Impact of endoscopic ultrasonography on the management of a prospective cohort of 700 consecutive patients referred for diagnostic endoscopic ultrasonography Impacto de la ultrasonografía endoscópica en el manejo terapéutico de una cohorte prospectiva de 700 pacientes consecutivos referidos para USE diagnóstica

Background: endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is a high accuracy technique for the study of many digestive diseases. The degree of knowledge about the impact of EUS on the management of these patients is inadequate. Aim: to determine the therapeutic impact of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) on a prospective cohort of patients. Methods: all patients referred for EUS over a period of 2 years were prospectively evaluated in order to asses: 1. EUS provides new information not previously known; 2. theoretic impact of EUS on patient management; 3. real impact of EUS on final therapy; 4. changes in the aggressiveness of the therapeutic decision after EUS. Results: 700 patients were included. Preoperative assessment of digestive tumors was the commonest indication. EUS provided "new information" in the 89% of the patients. With regard to endoscopist opinion, these findings should alter the management in 79% of patients ("theoretic impact"). However, EUS prompted a change in the management in 67% of patients ("real impact"). Final therapy post-EUS was less aggressive in 34% of patients. Changes in therapeutic decision were associated with EUS findings, alcohol intake and age ≥ 57 years old. Conclusions: 1) EUS findings, advanced age, and alcohol intake are associated with a change in the management in 2 out of every 3 patients referred for EUS. 2) Therapeutic decision (post-EUS) is less aggressive in a third of these patients, what should represent a significant economic saving.Antecedentes: la ultrasonografía endoscópica (USE) es una técnica de gran precisión para el estudio de diferentes patologías digestivas. El grado de conocimiento sobre el impacto de la USE en el tratamiento de estos pacientes es escaso. Objetivo: determinar el impacto terapéutico de la USE en una cohorte prospectiva de pacientes. Material y métodos: estudio que evalúa de forma prospectiva a todos los pacientes remitidos para USE en un periodo de 2 años. Se analiza: a) si la USE aporta información no conocida previamente; b) el impacto teórico de la USE en el tratamiento; c) el impacto final/real de USE en el tratamiento; d) la variación en la decisión terapéutica tras realizar la USE. Resultados: se incluyeron 700 pacientes. La indicación más frecuente de USE era el estudio preoperatorio de tumores digestivos. La USE aportó "información nueva" en el 89% de los casos. En opinión del ecoendoscopista estos hallazgos deberían suponer un cambio terapéutico en el 79% de los pacientes ("impacto teó