Keywords
Quality and logistical aspects - Performance and complications - Diagnostic ERC
Introduction
While vital to the physiological function of the gastrointestinal tract, intrinsic
motility frequently impedes endoscopic examinations and interventions. Motility may
obscure the view of parts of the mucosal surface and may make precise intervention
more challenging as the target structures keep moving. Anti-muscarinic anti-cholinergic
drugs such as hyoscine-N-butylbromide (HBB) lower activity and tone of the smooth
muscles, thus reducing the motility of the gastrointestinal tract [1]. Hence, they improve visualization of the mucosa and may facilitate endoscopic interventions
including lesion detection during colonoscopy, cannulation of the ducts during endoscopic
retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or resection of neoplasms during therapeutic
esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy.
HBB is the most widely used anti-muscarinic agent because it is effective, widely
available, and cheap. However, HBB is associated with a number of side effects such
as tachycardia and hypotension [2]. On rare occasions, these may be life-threatening, especially in patients with underlying
heart disease [3]. In rare cases, HBB may trigger acute closed-angle glaucoma, a vision-threatening
ophthalmologic emergency [4]. The peptide hormone glucagon acts through a different mechanism of action than
HBB but has a similar motility lowering effect on hollow gastrointestinal organs [5]. It is available as an intravenous (IV) preparation and can similarly be employed
during endoscopy to reduce gastrointestinal motility and facilitate diagnostic and
therapeutic procedures. There is little evidence directly comparing the two agents.
In Germany and other countries, HBB is cheaper, more widely available, and much more
commonly used. Besides IV spasmolytics, peppermint oil or its main component L-menthol
is used as an effective topical antispasmodic in gastrointestinal endoscopy, particularly
in Asia [6]. In Germany, it is not commonly employed.
The use of HBB in diagnostic gastrointestinal endoscopy has been investigated and
the available evidence has recently been summarized in a position statement by the
Canadian Association of Gastroenterology [7]. The majority of studies focus on colonoscopy and evaluate effects of HBB on parameters
relevant to colonoscopy quality such as cecal intubation time and rate, withdrawal
time, mucosal visualization, and adenoma/polyp detection rate (ADR/PDR). A large retrospective
analysis of the English Bowel Cancer Screening Program suggested a 30% higher ADR
associated with the use of HBB [8]. However, the majority of individual trials and all available meta-analyses indicate
that there is no significant benefit of HBB with regard to ADR, PDR, and cecal intubation
rate [7]
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12].
With regard to therapeutic endoscopy, the effect of HBB and glucagon on cannulation
rate during ERCP has been the subject of a limited number of studies: a recent randomized
controlled trial found that the combination of glucagon plus nitroglycerine compared
to HBB plus placebo was superior with regard to cannulation success, need for needle
knife papillotomy, and post-ERCP pancreatitis [13]. Conversely, two older trials did not detect a significant difference between glucagon
and anti-muscarinic agents while the latter had lower cost [14]
[15]. To our knowledge, there is no published evidence on the use of HBB during therapeutic
EGD and colonoscopy. This is notable because a reduction in motility would seem highly
useful to facilitate advanced resection techniques such as endoscopic mucosal resection
(EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).
Furthermore, there is no international consensus on the routine use of antispasmodics.
In Germany, endoscopic quality guidelines advocate for the use of HBB during colonoscopies
only as needed and not as standard medication. Guidance on its use during EGD and
ERCP is not provided [16]. Recently the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology published a statement recommending
to use HBB before or during ERCP but not before or during EGD and colonoscopy [7].
Given the lack of international consensus and the conflicting information on the utility
of antispasmodics during endoscopy, this study sought to assess usage patterns of
HBB among German-speaking endoscopists. We were specifically interested in differences
in HBB use depending on the type of procedure being performed. We hypothesized that
HBB may be most frequently employed during advanced therapeutic endoscopies i.e. procedures
for which very little evidence regarding efficacy and safety exists.
Patients and methods
The methods and presentation of results of this survey are based on the recommendations
of the Cherries checklist, which provides methodological advice on reporting web-based
surveys in medical research [17].
