Endoscopy 2006; 38(4): 426
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-925278
Letter to the Editor
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Live Video Demonstrations

P.  B.  Cotton1
  • 1Digestive Disease Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
05 May 2006 (online)

As one who pioneered live endoscopy demonstrations many years ago, and who also raised concern about their safety and ethics [1], I was delighted to read the reassuring report from the Brussels group [2]. They are to be congratulated on two counts. The results themselves are impressive, showing no increased risk amongst patients undergoing procedures during their prestigious meetings, when compared with routine cases. Also, it is most impressive that they were able to assemble the data for this report, over a period of 12 years.

The authors emphasize strongly the importance of having one of the “home faculty” in the endoscopy room during all procedures, a recommendation that has been made in an official American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) publication [3]. They state clearly that “the message of this study is not that live demonstrations are safe and ethical in every case…” Many of us have seen situations where sensible precautions were not followed, with unfortunate results. Continued vigilance is necessary.

Competing interests: None

References

  • 1 Cotton P B. Live endoscopy demonstrations are great, but….  Gastrointest Endosc. 2000;  51 627-629
  • 2 Schmit A, Lazaraki G, Hittelet A. et al . Complications of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography during live endoscopy workshop demonstrations.  Endoscopy. 2005;  37 695-792
  • 3 Carr-Locke D L, Gostout C J, Van Dam J. A guideline for live endoscopy courses: an ASGE white paper.  Gastrointest Endosc. 2001;  53 685-688

P. B. Cotton, M. D.

Digestive Disease Center
Medical University of South Carolina

96 Jonathan Lucas St.
210 Clinical Science Bldg.
Charleston, SC 29425
USA

Fax: +01-843-792-4184

Email: cotton@musc.edu

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