Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Jun 14, 2012; 18(22): 2859-2866
Published online Jun 14, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i22.2859
Double balloon enteroscopy in the old: Experience from China
Qiong He, Qiang Zhang, Jian-Dong Li, Ya-Dong Wang, Tian-Mo Wan, Zhen-Yu Chen, De-Shou Pan, Jian-Qun Cai, Si-De Liu, Bing Xiao, Ya-Li Zhang, Bo Jiang, Yang Bai, Fa-Chao Zhi
Qiong He, Qiang Zhang, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China
Jian-Dong Li, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China
Ya-Dong Wang, Tian-Mo Wan, Zhen-Yu Chen, De-Shou Pan, Jian-Qun Cai, Si-De Liu, Bing Xiao, Ya-Li Zhang, Bo Jiang, Yang Bai, Fa-Chao Zhi, Department of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: He Q and Zhang Q performed this study; He Q wrote the paper; Li JD participated in data analysis; endoscopic procedures were performed by Wang YD, Wan TM, Chen ZY, Pan DS, Cai JQ, Liu SD, Xiao B, ZhangYL, Jiang B, Bai Y and Zhi FC; and Zhi FC and Bai Y designed the study.
Correspondence to: Fa-Chao Zhi, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China. zfc@fimmu.com
Telephone: +86-20-61641532 Fax: +86-20-61641532
Received: November 28, 2011
Revised: February 20, 2012
Accepted: March 9, 2012
Published online: June 14, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and management of double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) carried out in those aged individuals with suspicious small intestine diseases.

METHODS: DBE is a wonderful invention of the past decade and is widely used as an examination tool for the gastrointestinal tract. From January 2003 to July 2011, data from patients who were ≥ 65 years old and underwent DBE examination in the Nanfang Hospital were included in a retrospective analysis.

RESULTS: Fifty-nine individuals were found and subsequently analyzed. The mean age was 69.63 ± 3.89 years (range 65-84), 34 were males. Indications for DBE were melena/hematochezia (36 cases), abdominal pain (15 cases), diarrhea (3 cases), stool change (1 case), weight loss (1 case), vomiting (2 cases), and debilitation (1 case). The average duration of symptoms was 33.34 ± 64.24 mo. Twenty-seven patients suffered from age-related diseases. Severe complications were not found during and after DBE. Comparison between systolic and diastolic blood pressure before and after DBE was statistically significant (mean ± SD, P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively). Small bowel pathologies were found by DBE in 35 patients, definite diagnoses were made in 31 cases, and detection rate and diagnostic yield for DBE were 68.6% and 60.8%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: DBE is a safe and effective method for gastrointestinal examination in the aged population. Aging alone is not a risk factor for elderly patients with suspicious gastrointestinal diseases and thorough preparation prior to the DBE procedure should be made for individuals with multiple diseases especially cardiopulmonary disorders.

Keywords: Double balloon enteroscopy; Capsule endoscopy; Small bowel diseases; Multiple systematic diseases