The British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) is a British professional organisation of gastroenterologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, scientists, nurses, dietitians and others amongst its members, which number over 3,000. It was founded in 1937, [1] and is a registered charity. Its offices are in Regent's Park, London. [2]
The society is an organisation focused on the promotion of gastroenterology within the United Kingdom. [3] It is involved with the training of gastroenterologists in the United Kingdom, and with original research into gastroenterology. The society also produces information for patients with gastrointestinal diseases. [4]
The society publishes the medical journals Gut , BMJ Open Gastroenterology and Frontline Gastroenterology. [5] [6] [7]
It produces clinical practice guidelines and various other documents relevant to the field of gastroenterology including diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas and biliary tract, and the disciplines of gastrointestinal endoscopy, nutrition, pathology and gastrointestinal surgery. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]
The society holds an Annual General Meeting during which original research, updates and reviews in gastroenterology and hepatology are presented. Named lectures include the Sir Arthur Hurst lecture and the Sir Francis Avery Jones BSG Research medallist.
Recent presidents have been Hermon Dowling (1996–1997), Chris Hawkey (2010), Jon Rhodes (2011–12), Ian Gilmore (2013–14), Ian Forgacs (2014–16), Martin Lombard (2016–18), Cathryn Edwards (2018–20) and Alastair McKinlay (2020-22). The current president is Professor Andy Veitch. [14]
The British Society of Gastroenterology is a National Society Member of the United European Gastroenterology.
Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, sometimes referred to as the GI tract, which includes the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine as well as the accessory organs of digestion which includes the pancreas, gallbladder, and liver. The digestive system functions to move material through the GI tract via peristalsis, break down that material via digestion, absorb nutrients for use throughout the body, and remove waste from the body via defecation. Physicians who specialize in the medical specialty of gastroenterology are called gastroenterologists or sometimes GI doctors. Some of the most common conditions managed by gastroenterologists include gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bowel disease which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, peptic ulcer disease, gallbladder and biliary tract disease, hepatitis, pancreatitis, colitis, colon polyps and cancer, nutritional problems, and many more.
Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a class of medications that cause a profound and prolonged reduction of stomach acid production. They do so by irreversibly inhibiting the stomach's H+/K+ ATPase proton pump.
Barrett's esophagus is a condition in which there is an abnormal (metaplastic) change in the mucosal cells lining the lower portion of the esophagus, from stratified squamous epithelium to simple columnar epithelium with interspersed goblet cells that are normally present only in the small intestine and large intestine. This change is considered to be a premalignant condition because it is associated with a high incidence of further transition to esophageal adenocarcinoma, an often-deadly cancer.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a "disorder of gut-brain interaction" characterized by a group of symptoms that commonly include abdominal pain and or abdominal bloating and changes in the consistency of bowel movements. These symptoms may occur over a long time, sometimes for years. IBS can negatively affect quality of life and may result in missed school or work (absenteeism) or reduced productivity at work (presenteeism). Disorders such as anxiety, major depression, and chronic fatigue syndrome are common among people with IBS.
Coffee ground vomitus refers to a particular appearance of vomit. Within organic heme molecules of red blood cells is the element iron, which oxidizes following exposure to gastric acid. This reaction causes the vomitus to look like ground coffee. Coffee ground vomitus is a sign of possible upper gastrointestinal bleeding but studies show that it may not require urgent endoscopy.
Fecal occult blood (FOB) refers to blood in the feces that is not visibly apparent. A fecal occult blood test (FOBT) checks for hidden (occult) blood in the stool (feces).
Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier than expected when eating. Indigestion is relatively common, affecting 20% of people at some point during their life, and is frequently caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or gastritis.
Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), also known as a stool transplant, is the process of transferring fecal bacteria and other microbes from a healthy individual into another individual. FMT is an effective treatment for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). For recurrent CDI, FMT is more effective than vancomycin alone, and may improve the outcome after the first index infection.
Double-balloon enteroscopy, also known as push-and-pull enteroscopy, is an endoscopic technique for visualization of the small bowel. It was developed by Hironori Yamamoto in 2001. It is novel in the field of diagnostic gastroenterology as it is the first endoscopic technique that allows for the entire gastrointestinal tract to be visualized in real time.
Rockall risk scoring system attempts to identify patients at risk of adverse outcome following acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Rockall et al. identified independent risk factors in 1996 which were later shown to predict mortality accurately. The scoring system uses clinical criteria as well as endoscopic finding. It is named for Professor Tim Rockall, who was the main investigator and first author of the studies that led to its formulation. A convenient mnemonic is ABCDE - i.e. Age, Blood pressure fall (shock), Co-morbidity, Diagnosis and Evidence of bleeding.
Gut is a monthly peer reviewed medical journal on gastroenterology and hepatology. It is the journal of the British Society of Gastroenterology and is published by BMJ. As of 2010, the editor-in-chief is Emad El-Omar.
Bile acid malabsorption (BAM), known also as bile acid diarrhea, is a cause of several gut-related problems, the main one being chronic diarrhea. It has also been called bile acid-induced diarrhea, cholerheic or choleretic enteropathy, bile salt diarrhea or bile salt malabsorption. It can result from malabsorption secondary to gastrointestinal disease, or be a primary disorder, associated with excessive bile acid production. Treatment with bile acid sequestrants is often effective.
Blair S. Lewis, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.G., is an American board-certified gastroenterologist and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Lewis is a specialist in the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy and was the primary investigator for the first clinical trial of capsule endoscopy for the small intestine and also the first clinical trial of capsule endoscopy for the colon.
Peter B. Cotton is a British Gastroenterologist best known for his advancement in digestive disease, pioneering and naming the ERCP procedure and creating the Digestive Disease Center at the Medical University of South Carolina.
John Gordon Williams is a British health services researcher and clinical academic gastroenterologist. He led the establishment of the Postgraduate Medical School in Swansea, created and developed the Health Informatics Unit at the Royal College of Physicians, and was the founding president of WAGE, the Welsh Association for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Williams was appointed a CBE for services to medicine in 2014.
Clifford Frank Hawkins (1915–1991) was a British gastroenterologist and rheumatologist.
A low-FODMAP diet is a person's global restriction of consumption of all fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs), recommended only for a short time. A low-FODMAP diet is recommended for managing patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and can reduce digestive symptoms of IBS including bloating and flatulence.
Serrated polyposis syndrome (SPS), previously known as hyperplastic polyposis syndrome, is a disorder characterized by the appearance of serrated polyps in the colon. While serrated polyposis syndrome does not cause symptoms, the condition is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The lifelong risk of CRC is between 25 and 40%. SPS is the most common polyposis syndrome affecting the colon, but is under recognized due to a lack of systemic long term monitoring. Diagnosis requires colonoscopy, and is defined by the presence of either of two criteria: ≥5 serrated lesions/polyps proximal to the rectum, or >20 serrated lesions/polyps of any size distributed throughout the colon with 5 proximal to the rectum.
Prateek SharmaFACG, FACP, FASGE is an Indian American gastroenterologist that specializes in esophageal diseases and endoscopic treatments.
Biliary endoscopic sphincterotomy is a procedure where the sphincter of Oddi and the segment of the common bile duct where it enters the duodenum are cannulated and then cut with a sphincterotome, a device that includes a wire which cuts with an electric current (electrocautery).
Coordinates: 51°31′30.76″N0°8′42.45″W / 51.5252111°N 0.1451250°W