A total of 530 patients was reviewed six months after laparoscopic sterilisation by diathermy (235 patients) or silastic bands (295 patients). In the immediate postoperative period severe lower abdominal pain was more common in the patients who had silastic bands. There was one failure with diathermy and two with silastic bands. There were no differences in the nature or incidence of menstrual problems
To assess how consultant gynaecologists working in Scotland achieve a pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic procedures.
An anonymous postal questionnaire.
All consultants working in obstetrics and gynaecology in Scotland.
Questionnaire analysis.
There was a 92% response rate to the questionnaire. Of the respondents, 94.8% performed closed laparoscopy, one (0.8%) performed only open laparoscopy, and six (4.4%) employed both open and closed techniques. The majority worked with the patient in the lithotomy with Trendelenburg position. The commonest entry point, used by 88 respondents, was subumbilical. To create the pneumoperitoneum 94 respondents used 2–2.5 L of gas. Six used pressure measurement and eight used tension to gauge the pneumoperitoneum prior to trocar insertion.
The majority of consultants working in Scotland practise a closed laparoscopy entry technique.
Introduction
Thiopurine (azathioprine and 6 –Mercaptopurine (6MP)) use is one of the aetiologies for abnormal liver function tests in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Some studies report hepatotoxicity is associated with high levels of the 6-MP metabolite, 6-methylmercaptopurine ribonucleotide (6-MMPR). This may indicate that hepatotoxicity correlates with the level of thiopurine methyl transferase enzyme (TPMT) activity. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of 6-MP/Azathioprine hepatotoxicity in a large cohort of IBD patients and to determine its correlation with serum TPMT levels in adult IBD patients.
Methods
Patients with IBD initiated on thiopurines following TPMT assay were included and follow up data collected on development of abnormal liver function tests. We excluded patients who had abnormal LTs before initiation of AZT. We used Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) definitions to determine the grade of hepatic alterations : “Abnormality of LTs” defined as an increase in AST, ALT, AP, GGT, or total bilirubin between N (upper limit of the normal range) and 2 N. “Liver injury” (or “hepatotoxicity”) defined as an increase of over 2 N in the aforementioned LTs. Data was collected on demographic factors, concomitant medication use and additional factors favouring liver injury. TPMT levels were categorised as low, normal and high based on local laboratory reference standards.
Results
Abstract PWE-088 Table
TPMT levels
Total
Low
Normal
High
Normal liver function
27 (8.7%)
184 (59.2%)
5 (1.6%)
216 (69.5%)
Abnormal liver function
11 (3.5%)
55 (17.7%)
0
66 (21.2%)
Liver toxicity
2 (0.6%)
27 (8.7%)
0
29 (9.3%)
Total
40 (12.9%)
266(85.5%)
5 (1.6%)
311 IBD patients (249 Crohn’s disease, 53 ulcerative colitis and 9 undifferentiated) were included. The median age was 35 years (range, 14–86 years). Abnormal LTs developed in 66 (21.2%) of patients. Hepatotoxicity was noted in 29 (9.3%) of patients with 18 of these patients (6%) needing to stop thiopurines. None of the patients with high TPMT developed abnormal LTs or hepatotoxicity. 27 of the 29 patients with hepatotoxicity had normal TPMT levels and remaining 2 had low TPMT levels.
Conclusion
Abnormal liver tests following initiation of thioprines occur in a relatively high proportion of patients, but the development of hepatotoxicity necessitating treatment cessation occurs only in 6% of cases even in the era of concomitant anti-TNF therapy. Pre treatment TPMT levels do not appear to have an impact on the probability of development of hepatotoxicity.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared.
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