Chronic intestinal failure and short bowel syndrome in Crohn’s disease

Chronic intestinal failure(CIF)is a rare but feared complication of Crohn’s disease.Depending on the remaining length of the small intestine,the affected intestinal segment,and the residual bowel function,CIF can result in a wide spectrum of symptoms,from single micronutrient malabsorption to complete intestinal failure.Management of CIF has improved significantly in recent years.Advances in home-based parenteral nutrition,in particular,have translated into increased survival and improved quality of life.Nevertheless,60%of patients are permanently reliant on parenteral nutrition.Encouraging results with new drugs such as teduglutide have added a new dimension to CIF therapy.The outcomes of patients with CIF could be greatly improved by more effective prevention,understanding,and treatment.In complex cases,the care of patients with CIF requires a multidisciplinary approach involving not only physicians but also dietitians and nurses to provide optimal intestinal rehabilitation,nutritional support,and an improved quality of life.Here,we summarize current literature on CIF and short bowel syndrome,encompassing epidemiology,pathophysiology,and advances in surgical and medical management,and elucidate advances in the understanding and therapy of CIF-related complications such as catheter-related bloodstream infections and intestinal failure-associated liver disease.

Glucagon-like peptide-2 analogues for Crohn’s disease patients with short bowel syndrome and intestinal failure

Short bowel syndrome(SBS)with intestinal failure(IF)is a rare but severe complication of Crohn’s disease(CD),which is the most frequent benign condition that leads to SBS after repeated surgical resections,even in the era of biologics and small molecules.Glucagon-like peptide-2 analogues have been deeply studied recently for the treatment of SBS-IF.These drugs have a significant intestinotrophic effect and the potential to reduce the chronic dependence of SBSIF patients on parenteral support or nutrition.Teduglutide has been approved for the treatment of SBS-IF,and apraglutide is currently in clinical development.The use of these drugs was examined with a focus on their use in CD patients.

Fish oil-based lipid emulsion:current updates on a promising novel therapy for the management of parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease

Intestinal failure is characterized by loss of enteral function to absorb necessary nutrients and water to sustain life.Parenteral nutrition(PN)is a lifesaving therapeutic modality for patients with intestinal failure.Lifelong PN is also needed for patients who have short bowel syndrome due to extensive resection or a dysmotility disorder with malabsorption.However,prolonged PN is associated with short-term and long-term complications.Parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease(PNALD)is one of the long-termcomplications associated with the use of an intravenous lipid emulsion to prevent essential fatty acid deficiency in these patients.PNALD affects 30–60%of the adult population on long-term PN.Further,PNALD is one of the indications for isolated liver or combined liver and intestinal transplantation.There is no consensus on how to manage PNALD,but fish oil-based lipid emulsion(FOBLE)has been suggested to play an important role both in its prevention and reversal.There is significant improvement in liver function in those who received FOBLE as lipid supplement compared with those who received soy-based lipid emulsion.Studies have also demonstrated that FOBLE reverses hepatic steatosis and reduces markers of inflammation in patients on long-term PN.Future prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to further strengthen the positive role of FOBLE in PNALD.