Study design and distribution
To assess current practices regarding the use of HBB during endoscopic examination,
we used a survey-based approach targeting German-speaking physicians performing gastrointestinal
endoscopies. The survey was open from January 2021 to July 2021. The software "SurveyMonkey"
was used to create and distribute a web-based survey. Eligible endoscopists were invited
to participate via various channels including the website of the German professional
society for digestive diseases (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gastroenterologie, Verdauungs-
und Stoffwechselkrankheiten (DGVS)), email, social media and print media directed
at endoscopy providers. Furthermore, the survey was highlighted in DGVS’s regular
newsletter twice.
The survey was designed using an iterative approach by the authors and revised by
several subject- and non-subject-specific reviewers. Participation in this research
was entirely voluntary, and we offered no monetary or non-monetary incentives for
completing the survey. Submission of the questionnaire was considered as consent to
participate in this study. The survey was entirely anonymous, and did not include
the use of cookies, IP-checks, or any registration of participants.
Survey content
The questionnaire was composed of 35 questions. Questions consisted of both
multiple-choice questions and short answers. The survey was designed to be completed
in 5 to
10 minutes.
The questions appeared in the same order for all participants. No randomization was
integrated into the survey, but adaptive questioning was utilized based on some of
the participants’ answers. Responses could be reviewed before submitting the survey
and only one question was presented per page. To ensure valid results, entries had
to comply with predefined formats, and each question had to be answered in order to
advance to the next question.
The survey was divided into four sections. The first section of the questionnaire
addressed the general use of HBB by participating endoscopy providers, assessing their
professional experience practicing endoscopies and asked respondents for their perspectives
regarding the advantages and disadvantages of HBB. The second section included questions
on the respective use of HBB in the context of specific interventions. These interventions
included a group of EGD and colonoscopy-related interventions as well as ERCP. The
third section dealt with side effects, contraindications, and use of other medications
during endoscopies. Participants could rate side effects on a 10-point Likert scale
ranging from 1 (no relevance) to 10 (very relevant). Responding physicians could record
other side effects that were not otherwise listed but were of importance to their
practice. Administration of other or additional medicines were queried in five categories
from “never” to “mostly/every time” and as fill-in-text. The last section asked for
demographic data of participants.
Statistical analysis
Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 28.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk,
New York, United States). Results of the descriptive analysis/categorical parameters
are presented as frequencies and percentages, while continuous parameters are reported
with medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs). For group comparisons, the Mann-Whitney-U
test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used. Pairwise group comparisons were carried
out using post-hoc tests. P < 0.05 was considered as indicative of statistical significance.
Results
A total of 207 German-speaking physicians participated in the survey. Ten respondents
were excluded due to early termination of the survey. An additional two participants
stated that they do not perform gastrointestinal endoscopies and were excluded. A
total of 195 responses were carried forward for our statistical analysis.
The demographic data showed that only 31 responding endoscopists (15.9%) were female,
whereas 149 (76.4%) were male and 15 (7.7%) opted not to disclose their gender ([Table 1]). The median age of participants was 50 years (R 33–72). The majority (n=150; 76.9%)
were experienced endoscopists having performed more than 5,000 procedures in their
career. Respondents had practiced endoscopies for a median of 19 years (R 2–45). Most
participants (n=151; 77.4%) were specialists in gastroenterology and 90.3% stated
that they were based in Germany (n=176), while 7.7% (n=15) opted not to disclose their
country of operation or were practicing outside Germany (n=4; 2.0%). The median length
of overall clinical experience was 23 years (R 6–48). The respondents had diverse
work backgrounds: Most (n=101; 51.8%) of those surveyed worked in non-university hospitals,
followed by outpatient care facilities (n=69; 35.4%). A smaller number of endoscopists
were employed at university hospitals (n=17, 8.7%). Only eight physicians (4.1%) worked
at both hospitals and outpatient care facilities. Forty-six physicians (23.6%) were
self-employed and 134 (68.7%) were employed; 15 (7.7%) did not respond to this item.
