PEN eNews 11(7) July 2021

PEN® eNews is a monthly e-newsletter shared with the global PEN Community and created to help dietitians position themselves as leaders in evidence-based nutrition practice. In addition, users of the PEN System will find articles on the new evidence, resources and features available and how to maximize one's use of PEN.

We Need Your Expertise: PEN^® Reviewers Needed

We need reviewers within the next few months for:

Bone Health
Cancer - Nutritional Implications
Celiac Disease
COPD
Cystic Fibrosis
Fertility - Female and Male
Hepatic Disorders
Hypertension
Infant Nutrition - Infant Formula
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Nephrology - Kidney Stones; Acute Renal Failure; Chronic Kidney Disease
Nutrient Requirements and Recommendations - Vitamins and Minerals
Primary Health Care (Practice Setting)– Assessment, Screening and Interventions
Vegetarianism

Did you know that PEN practice questions are peer reviewed by experts in the field, just like journal articles? There are currently more than 400 PEN Reviewers. We would love for you to join this group and share your expertise and energy. For more information, contact http://www.pennutrition.com/BecomeAuthor.aspx.

So, what do you need to be a PEN Reviewer? Take a look at this short presentation. You need to have interest and some time, which can range from a few hours to many hours, depending on how much time you wish to contribute. We provide guidance and training on how to become a PEN Reviewer.

PEN^® Backgrounds – Ready for You When Needed

Backgrounds provide general information about a topic for new practitioners as well as for experienced health professionals.

Here are the latest ones that are new or have been updated in the last few months:

Want to know what else is new and updated? Bookmark these pages:
New Knowledge Pathway Content  (Knowledge Pathways, Practice Questions, Summary of Recommendations and Evidence, Practice Guidance Toolkits, Backgrounds)
Tools and Resources.

PEN Features

Ulcerative Colitis and Probiotics - What is the Latest?

The Practice Question

Are probiotics effective in inducing remission in active ulcerative colitis in adults and children?

The Recommendation

There is insufficient evidence to suggest that probiotics are superior to standard therapy (i.e. aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA)) for the induction of remission in mild to moderately active ulcerative colitis (UC). However, limited evidence from one RCT suggests that probiotics combined with 5-ASA may improve the induction of clinical remission compared to 5-ASA alone. Results from several RCTs suggest that probiotics may be more effective at inducing remission compared to no treatment. Minor adverse effects were reported but were not found to be different between treatment and placebo groups.

Recommendations from clinical practice guidelines differ. The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) recommends probiotics only be used in the context of a clinical trial. ESPEN recommends Lactobacillus reuteri or VSL#3 (based on two older RCTs) for inducing remission for individuals with mild to moderate UC. The World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) recommends (based on older trials) VSL#3 for adults and VSL#3 and Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 for inducing remission in children with mild to moderate UC.

More research is needed to determine if probiotics are effective in inducing remission in severe active UC.

Remarks

The most studied probiotic strain was VSL#3 with a dose of around 900 billion (n=6 of the studies below). All other studies used different single or multiple strains at different doses. Subgroup analysis in the most recent Cochrane review found no different in outcomes when comparing studies using single strain to those using multiple strains.

The VSL#3 probiotic formulation used in the literature cited in this practice question is no longer available under the same brand VSL#3.

To see the full practice question, including the Evidence Summary, Evidence Statements, Comments and References, click here.

Gastrointestinal System

Open Access to COVID-19 Content Continues

Although the Open Access to the entire PEN^® System is now closed, we continue to make COVID-19 information, Trending Topics and PEN^® eNews available to all with no PEN subscription or access credits required:

If you are interested in continuing your access to the entire PEN System and you are not a current subscriber, please view the different subscription options available at: https://www.pennutrition.com/signup.aspx. Revenue from PEN subscriptions is reinvested in the system to keep the content up-to-date and constantly growing while positioning you on the leading edge in your practice. The PEN System does not accept industry revenue or advertising.

We hope you'll be an active member of our PEN community and stay connected with us:

Stay Safe,
The PEN Team

How do I… Customize and Send PEN^® Client Handouts?

The PEN Client Handouts are one of the most popular features of the PEN System, but did you know you can customize the handouts and email them directly to your clients from the PEN System? You can add your organization/company logo to the handout, add a personalize note to your client and/or remove the additional resources section.

The customize and share features on the PEN System are not available with site licenses but if you have an individual account with your Dietetic Association, read the steps below to become a PEN Client Handout aficionado!

How do I customize the “Distributed by” box in PEN Client Handouts?

*Skip to Step 4 if your logo is already uploaded or if you do not want your logo included.

Step 1: Click on ‘My Profile’.

Step 2: Under “My Handout Distribution Preferences”, click on “Upload New Photo” and find the logo you want to add. If desired, add a distribution message.

Step 3: Click “SAVE & UPDATE” at the bottom right-hand side of the page.

Step 4: Navigate to the PEN client handout you wish to customize.

Step 5: Click on “Customize and Share this Resource” phrase or the icon.

Step 6: On the Share this Resource pop-up page, make sure that the “Include” bubble corresponding with “Distributed By” is checked.

Step 7: Text in the “Distributed By” box can be added or edited. The “Distributed By” box will not accept images.

Step 8: Click "PDF PREVIEW" to view this content on the last page of the handout. Make sure the “Include” bubble is checked if you want your logo displayed.

Step 9: A hard copy of the handout including your “Distributed By” information can be printed from the PDF preview, or click SEND to e-mail a copy to your client or yourself.

How do I customize the editable "Notes" feature in PEN Client Handouts?

Step 1: Access a PEN handout from the Search, or the Related Tools and Resources section within a Knowledge Pathway, or from the PEN Client Handout Collection.

Step 2: Click on “Customize and Share this Resource” phrase or the icon.

Step 3: A Customize and Share this Resource pop-up window will appear that will allow you to enter a message in the “Notes” section (up to six lines of text). Make sure that the ‘Include’ bubble corresponding with the “Notes” section has been checked.

Step 4: Once you have entered the information, you can click ‘PDF Preview’ to check that information is correct, and then you can click "Send". If you want to provide a hard copy to your client, you can e-mail the handout to yourself, and then print.

How do I suppress the Additional Resources, Notes and/or Distributed By section from displaying in a Handout?

Step 1: Access a PEN Handout using the Search, or the Related Tools and Resources section within a Knowledge Pathway, or from the PEN Handout Collection.

Step 2: Click on the ‘Customize and Share this Resource’ phrase or the icon.

Step 3: A Customize and Share this Resource pop-up window will appear. To exclude any of the “Additional Resources”, “Notes” or “Distributed By” sections, make sure that the corresponding bubbles are cleared of check marks.

You can click the PDF PREVIEW button to view the handout and print a hard copy, or click the SEND button to e-mail a copy to your client or yourself.

How do I send a PEN^® Handout to a client via email?

Step 1: Click on “Customize and Share this Resource” phrase or the

icon

Step 2: Fill in your e-mail address, your client’s e-mail address, the message you wish to send to your client to accompany the handout and press Send.

PEN eNews

July 2021 Volume 11 (7)

A Publication of the PEN® System Global Partners,
a collaborative partnership between International Dietetic Associations.
Learn more about PEN.
Copyright Dietitians of Canada . All Rights Reserved.