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Background Inflammatory bowel diseases are chronic conditions characterized by incapacitating symptoms, which can compromise patient’s quality of life and social interaction. As social media use is continuously increasing and Facebook is one of the most accessed social media worldwide, this study aimed to evaluate the use of Facebook and identify clinical and psychological factors associated with addiction and compensatory use among patients. Methods This case-control study enrolled 100 outpatients and 100 healthy individuals, who were classified into the patient and control groups, respectively. Facebook use was evaluated using the questionnaire Psycho-Social Aspects of Facebook Use (PSAFU). The IBD Questionnaire and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used to measure Health-related quality of life. Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; self-esteem, using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale. Results The patient group included 54 patients with Crohn’s disease and 46 with ulcerative colitis. Facebook use was similar between the patient and control groups in all evaluated aspects (p=0.21). In the patient and the control groups, the compensatory use of Facebook was directly related to the symptoms of depression (patients: R = 0.22; p = 0.03; controls: R = 0.34; p = 0.0006) and inversely related to self-esteem scale (patients: R = −0.27; p = 0.006; controls: R = −0.37; p = 0.0001). Facebook addiction showed an inverse correlation with self-esteem (patients: R = −0.32; p = 0.001; controls: R = −0.24; p = 0.02) and quality of life (patients: IBDQ score, R = −0.30; p = 0.003; controls: SF-36 score, R = −0.29; p = 0.004). Conclusion The use of Facebook was not different between study groups. Psychological aspects such as depression and low self-esteem were associated with the compensatory use of Facebook in both groups, which may be related to unsatisfactory personal aspects of social interaction.

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic diseases that demand continuous interaction between patients and healthcare providers. Quality of care (QoC) is a factor that contributes to a patient’s adherence to treatment and its success. AIM To evaluate QoC in patients from a single IBD reference center. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 133 patients from a single Brazilian IBD public health center. QoC was evaluated through the QoC Through the Eyes of Patients with IBD (QUOTE-IBD) questionnaire (based on patient perspectives), which measures eight dimensions of care. We compared QoC among patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and analyzed the clinical and psychological factors associated with QoC satisfaction. Clinical evaluations assessed disease characteristics, quality of life, anxiety, and depression levels. RESULTS Sixty-nine patients with Crohn’s disease and 64 with ulcerative colitis were interviewed. The mean age was 37.26 years ± 13.05 years, and 63.91% of the patients were women. The mean duration of the disease was 8.44 years ± 7.59 years, where most patients were in remission (70.31% of patients with ulcerative colitis and 62.32% with Crohn’s disease). The total QoC score of the sample was 8.61 years ± 1.31 points, indicating that the QoC provided by the center was unsatisfactory. According to univariate logistic regression, patients with Crohn’s disease had higher satisfaction rates than those with ulcerative colitis [odds ratio (OR): 2.746; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.360-5.541; P = 0.0048] and patients on infliximab (OR: 2.175; 95%CI: 1.037-4.562; P = 0.0398). CONCLUSION Patients from the IBD public center reported good doctor-patient relationships, but had problems related to the healthcare structure. Evaluation of healthcare centers is of paramount to improve QoC for the patients involved.

Background Brazil has shown an increase in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) cases. GEDIIB (Brazilian Organization of Crohn's Disease and Colitis) established a data platform to create a national registry of IBD patients. The study aimed to characterize the profile of IBD patients and identify clinical factors associated with IBD severity. Methods A cohort study was conducted between Jul/20 and Aug/22. Data obtained from medical records and/or directly from patients were registered via REDCap. Local institutional review boards approved the study protocol. We designed a population-based risk model aimed at stratifying severe disease based on one or more outcome variables: previous hospitalization, surgery, and biologics. Univariate and bivariate analyses and Poisson modeling were used. Results A total of 1,179 patients were included: 600 (51%) with ulcerative colitis (UC), 568 (48%) with Crohn's Disease (CD), and 11 (0.9%) with indeterminate colitis. The mean age was 34.4±14.7y, 59% female, 73% Caucasian, and 85.3% non-smoker. Regarding the initial symptoms, 42% presented diarrhea, 38% abdominal pain, and 20% weight loss. The age of IBD symptom onset ranged from 1-87 years (32.3±14.4). According to the Montreal classification of CD, A1: 5%, A2: 63%, A3: 32%; L1: 29.7%, L2: 14.3%, L3: 41.2%, B1: 32%, B2: 26.7%, B3: 11.3%; perianal 15.5%. In UC, 46.3% presented pancolitis and 30% left-sided colitis. Only 3.9% were malnourished, 30.9% were overweight, and 18% were obese. The main extraintestinal manifestations were rheumatologic (21%). Regarding medical treatment, 68.1% of the patients received biologics (45% Infliximab, 29% Adalimumab, 9.7% Vedolizumab, and 8.8% Ustekinumab), 67% salicylates, 47.6% immunosuppressors, and 0.8% Tofacitinib. Of those submitted to surgery (34.1%, n=439), 54% were elective versus 46% urgent; most procedures (80%) were open/laparotomy, while 20% were laparoscopic. Of those, 8.5% were colectomy. The presence of CD, pancolitis, the absence of (isolated) proctitis, younger age (<20 years), rheumatologic manifestations, and no history of smoking were found to be independent risk factors. Conclusion This is the first epidemiological study using the national patient registry organized by GEDIIB. The profile of patients with severe disease is consistent with the data in the literature, characterized by younger age, greater extent of disease, and extraintestinal manifestations. Further epidemiological studies should be encouraged to guide national policies aimed at the early diagnosis and treatment of IBD.

Despite some variability in ideal serum Adalimumab (ADA) concentrations, there is increasing evidence that higher concentrations of anti-TNF-α agents can be associated with sustained efficacy, and low or undetectable levels may lead to loss of response. This study aims to correlate serum ADA concentrations with clinical and endoscopic activity in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD). A cross-sectional and multicentric study was performed with patients with CD, who used ADA for at least 24 weeks. Patients were allocated into groups according to the presence of clinical or endoscopic disease activity. Serum ADA concentrations were measured and compared between groups. Overall, 89 patients were included. A total of 27 patients had clinically active CD and 62 were in clinical remission. Forty patients had endoscopic disease activity and 49 were in endoscopic remission. The mean serum ADA concentration was 10.2 μg/mL in patients with clinically active CD and 14.3 μg/mL in patients in clinical remission (p = 0.395). The mean serum ADA concentration in patients with endoscopic activity was 11.3 μg/mL as compared to 14.5 μg/mL in those with endoscopic remission (p = 0.566). There was no difference between serum ADA concentrations regarding clinical or endoscopic activity in CD, as compared to patients in remission