Table 1 Characteristics of survey participants (total n=195).
|
n (%)
|
Median [range]
|
|
n, number of responses; %, percentage of responses.]
|
|
Clinical specialty
|
|
Gastroenterologist
|
151 (77.4)
|
|
|
Surgeon
|
3 (1.5)
|
|
|
Other / Not disclosed
|
41 (21.0)
|
|
|
Clinical experience (years)
|
|
23 [6–48]
|
|
Endoscopy experience (years)
|
|
19 [2–45]
|
|
Endoscopies performed
|
|
< 5.000
|
45 (23.1)
|
|
|
> 5.000
|
150 (76.9)
|
|
|
Type of institution
|
|
University hospital
|
17 (8.7)
|
|
|
Non-university hospital
|
101 (51.8)
|
|
|
Outpatient care
|
69 (35.4)
|
|
|
Other/not disclosed
|
8 (4.1)
|
|
|
Type of employment
|
|
Self-employed
|
46 (23.6)
|
|
|
Employed
|
134 (68.7)
|
|
|
Unknown/not disclosed
|
15 (7.7)
|
|
|
Sex
|
|
Female
|
31 (15.9)
|
|
|
Male
|
149 (76.4)
|
|
|
Unknown/not disclosed
|
15 (7.7)
|
|
|
Age
|
|
50 [33–72]
|
In the context of gastrointestinal endoscopies 92.3% of respondents (n=180) stated
that they use HBB at least occasionally ([Fig. 1]). However, half of the respondents (n=103; 52.8%) reported using it in 10% or fewer
of their procedures. Those who never use HBB stated as the main reason for not using
HBB a presumably unfavorable relation of benefits and side effects (n=11 of 15; 73.3%).
Only 34.4% of respondents (n=62 out of 180) reported using glucagon at least occasionally.
None of those interviewed mentioned using peppermint oil or its derivatives. The majority
(n=163; 90.6%) of those who use HBB stated that they administer HBB during the procedure
as needed. Significantly fewer respondents reported injecting HBB before starting
the procedure (n=7; 3.9%) or both before and during the procedure (n=8; 4.4%). Almost
all (n=179; 99.4%) administer HBB as an IV bolus. The most frequently stated reason
for using HBB was facilitation of the procedure, that is, making the procedure easier
and/or faster (n=145; 80.6%), followed by improvement in diagnostic accuracy (n=105;
58.3%) and facilitation of the technical success of the procedures (n=96; 53.3%) ([Fig. 2]).
Fig. 1
Distribution of the general use of HBB in interventions by
endoscopists. Respondents could indicate their frequency of use of HBB during
endoscopies with whole numbers between 0 and 100.
Fig. 2
Reasons for HBB use during endoscopic procedures. Percent of
respondents stating possible reasons for HBB use among respondents who use HBB at
least
occasionally. Multiple answers are allowed.
Next, we evaluated the data for procedure-related factors associated with HBB use.
The reported HBB use frequency varied greatly between the different types of procedures
with HBB being used more frequently in more complex interventional procedures. For
diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGD), the median stated frequency of HBB
use was 1% (IQR 0%–5%) compared to 10% (IQR 1%–40%) for EGD with EMR and 20% (IQR
2%–60%) for EGD with ESD (([Fig. 3]
a)). Of note, the percentages of respondents who stated that in their clinical practice
they regularly perform diagnostic EGD, EGD with EMR and EGD with ESD, were 99.4%,
85.9% and 23.7%, respectively. The percentages for diagnostic colonoscopy, colonoscopy
with EMR and colonoscopy with ESD were as follows: 99.4%, 93.1% and 20.8%. Of the
respondents, 66.7% reported that they perform ERCP.
Fig. 3
Comparison: interventions with regard to the use of HBB.
a Comparison EGD procedures and the use of HBB. b Comparison colonoscopy procedures and the use of HBB. c Comparison ERCP and the use of HBB. Each individual point represents the
response of one endocopist per intervention. Y-axis: Percent of procedures with HBB
use
(in %). X-axis: Intervention. Horizontal bar = median.
The correlation between frequency of HBB use and type of intervention was assessed
by post-hoc analysis and revealed that significantly more HBB use was reported for
EGD with EMR (P=0.002) or ESD (P < 0.001) compared to diagnostic EGD. Similarly, for diagnostic colonoscopies, the
median stated frequency of HBB use was 5% (IQR 1%–60%) compared to 20% (IQR 5–80)
for colonoscopy with EMR and 42.5% (IQR 18%–80%) for colonoscopy with ESD ([Fig. 3]
b). Post-hoc analysis revealed that significantly more HBB use was reported for colonoscopy
with EMR (P=0.005) or ESD (P < 0.001) compared to diagnostic colonoscopy. Respondents reported the most frequent
use of HBB for ERCP procedures (median 50%, IQR 20%–89%); however, there was substantial
variability among physicians in their reported frequency of HBB use during ERCP ([Fig. 3]
c).
