ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2005
Diagnostic work-up of rectal bleeding in general practice.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2005. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic review of clinical features of suspected colorectal cancer in primary care.Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien · 2014Pooled it
- The diagnostic value of symptoms for colorectal cancer in primary care: a systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2011Pooled it
- Positive predictive values of ≥5% in primary care for cancer: systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2010Pooled it
- Diagnostic accuracy systematic review of rectal bleeding in combination with other symptoms, signs and tests in relation to colorectal cancer.British journal of cancer · 2010Pooled it
- Management of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Central and Eastern Europe: Self-Reported Practice of Primary Care Physicians.Zdravstveno varstvo · 2014Article
- Critical items for assessing risk of lung and colorectal cancer in primary care: a Delphi study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2014Article
- Disparities in evaluation of patients with rectal bleeding 40 years and older.Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association · 2014Article
- Predicting colorectal cancer risk in patients with rectal bleeding.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2006Article
- Rectal bleeding and prolapse… not always benign diseases rather anal cancer. The importance of a correct decision making since primary care.Il Giornale di chirurgiaArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGPs have many patients with gastrointestinal discomfort. Among bowel-related complaints, the sign of rectal bleeding is of particular importance in patients aged 50 years and above, as it can be an early sign for serious bowel diseases such as colon carcinoma. Despite many guidelines offered to GPs for screening and early detection of colorectal carcinomas, there is very little information about the actual diagnostic approach to the sign of rectal bleeding.
aimThe aim of the study was to collect data concerning treatment strategies used by GPs who treat patients presenting with rectal bleeding. DESIGN OF STUDY: Prospective data collection.
settingGeneral practices in Germany.
methodOver the course of a year, GPs recorded their treatment strategies in patients presenting with rectal bleeding and associated symptoms. Using a digital practice patient file, physicians participating in the study were able to continuously transmit data electronically to the researchers of the study about diagnostics, referrals, hospital admissions, and final diagnoses.
resultsDuring the course of 1 year, 94 participating physicians collected data on 1584 patients. Information about treating rectal bleeding was recorded for 422 patients; 60% of the patients were referred to specialists in internal medicine or gastroenterologists for further diagnostics. A colonoscopy was the most frequently performed diagnostic procedure (46.2%). Twenty-two per cent (n = 93) of the patients--54 of them aged 50 years and above--were exclusively treated by their GP without conducting a colonoscopy or cooperating with specialists. For these patients, GPs diagnosed less severe diseases like haemorrhoids or other proctologic diseases.
conclusionBy using a study that allows GPs to transmit electronically their findings and data, it is possible to draw a picture of treatment strategies of GPs in patients presenting with rectal bleeding. The high percentage of patients who received medical treatment in consultation with specialists underscores the significance of the sign of rectal bleeding in general practice. The need for further diagnostic measures in patients who have been treated exclusively by GPs has to be discussed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
15667760PMC1266237W1763657689What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.