Nicotine Enemas for Active Crohn's Colitis: An Open Pilot Study
Author Information
Author(s): J. R. Ingram, J. Rhodes, B. K. Evans, G. A. O. Thomas
Primary Institution: Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, University Hospital of Wales
Hypothesis
Can nicotine enemas be effective and safe for treating active Crohn's colitis?
Conclusion
Nicotine enemas appeared to provide clinical benefit in most patients with active Crohn's colitis and were well tolerated.
Supporting Evidence
- Mean CDAI score decreased from 202 to 153.
- Frequency of bowel movements decreased in 8 patients.
- Sigmoidoscopy scores improved in 7 patients.
- Mean C-reactive protein decreased from 22.0 to 12.3 mg/L.
- Eight of the 10 patients experienced adverse events, but none were serious.
Takeaway
This study tested if nicotine enemas could help people with Crohn's colitis feel better, and most patients did improve.
Methodology
Patients received 6 mg nicotine enemas daily for 4 weeks, with assessments of disease activity and inflammatory markers.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the open-label design and small sample size.
Limitations
The study was small and open-label, which limits the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
10 patients, 7 male, mean age 52 years, with varying extents of Crohn's disease.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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