Compliance With Fecal Calprotectin Testing in Pediatric Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Karen Queliza1, Michael K Wang1, Richard Kellermayer1,2
1Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Baylor College of Medicine-Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX.
Insights
Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients show good adherence to fecal calprotectin (FC) testing. Consistent initial testing, with at least three consecutive fecal calprotectin tests, predicts long-term compliance in this population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Clinical Biomarkers
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research
Background:
- Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a sensitive biomarker for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs).
- Increasing utilization of FC assays in clinical practice.
- Limited data exists on adherence to FC testing in pediatric IBD patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine adherence levels to fecal calprotectin (FC) testing in pediatric patients diagnosed with IBD.
- To identify factors influencing compliance with FC testing in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 100 consecutive pediatric IBD patients diagnosed between 2014-2015.
- Evaluation of FC test orders and completion rates.
- Statistical analysis to determine factors associated with compliance.
Main Results:
- 84% of patients had at least one FC test ordered, with 95.2% completing it.
- Overall compliance rate was 76.6%, with an average of 2 FC tests per patient annually.
- Patients completing an initial series of 3 consecutive FC tests demonstrated significantly higher sustained compliance (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric IBD patients exhibit good adherence to fecal calprotectin testing.
- Initial compliance with a minimum of three consecutive FC tests is a predictor of long-term adherence.
- FC testing is a feasible and well-adhered-to biomarker monitoring tool in pediatric IBD.
Abstract:
Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a highly sensitive biomarker for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Utilization of this assay has been steadily increasing. Adherence levels for FC have, however, yet to be examined in the pediatric IBD setting. We analyzed 100 consecutive patients diagnosed with IBD between 2014 and 2015 at Texas Children's Hospital. Fifty-six percent of patients were men and median age at diagnosis was 13.7 years. Following diagnosis of IBD, 84 patients had a minimum of 1 FC requested, and 95.2% of these patients completed the test at least once. An average of 2 FCs per patient was ordered each year, and the overall compliance was 76.6%. Patients who completed the initial testing with a minimum of 3 consecutive tests were more likely to remain compliant than those who failed to perform the first lab (P < 0.001). Our findings indicate good compliance with FC testing in pediatric patients with IBD.
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