Clinical practice guidelines are critical to reducing physician variation and providing high-quality patient care. In 2015, AGA issued six clinical practice guidelines, all published in Gastroenterology, offering current, evidence-based point-of-care recommendations to guide physicians at the bedside.
To view all of AGA’s clinical practice guidelines, as well as accompanying clinical decision support tools and patient guideline summaries, visit www.gastro.org/guidelines.
1. Medical Management of Microscopic Colitis (November 2015): In patients with symptomatic microscopic colitis, AGA recommends first-line treatment with budesonide for induction and, when appropriate, maintenance therapy.
2. Management of Acute Diverticulitis (October 2015): This guideline suggests that antibiotics be used selectively, rather than routinely, in patients with acute diverticulitis.
3. Role of Upper GI Biopsy to Evaluate Dyspepsia in the Adult Patient in the Absence of Visible Mucosal Lesions (August 2015): AGA recommends against obtaining endoscopic biopsy of a normal-appearing esophagus in patients with dyspepsia, regardless of immune status, providing evidence that this alone would have no added value.
4. Diagnosis and Management of Lynch Syndrome (July 2015): All colorectal cancer patients should undergo tumor testing to see if they carry Lynch syndrome, according to this AGA guideline.
5. Diagnosis and Management of Asymptomatic Neoplastic Pancreatic Cysts (April 2015): This guideline changes clinical practice by recommending a 2-year screening interval for asymptomatic pancreatic cysts of any size and stopping surveillance after 5 years if there is no change.
6. Prevention and Treatment of Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation During Immunosuppressive Drug Therapy (January 2015): Preventing HBV reactivation in patients on long-term immunosuppressive therapy involves screening those at risk, identifying patients based on HBV serologic status and the type of immunosuppression, and considering prophylaxis with anti–hepatitis B therapeutics; all three steps are detailed in this guideline.
