. When the UCEIS is ≥7 on admission, almost all patients will need treatment with infliximab or ciclosporin beyond steroids. This may mark a threshold for an early decision to use infliximab or ciclosporin.

SUMMARY BackgroundAcute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is a potentially life-threatening complication of ulcerative colitis.

Hyoscine butylbromide administered at the cecum aids polyp detection. Further studies are required to determine the contribution of colonic spasm to polyp miss rates.