Knowledge about non-invasive diagnostic tests for varices in liver cirrhosis: A questionnaire survey to the Gastroenterology Branch of the Liaoning Medical Association, China

Background and aims: Due to the invasiveness of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, non-invasive diagnostic tests for varices in liver cirrhosis have been widely established by numerous studies. A questionnaire survey, which was aimed at understanding the current knowledge about non-invasive diagnostic tests for varices in liver cirrhosis, was distributed among the members of Gastroenterology Branch of the Liaoning Medical Association. Methods: A questionnaire assessing the knowledge about non-invasive diagnostic tests for varices was sent to 42 members who participated in the entire ninth committee. They were from 33 hospitals in 13 cities of Liaoning Province, China. Results: Overall, 97.6% (41/42) of participants responded to the questionnaire. A majority of participants were chief physicians (85.4%), had >20 years of experience in clinical work of digestive diseases (80.5%) and worked at tertiary hospitals (97.6%). In 46.3% of participants’ departments, there were >200 patients with liver cirrhosis and gastroesophageal varices admitted every year. In 90.2% of participants’ departments, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was regularly employed for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal varices. Only six (15%) participants often used non-invasive diagnostic tests for varices in clinical practice. Thirty (75%) participants knew at least one non-invasive diagnostic test for varices. The knowledge of at least one non-invasive diagnostic test was significantly associated with the number of cirrhotic patients with varices (P = 0.038) or the regular use of gastrointestinal endoscopy to diagnose varices (P = 0.022). Conclusions: This questionnaire survey suggested that non-invasive diagnostic tests for varices in liver cirrhosis were rarely or never used in clinical practices in Liaoning Province, China. Reliable, non-invasive indexes should be further explored in a well-designed multi-center observational study.