View clinical trials related to Digestive System Diseases.
Filter by:The Evolution® Biliary Stent System Clinical Study is a clinical trial on a commercially available device to gather physician experience with the Cook Evolution® Biliary Stent System for the palliation of cancer in the biliary tree. Patients will be treated as per usual medical practices.
Patients with fat malabsorption due to Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or other causes including cystic fibrosis, among others, or who have undergone gastric bypass have increased incidence of vitamin D deficiency relative to the general population. Given that vitamin D is fat soluble and absorbed in the proximal small intestine, it has been documented that vitamin D deficiency in people with a fat malabsorption syndrome is due to decreased absorption of vitamin D. The amount of vitamin D produced from winter sunlight (in Boston, MA) and dietary sources will negligibly raise blood vitamin D levels in these patients, and oral vitamin D supplementation may have limited efficacy due to malabsorption. A variety of UV light sources have been developed and sold as in-home tanning devices and to produce vitamin D in reptiles. The efficacy of correcting vitamin D deficiency by the skin exposure to an artificial source of UVB radiation in patients with fat malabsorption syndromes (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or cystic fibrosis) or after gastric bypass surgery has not been studied. The investigators have conducted a pilot study in healthy adults that demonstrated that exposure to the lamp raised the blood level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D with no side effects. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the FDA approved artificial source of ultraviolet (UVB) radiation (Sperti® lamp) in improving vitamin D status in patients with fat malabsorption syndromes and patients who have undergone roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.
Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is the most common food allergy in early childhood, with an estimated incidence ranging between 2% and 3% in infants and marginally lower in older children. It has been demonstrated that it could be a risk factor for the development of the functional gastrointestinal disorders in children. Intestinal microflora has been indicated as potential target for the management of CMA and FGDIs through the use of probiotics. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is the most studied probiotic. Recently, it has been demonstrated that an extensively hydrolyzed casein formula remains hypoallergenic following the addition of LGG, satisfying both the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines. Lactobacillus GG exerts several benefits when added to an extensively hydrolyzed casein formula (Nutramigen LGG), including decreased severity of atopic dermatitis, improved recovery of intestinal symptoms in infants with CMA-induced allergic colitis, and faster induction of tolerance in infants with CMA. The mechanisms of these effects are multiple and exerted at different levels: epithelium, immune system and enteric nervous system. Studies and meta-analyses showed that LGG increases treatment success in children with functional gastrointestinal disorders.
The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of 5g of Daikenchuto (TU-100) three times per day (Daikenchuto [TU-100] is a botanical agent that modulates gastrointestinal nerves), and placebo on rectal sensation (sensation ratings of urgency to defecate and sensation threshold for pain) in response to rectal balloon distension by barostat in patients with IBS.
The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine is conducting a research study on Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), a common condition in North America. It is a long term, recurring gastrointestinal disorder that is estimated to affect 30% of the general population. IBS is characterized by abdominal pain and cramps, and bowel dysfunction such as diarrhea and bloating. The medicines that are currently used to help people with IBS are not as effective as we would like them to be. These medicines are usually only prescribed to reduce the pain of IBS and not actually treat the disorder itself. Recently, scientists have found that probiotics (beneficial bacteria that live inside humans) may help reduce the painful symptoms and diarrhea that are part of IBS. This research is being conducted to determine whether this particular combination of three probiotic bacteria (named Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium longum) will reduce the symptoms of severe IBS.
Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, like many other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, may be associated with discomfort. Although upper endoscopy is usually of shorter duration and better tolerated by patients, most trials investigating the influence of analgesia and sedation have been performed on patients undergoing this procedure. Some patients may tolerate colonoscopy without sedation, but various techniques are used to limit discomfort and pain. Selection and dosing of sedatives depends on the patient's emotional state, the intensity of pain during examination, foreseeable technical difficulties, the endoscopist's experience, the presence or absence of anesthesia personnel, and hospital-specific procedures. Conscious sedation is a popular technique for colonoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. The combination of an opioid and a benzodiazepine is known to provide good analgesic and sedative conditions during endoscopy. This combination of opioid and benzodiazepine, however, also increases the risk of respiratory depression. Therefore, pharmacologic agents which may provide adequate sedation without respiratory depression are of great interest to clinicians. Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist with sedative and analgesic effects. Compared with clonidine, it is more selective for the α 2 adrenoceptor and acts as a full agonist in most pharmacologic test models. Potentially desirable properties include decreased requirements for other anesthetics and analgesics, a diminished sympathetic response to stress and the potential for cardioprotective effects against myocardial ischemia. When compared with conventional sedatives such as opioids or benzodiazepines, its lack of respiration depression is a distinct advantage. Previous studies using dexmedetomidine for sedation has been promising with maintenance of respiratory function. Patients are readily arousable. With intravenous slow bolus administration, there is a minimal increase in blood pressure initially, followed by a slight decrease in blood pressure. Lower dose ranges, avoidance of rapid bolus injection, and a slow rate of administration tend to decrease these circulatory side effects. Many clinical studies have shown that it can be well and safely used intravenously, intramuscularly and transdermally. Although not an officially technique, there are also reports of intranasal administration resulting in fairly predictable onset in both adults and children.
The purpose of the study is to treat patients with on-going slow stomach emptying(gastroesophageal reflux disease), who have failed to respond to standard therapy
Endoscopic sedation requires titration of propofol to deep sedation without minimum overshoot into general anesthesia. This skill is demanding and acquired slowly. Probability Ramp Control (PRC) simplifies this by providing the clinician with a simple infusion sequence that permits gradual titration of propofol. The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of this technology to that of experienced anesthesia providers in endoscopic sedation.
The purpose of this multicenter imaging sub study is to evaluate the biodistribution and organ pharmacokinetics of 89Zr-MMOT0530A in patients with unresectable pancreatic or platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. MMOT0530A is a monoclonal antibody that targets an antigen overexpressed in pancreatic and ovarian cancer. Subsequent to imaging with 89Zr-MMOT0530A, patients will be treated with DMOT4039A in the DMO4993g protocol (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT01469793) after this study. DMOT4039A is an antibody-drug conjugate composed of the monoclonal antibody MMOT0530A and the mitotic agent monomethyl auristatin (MMAE). By imaging patients with the monoclonal antibody MMOT0530A before treatment, the correlation between tumor uptake of 89Zr-MMOT0530A and response to DMOT4039A therapy will be assessed.
The purpose of this study is to establish a reliable method for detection of rectal cancer patients with aggressive tumor at risk of metastatic disease and death by functional MRI.