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Published on: February 16, 2024
BEST-J Score: Validation of a Predicting Model for Delayed Bleeding After Gastric Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection on
Vítor Macedo Silva1,2,3, Ana Isabel Ferreira4,5,6, Tiago Lima Capela4,5,6
1Gastroenterology Department, Hospital da Senhora da Oliveira, Rua dos Cutileiros, Creixomil, 4835-044, Guimarães, Portugal. vitorbmacedo@gmail.com.
Background:
Delayed bleeding (DB) is a possible adverse event following gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The BEST-J score was created as a risk prediction model for DB following gastric ESD, but is yet to be validated in Western populations.
Aims:
We aimed to validate the BEST-J score on a European sample and to perform a subgroup analysis according to histological classification.
Methods:
Retrospective study of all consecutive patients undergoing gastric ESD on a European Endoscopic Unit. DB was defined as hemorrhage with clinical symptoms and confirmed by emergency endoscopy from the time of completion to 28 days after ESD. BEST-J score was calculated in each patient and confronted with the outcome (DB).
Results:
Final sample included 161 patients. From these, 10 (6.2%) presented DB following ESD, with a median time to bleeding of 7 days (IQR 6.8). BEST-J score presented an excellent accuracy predicting DB in our sample, with an AUC = 0.907 (95%CI 0.801-1.000; p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis by histological classification proved that the discriminative power was still excellent for each grade: low-grade dysplasia-AUC = 0.970 (p < 0.001); high-grade dysplasia-AUC = 0.874 (p < 0.001); early gastric cancer-AUC = 0.881 (p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off value to predict DB was a BEST-J score ≥ 3, which matches the cut-off value for high-risk of bleeding in the original investigation.
Conclusions:
The BEST-J score still presents excellent accuracy in risk stratification for post-ESD bleeding in European individuals. Thus, this score may help to guide which patients benefit the most from prophylactic therapies following gastric ESD in this setting.

