Keywords
IBD
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s disease
Veterans
Hispanic
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn’s disease
Veterans
Hispanic
How to Cite
Toro, D. H., Class-Vázquez, W., Rosa-Cortés, P. A., & Rodríguez-Berrios, F. (2020). A Descriptive Study on the Population of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease at the Veterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System in San Juan. Puerto Rico Health Sciences Journal, 39(1), 51–54. Retrieved from https://prhsj.rcm.upr.edu/index.php/prhsj/article/view/1973
Abstract
Objective: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises a group of related conditions characterized by idiopathic inflammation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Several studies have described the epidemiology of IBD in Puerto Rico (PR) but none have included the US military and Veteran population. The goal of this study was to describe the prevalence of IBD in this population as well as to describe patients’ characteristics. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 163 patients using data gathered from electronic medical records of Veterans who received care at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System (VACHS) and the diagnosis of IBD between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2015. The prevalence out of 100,000 in our study was calculated for each Fiscal Year. Results: Overall, the prevalence of IBD markedly increased among VA patients. Among 163 patients who met inclusion criteria, 7 (4.3%) patients had a diagnosis of undetermined IBD, 45 (27.6%) had Crohn’s disease (CD) and 111 (68.0%) had ulcerative colitis (UC). This information was used to compare the epidemiologic data of IBD in the population receiving care at the VACHS with the epidemiologic data of IBD in the general population in PR. Conclusion: This is the first study to describe the prevalence of IBD and to describe additional characteristics of patients with IBD receiving care at the VACHS.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).