Next, we evaluated the data for physician-related factors associated with HBB use.
We found that physicians working in outpatient care report significantly more HBB
use during diagnostic colonoscopy than physicians in academic (P=0.003) or non-academic (P=0.035) hospital settings. Likewise, physicians working in any hospital setting reported
less frequent HBB use compared to those working in a purely outpatient setting (P=0.01). In line with this, self-employed practitioners reported more frequent HBB
use compared to employed physicians (P=0.002). When only considering diagnostic colonoscopies, there was a significant association
between reported higher frequency of HBB use and years of endoscopic experience (P=0.035), years of overall clinical experience (P=0.006) and physician age (P=0.011). Other physician-related factors such as sex or geographic location showed
no significant association with any HBB use pattern.
When asked about side effects associated with HBB use, respondents reported that they
see the increases in heart rate and intraocular pressure as most relevant ([Fig. 4]). In response to the question about contraindications to HBB use, glaucoma was selected
most frequently (n=120 of 170; 70.6% of respondents to this item) followed by cardiac
diseases (n=71; 41.8%). Thirty-one respondents (n=31; 18.2%) consider HBB to have
no absolute contraindications.
Fig. 4
Rated relevance of side effects of using HBB during endoscopic
interventions. Respondents could choose whole numbers from zero to ten. Zero as
being “not relevant” and ten being “very relevant” as side effect. Each individual
point
represents the response of one endoscopist. Multiple answers are allowed.
Discussion
The results of this study indicate that HBB is used frequently in endoscopic procedures
with more frequent use in more complex interventional procedures, an area in which
only very limited data on efficacy and safety of spasmolytic use exist. Thus, our
data characterize usage patterns, but also suggest an unmet research need. Our survey
was conducted among German-speaking endoscopists; however, the results are comparable
to a survey among colonoscopy providers in the United Kingdom in which the majority
of endoscopists (85%) reported administering HBB at least occasionally, with 11.8%
of them using it always and 73.8% sometimes [18].
Procedure-related factors strongly determine HBB use: We observed very infrequent
use of HBB in diagnostic EGDs. This may be due to the relatively short duration of
the procedure and lower efficacy of HBB in the upper gastrointestinal tract, most
notably esophagus and gastric corpus, where expression of muscarinic receptors is
more abundant and higher drug serum concentrations are needed to produce a clinically
relevant reduction in motility [19]. HBB use was significantly more frequent in therapeutic EGD. In colonoscopy, frequent
HBB use was reported, again with significantly higher frequency in therapeutic procedures,
most notably ESD. For diagnostic EGD and colonoscopy, there is some evidence regarding
antispasmodic use: Omata et al. evaluated whether use of HBB facilitates detection
of lesions in EGD and observed no significant increase in detection of gastric cancer
[20]. In diagnostic colonoscopy, most studies showed no significant effect of HBB use
on relevant quality metrics such as ADR/PDR, cecal intubation rate or procedure time
[9]
[11]
[21]
[22]
[23], whereas one randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a metanalysis suggested an increase
in ADR/PDR [24]
[25]. For therapeutic EGD, there is a single RCT evaluating the anticholinergic agent
glycopyrrolate as a premedication before ESD of upper gastrointestinal neoplasia;
the investigators found that the examiners reported the procedure to be significantly
easier in the glycopyrrolate groups compared to control [26]. To our knowledge, there are no data on HBB use during therapeutic EGD or therapeutic
colonoscopy. International guidelines are inconsistent with regard to HBB use: Asian
consensus statements recommend the use of spasmolytics to improve lesion detection
in diagnostic EGD [27] and during screening colonoscopy [28]. Conversely, the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology advises against the use
of HBB during diagnostic EGD and screening colonoscopy [7]. Guideline recommendations addressing interventional procedures in the upper gastrointestinal
tract do not exist to our knowledge. Considering the limited evidence and lack of
consistent guideline recommendations, the wide variation in terms of HBB use among
respondents to our survey is not surprising. However, there is a clear association
between procedure complexity and frequency of HBB use while evidence addressing the
efficacy and safety of HBB use in therapeutic EGD and colonoscopy is lacking.
Several studies dating back as far as the 1980s have addressed the use of spasmolytic
agents during ERCP, specifically to reduce duodenal motility during the initial cannulation
of the bile duct [14]
[15]
[29]. Although firm evidence showing an advantage of HBB is lacking, there is evidence
for spasmolytic agent use being helpful and for HBB being comparable to glucagon.
