Ulcerative colitis is an idiopathic, chronic, inflammatory bowel disorder characterized by an unpredictable course of alternating cycles of relapse and remission. Traditionally viewed as a disease of Western countries, the prevalence of ulcerative colitis is reported to be increasing in the developing world. In these regions, there is the potential to further explore the etiology of the disease, mainly through genetic studies. With this in mind, we consider available data relating to the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and disease course of ulcerative colitis in Africa and the Middle East. Current treatment approaches in these countries are also reviewed and discussed in the context of new, small molecule, orally administered therapies. Areas covered: Available data on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and risk factors of ulcerative colitis in Africa and the Middle East are reviewed using a PubMed database search. Expert commentary: Epidemiologic studies from African and Middle Eastern countries suggest disease trends similar to the West, and an important health and economic burden. The management of ulcerative colitis within these developing countries is challenging, with the need to improve early diagnosis, access to healthcare, and patient education, along with facilitation of access to treatment options and improvement of medication adherence.

We examine the impact of key variables on the likelihood of inpatient poor bowel preparation for colonoscopy. Records of inpatients that underwent colonoscopy at our institution between January 2010 and December 2011 were retrospectively extracted. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to assess the effect of clinical variables on the odds of poor preparation. Tested predictors included age; gender; use of narcotics; heavy medication burden; comorbidities; history of previous abdominal surgery; neurological disorder; product used for bowel preparation, whether or not the bowel regimen was given as split or standard dose; and time of endoscopy. Overall, 244 patients were assessed including 83 (34.0%, 95% CI: 28.1–39.9%) with poor bowel preparation. Cecal intubation was achieved in 81.1% of patients (95% CI: 76.2–86.0%). When stratified by quality of bowel preparation, cecal intubation was achieved in only 65.9% (95% CI: 60.0–71.9%) of patients with poor bowel preparation and 89.9% (95% CI: 86.1–93.7%) of patient with good bowel preparation. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, only advancing age was an independent predictor of poor bowel preparation (OR = 1.026, CI: 1.006 to 1.045, and p = 0.008). Age is the only independent predictor of poor bowel preparation amongst hospitalized patients.

The management of patients with non variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding has evolved, as have its causes and prognosis, over the past 20 years. The addition of high-quality data coupled to the publication of authoritative national and international guidelines have helped define current-day standards of care. This review highlights the relevant clinical evidence and consensus recommendations that will hopefully result in promoting the effective dissemination and knowledge translation of important information in the management of patients afflicted with this common entity.

Background. The mortality from nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding is still around 5%, despite the increased use of protonpump inhibitors and the advancement of endoscopic therapeutic modalities. Aim. To review the state-of-the-art management of acute non variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding from the presentation to the emergency department, risk stratification, endoscopic hemostasis, and postendoscopic consolidation management to reduce the risk of recurrent bleeding from peptic ulcers. Methods. A PubMed search was performed using the following key words acute management, non variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and bleeding peptic ulcers. Results. Risk stratifying patients with acute non variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding allows the categorization into low risk versus high risk of rebleeding, subsequently safely discharging low risk patients early from the emergency department, while achieving adequate hemostasis in high-risk lesions followed by continuous proton-pump inhibitors for 72 hours. Dual endoscopic therapy still remains the recommended choice in controlling bleeding from peptic ulcers despite the emergence of new endoscopic modalities such as the hemostatic powder. Conclusion. The management of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding involves adequate resuscitation, preendoscopic risk assessment, endoscopic hemostasis, and post endoscopic pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in single- or split-dose regimens for colonoscopy bowel preparation. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, endoscopist blinded, single-center study, that included adult patients who underwent colonoscopy during the period from December 2017 to October 2018. Two groups were enrolled in the same period: One group used 4 L of PEG (Nulytely) in a single-dose preparation, administered a day before the procedure, and the other group received a split-dose regimen of 2 L PEG (Nulytely), given a day before the procedure and 2 L on the day of the procedure in the early morning. The Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) was used for bowel preparation adequacy; scales 0 and 1 were considered inadequate, and scales 2 and 3 were considered adequate preparation. Results: Two hundred and forty patients were enrolled, 120 (50%) using the split-dose regimen and 120 (50%) using the single-dose regimen, for bowel preparation. Males constituted 51.6% of the study cohort. In the single-dose group, 62.5% achieved adequate bowel preparation compared to 89.2% in the split-dose group (p< 0.001). In addition, polyp detection in the split-dose group was 23.3% in comparison to 10.8% in the single-dose group ( P = 0.016). We also found hypertension and diabetes as significant predictors of bowel preparation inadequacy, while sex and age were not related to bowel preparation adequacy. Conclusions: Split-dose bowel preparation for colonoscopy with PEG (Nulytely) is better than routine single-dose, in terms of adequate bowel preparation and polyp detection.