Browsing by Author "Absah, Imad"

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    Celiac disease in North America: What is the current practice of pediatric gastroenterology providers?
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2024-05-27) Singh, Arunjot; Silvester, Jocelyn; Turner, Justine; Absah, Imad; Sparks, Brandon A.; Walsh, Catharine M.; Bracken, Julia M.; Stanisz, Joanna; Hajjat, Temara; Badalyan, Vahe; Chugh, Ankur; Hoffenberg, Edward J.; Dowhaniuk, Jenna K.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Objectives: While guidelines exist for the diagnosis and management of pediatric celiac disease (CeD), current practices in North America are not well-described. This study aimed to explore current practice patterns to identify gaps and direct future clinical, training and research initiatives. Methods: A 23-item survey designed by the Celiac Disease Special Interest Group was distributed electronically to its members. Questions explored four themes: (1) screening and diagnosis pre and post the coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic, (2) treatment and monitoring, (3) family screening and transition of care, and (4) CeD focused training. Results: The survey response rate was 10.8% (278/2552). Most respondents were from the United States (89.9%, n = 250) and Canada (8.6%, n = 24). While endoscopy remained the gold standard, serology-based diagnosis was accepted by 47.5% (132/278). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 37.4% of providers changed their diagnostic practice. Barriers to care included: lack of insurance coverage for dietitians, wait times, and lack of CeD focused training. During fellowship 69.1% (192/278) reported no focused CeD training. Conclusion: Survey results revealed practice variation regarding the diagnosis and management of CeD in North America including a substantial proportion accepting non-biopsy, serology-based diagnosis, which increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Variations in screening, diagnosis, interval surveillance, and family screening were also identified. Dedicated CeD education in pediatric gastroenterology fellowship may be an opportunity for standardizing practice and advancing research. Future North American guidelines should take current care patterns into consideration and develop new initiatives to improve care of children with CeD.
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    Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Is Highly Effective in Real-World Practice: Initial Results From the FMT National Registry
    (Elsevier, 2021-01) Kelly, Colleen R.; Yen, Eugene F.; Grinspan, Ari M.; Kahn, Stacy A.; Atreja, Ashish; Lewis, James D.; Moore, Thomas A.; Rubin, David T.; Kim, Alison M.; Serra, Sonya; Nersesova, Yanina; Fredell, Lydia; Hunsicker, Dea; McDonald, Daniel; Knight, Rob; Allegretti, Jessica R.; Pekow, Joel; Absah, Imad; Hsu, Ronald; Vincent, Jennifer; Khanna, Sahil; Tangen, Lyn; Crawford, Carl V.; Mattar, Mark C.; Chen, Lea Ann; Fischer, Monika; Arsenescu, Razvan I.; Feuerstadt, Paul; Goldstein, Jonathan; Kerman, David; Ehrlich, Adam C.; Wu, Gary D.; Laine, Loren; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Background & Aims Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is used commonly for treatment of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs), although prospective safety data are limited and real-world FMT practice and outcomes are not well described. The FMT National Registry was designed to assess FMT methods and both safety and effectiveness outcomes from North American FMT providers. Methods Patients undergoing FMT in clinical practices across North America were eligible. Participating investigators enter de-identified data into an online platform, including FMT protocol, baseline patient characteristics, CDI cure and recurrence, and short and long-term safety outcomes. Results Of the first 259 participants enrolled at 20 sites, 222 had completed short-term follow-up at 1 month and 123 had follow-up to 6 months; 171 (66%) were female. All FMTs were done for CDI and 249 (96%) used an unknown donor (eg, stool bank). One-month cure occurred in 200 patients (90%); of these, 197 (98%) received only 1 FMT. Among 112 patients with initial cure who were followed to 6 months, 4 (4%) had CDI recurrence. Severe symptoms reported within 1-month of FMT included diarrhea (n = 5 [2%]) and abdominal pain (n = 4 [2%]); 3 patients (1%) had hospitalizations possibly related to FMT. At 6 months, new diagnoses of irritable bowel syndrome were made in 2 patients (1%) and inflammatory bowel disease in 2 patients (1%). Conclusions This prospective real-world study demonstrated high effectiveness of FMT for CDI with a good safety profile. Assessment of new conditions at long-term follow-up is planned as this registry grows and will be important for determining the full safety profile of FMT.