Clinical Research Directory

Point of Care Ultrasound for the Detection of Esophageal Food Bolus

This will be a prospective, observational, case-control study of adult patients presenting to the WellSpan York Hospital Emergency Department (YHED) with signs and symptoms of esophageal food or foreign body impaction. Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) will then be performed by a trained emergency physician to collect ultrasound data, including the presence or absence of direct visualization food bolus/foreign body, as well as secondary markers of dilatation, such as maximal esophageal area. Investigators will also enroll an age/sex-matched control group of asymptomatic individuals to establish baseline esophageal measurements. Patients will otherwise receive medical treatment per standard of care. Subsequent interventions will also be documented, including glucagon, carbonated beverages, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). If patients remain in the ED and improve without need for EGD they will undergo repeat ultrasound. Chart review at 1 month will be performed to establish results of EGD including improvement, recurrence, or presence of pathologic abnormalities. The investigators aim to establish normal and abnormal parameters to aid in the diagnosis of esophageal food impactions to predict need for definitive EGD management.

Prospective Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Submucosal Endoscopy

To test the idea that submucosal endoscopy is effective and safe for endoscopic myotomy, endoscopic submucosal dissection, and access for tissue acquisition and resection. Submucosal endoscopy is a recent innovative addition to gastrointestinal endoscopy. This involves endoscopic maneuvers in the gut wall, by dissection of the submucosal layer of GI tract, thereby allowing endoscopic myotomy (incision of the muscle), endoscopic access for tissue acquisition and therapy, and resection of precancerous and cancerous gastrointestinal tissue. This approach has been a dramatic game-changer for minimally invasive management of various gastrointestinal conditions such as Zenker's diverticulum, Achalasia, Spastic Esophageal Disorders, Gastroparesis, esophageal obstruction, Hirschsprung's Disease, and Gastrointestinal neoplasia. The aim of the proposed study is to prospectively assess technical success, clinical success, and adverse events after submucosal endoscopy. Technical success will be defined as ability to successfully complete the submucosal endoscopic procedure. Clinical success will be defined as symptom relief and objective evaluation which will be assessed with radiologic imaging, repeat endoscopy, gastrointestinal motility studies, and pathology results routinely performed post-procedure for clinical care, as indicated. Adverse events will be recorded per published ASGE criteria. A database/ registry of patients undergoing submucosal endoscopic procedures will be created to demonstrate this.