The management of Helicobacter pylori infection in Singapore remains a clinical challenge. Similar to other regions, there has been an increase in antibiotic resistance rates through the years. Nonetheless, over the past two decades, clarithromycin-based triple therapy has continued to be used as the first line treatment option, with an eradication rate exceeding 90%, although the accepted treatment duration must now be lengthened from 1 to 2 weeks to maintain efficacy. Concomitant and sequential therapies did not demonstrate superiority over standard triple therapy. Current empiric second line treatment utilizes either bismuth-based quadruple therapy or levofloxacin-based triple therapy, but outcomes remain less than ideal. Identifying options to further improve treatment success rates is challenging. Strategies being considered include the use of potent acid suppressants, such as vonoprazan, and H. pylori culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing-guided therapy.

In Singapore colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cancer for males, second most common cancer for females and most common cancer overall. A national CRC screening program for average risks individuals was started in July 2011, with the primary test modality being the faecal immunochemical test. Individuals may choose to undergo screening colonoscopy directly. Colonoscopy has two roles in CRC screening. It is performed either as a primary screening test or used to evaluate abnormal results from another screening test. Colonoscopy is a safe and effective procedure but potential risks exist. Local complications such as perforation and bleeding, cardiopulmonary events and even mortality may occur. Additionally there could be failed cecal intubation and missed lesions. It is imperative that prior to colonoscopy, there is a proper discussion of risks, benefits and alternatives. To provide quality assurance for colonoscopy in the CRC screening program, a set of quality indicators and criteria for endoscopists and endoscopy centres was established. The endoscopists must be qualified specialists with a lifetime experience of at least 500 colonoscopies and 50 polypectomies, and need to meet annual monitoring parameters that include at least 50 colonoscopies, >95% cecal intubation rate, >95% recovery rate of excised polyps, and withdrawal time of at least 6 minutes. In addition, complication rates must be within acceptable limits such as perforation rate of less than 0.1% and postpolypectomy bleeding rate less than 1%.
Colonic Neoplasms ; Colonoscopy ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Intubation ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Polyps ; Quality Indicators, Health Care ; Singapore ; Specialization

Pancreatic necrosis with the formation of walled-off collections is a known complication of severe acute pancreatitis. Infected necrotic pancreatic collections are associated with a high mortality rate. Open necrosectomy and debridement with closed drainage has traditionally been the gold standard for treatment of infected pancreatic necrosis, but carries a high risk of perioperative complications. Direct endoscopic necrosectomy has emerged as a safe and effective modality of treatment for this condition. Careful patient selection and gentle meticulous debridement is important to optimize clinical success. Bleeding is the commonest associated complication with the procedure but most cases can be managed conservatively. Air embolism, although rare, is potentially fatal. The use of fully covered large diameter lumen apposing self-expandable metal stents has further simplified the procedure. These stents optimize drainage, and facilitate endoscopic necrosectomy because repeat insertion of the endoscope into the necrotic cavity can be easily achieved.
Debridement ; Drainage ; Embolism, Air ; Endoscopes ; Endosonography ; Hemorrhage ; Mortality ; Necrosis ; Pancreatitis ; Patient Selection ; Stents

An obstructed biliary system is usually drained by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and when this is unsuccessful, the standard alternative technique is percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. Surgical biliary bypass may also be required. In recent years, endosonography has transformed from a solely diagnostic procedure to one with therapeutic capabilities. Endosonography-guided biliary drainage is now being performed as an alternative to percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. This is an evolving field, with challenges that must be addressed before it can become a routine clinical practice. This review summarises the current status of endosonography-guided biliary drainage.
Bile Ducts ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Biliary Tract ; physiology ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Cholangiography ; methods ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; methods ; Cholestasis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Drainage ; methods ; Endosonography ; methods ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Stents

Credentialing ; Endosonography ; adverse effects ; standards ; Health Personnel ; education ; Humans

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is now well established as an important tool in clinical practice. From purely diagnostic imaging, it has progressed to include tissue acquisition, which provided the basis for therapeutic procedures. Even as interventional EUS developed, there has been ongoing progress in EUS diagnostic capabilities due to improved imaging systems, better needles for tissue acquisition and development of enhanced imaging functions such as contrast harmonic EUS (CHEUS) and EUS elastography. EUS is well established for differentiation of subepithelial lesions, for T-staging of luminal gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary malignancies, for differentiation of benign pancreaticobiliary disorders and for diagnostic tissue acquisition, which can be achieved by EUS-guided fine needle aspiration or by EUS-guided fine needle biopsy using dedicated biopsy needles. This review briefly describes the technique of performing EUS and then discusses its clinical utility in terms of gastrointestinal cancer staging, the evaluation of pancreaticobiliary disorders and tissue acquisition. Enhanced imaging techniques such as CHEUS and EUS elastography are briefly reviewed.
Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; Endosonography ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Needles ; Neoplasm Staging ; Phenobarbital ; Ultrasonography*