Based on this, the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology recommends HBB use during
ERCP [7]. In line with this, our respondents stated that they frequently employ HBB during
ERCP – more so than during any other procedure.
Yamamoto et al. conducted a prospective study in which peppermint oil was used primarily
as an antispasmodic during ERCP and was found to be effective for successful intervention
[30]. To our knowledge, the agent is not commonly used in Germany.
Besides procedure-related factors, there are also provider-related factors that determine
HBB use: Our data suggest that physicians working in outpatient care and self-employed
physicians more commonly employ HBB. This seems in keeping with a survey of colonoscopy
practices done in the UK in which private hospitals were found to administer HBB three
times more frequently compared to teaching hospitals and district general hospitals
[31]. In our data, HBB use during colonoscopy was associated with years of clinical experience.
Thus, it could be that more experienced providers are more likely to use HBB. Alternatively,
it may be that inpatients are more often considered to have significant comorbidities
or to be less stable, and thus, there is more concern about possible side effects
of HBB resulting in less frequent use.
In our study, glaucoma was rated as the main contraindication to the use of HBB. However,
closed-angle glaucoma with a completed iridectomy is not a contraindication, nor is
open-angle glaucoma [32]. Acute closed-angle glaucoma following HBB administration is probably a very rare
event and patients with a history of glaucoma are not the ones most at risk. It is
likely that cardiac side effects of HBB administration are of greater de facto clinical
relevance in practice. Accordingly, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency of the UK advises caution in HBB use, especially in patients with cardiac morbidity
[3]. While tachycardia was viewed as a relevant HBB side effect by our respondents,
only a minority view cardiac comorbidities as a contraindication. Gastrointestinal
endoscopy training programs should address this misconception and educate junior physicians
that cardiac side effects are the most relevant clinical risk associated with HBB
use. Moreover, information about the use of HBB could also be included in guidelines
and curricula of training courses. In patients at risk for acute closed-angle glaucoma
and those with cardiac comorbidities, glucagon is a reasonable alternative [15]
[33]. However, 65.5% of our respondents never use glucagon and the remainder utilize
it rarely. Likewise, Bedford at al. reported that even if HBB is contraindicated,
the use of glucagon is marginal [18], possibly due to higher costs and storage requirements [14]
[34]. Another cheap antispasmodic is peppermint oil. This survey revealed no use of this
agent by German-speaking endoscopists. However, data from Asia suggest that it may
be clinically useful, specifically when conventional antispasmodics such as glucagon
and HBB are contraindicated or unavailable [6]
[30]
[35].
Our study had several limitations: There is a likely selection bias because of the
limited sample size and the voluntary nature of the survey. Due to the use of various
different channels including email newsletters, print media, and social media postings
to alert the gastroenterological community to the survey and it being open to all
comers, we were unable to determine the response rate. If all recipients of any communication
mentioning the survey were considered the denominator, the response rate would very
likely be well below 10%. Moreover, the sample is unlikely to be representative of
all German-speaking endoscopists, because the vast majority of survey respondents
are mainly represented by older, male doctors working at non-university hospitals.
Therefore, generalization of the endoscopic procedures resulting from our study to
other endoscopists around the world cannot be made with confidence. Moreover, only
a portion of our respondents perform advanced therapeutic endoscopies.
Nonetheless, there is a clear trend toward HBB being used more frequently in complex
therapeutic endoscopies while most data on HBB use stem from studies that address
diagnostic procedures. Thus, our data suggest an unmet need for research into the
use of spasmolytic agents, and particularly HBB, in therapeutic endoscopy. To address
the need for research, a prospective, randomized trial in the field of interventional
endoscopy comparing HBB with placebo, including endpoints such as procedure time,
complication rate, and perceived ease of procedure, would be desirable.
Conclusions
Use of HBB is widespread among German-speaking endoscopists in the context of gastrointestinal
endoscopies and comparable to use among UK providers. Providers use HBB most commonly
to simplify procedures with interventions. The frequency of HBB use increases with
the complexity of the interventions. There is a lack of evidence about the efficacy,
benefits and risks of HBB used in therapeutics – the area where it is most commonly
employed. Providers tend to overestimate the risk of glaucoma and underestimate the
risk of cardiac adverse events associated with HBB use.