Injection therapies for nonvariceal bleeding disorders of the GI tract

Duodenal diverticular bleeding: an endoscopic challenge

Duodenal diverticula are an uncommon cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Until recently, it was primarily managed with surgery, but advances in the field of endoscopy have made management increasingly less invasive. We report a case of duodenal diverticular bleeding that was endoscopically managed, and review the literature about the various endoscopic therapies thus far described.

Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Children

This article provides an overview of the evaluation and management of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) in children. The common etiologies at different ages are reviewed. Conditions with endoscopic importance for diagnosis or therapy include solitary rectal ulcer syndrome, polyps, vascular lesions, and colonic inflammation and ulceration. Diagnostic modalities for identifying causes of LGIB in children include endoscopy and colonoscopy, cross-sectional and nuclear medicine imaging, video capsule endoscopy, and enteroscopy. Pre-endoscopic preparation and decision-making unique to pediatrics is highlighted. The authors conclude with a summary of current and emerging therapeutic hemostatic techniques that can be used in pediatric patients.

Covered self-expanding metal stents for the treatment of refractory esophageal nonvariceal bleeding: a case series

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of covered self-expanding metal stents for the treatment of nonvariceal esophageal bleeding in patients for whom routine therapies have failed.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with esophageal bleeding in our hospital. Data on hemostatic effects and complications were collected from patients who underwent esophageal stenting.

RESULTS

In total, 4 patients were treated with five stents. In all 4 patients, the placement of esophageal stents immediately stopped the ongoing bleeding. One patient experienced recurrent bleeding 4 days after the removal of the first stent. Hemostasis was achieved after the insertion of a second stent. No stent-related complications occurred during or after stent implantation in the other 3 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The implantation of a covered self-expandable metal stent is a safe and effective alternative to treat acute, nonvariceal esophageal bleeding after routine therapies have failed.

Hyaluronic acid solution injection for upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding after failed conventional endoscopic therapy

Hyaluronic acid solution injection can be an additional endoscopic modality for controlling bleeding in difficult cases when other techniques have failed. We evaluated 12 cases in which we used hyaluronic acid solution injection for stopping bleeding. Immediately following hyaluronic acid solution injection, bleeding was controlled in 11 out of 12 cases. There was no clinical evidence of renewed bleeding in 11 cases during follow up.Hyaluronic acid solution injection can be a simple and efficient additional method for controlling upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding after failed endoscopic therapy.

Gastric ischemia after epinephrine injection in a patient with liver cirrhosis

Endoscopic epinephrine injection is relatively easy, quick and inexpensive. Furthermore, it has a low rate of complications, and it is widely used for the management of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. There have been several case reports of gastric ischemia after endoscopic injection therapy. Inadvertent intra-arterial injection may result in either spasm or thrombosis, leading to subsequent tissue ischemia or necrosis, although the stomach has a rich vascular supply and the vascular reserve of the intramural anastomosis. In addition to endoscopic injection therapy, smoking, hypertension and atherosclerosis are risk factors of gastric ischemia. We report a case of gastric ischemia after submucosal epinephrine injection in a 51-year-old woman with hypertension and liver cirrhosis.

The influence of diabetes mellitus on short-term outcomes of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers

PURPOSE

Little information is available on the influence of diabetes mellitus on the short-term clinical outcomes of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers. The aim of this study is to investigate whether diabetes mellitus influences the short-term clinical outcomes of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers using a Japanese national administrative database.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 4863 patients treated by endoscopic hemostasis on admission for bleeding peptic ulcers were referred to 586 participating hospitals in Japan. We collected their data to compare the risk-adjusted length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality of patients with and without diabetes mellitus within 30 days. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with diabetes mellitus (n=434) and patients without diabetes mellitus (n=4429).

RESULTS

Mean LOS in patients with diabetes mellitus was significantly longer than those without diabetes mellitus (15.8 days vs. 12.5 days, p<0.001). Also, higher in-hospital mortality within 30 days was observed in patients with diabetes mellitus compared with those without diabetes mellitus (2.7% vs. 1.1%, p=0.004). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus was significantly associated with an increase in risk-adjusted LOS. The standardized coefficient was 0.036 days (p=0.01). Furthermore, the analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus significantly increased the risk of in-hospital mortality within 30 days (odds ratio=2.285, 95% CI=1.161-4.497, p=0.017).

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that presence of diabetes mellitus significantly influences the short-term clinical outcomes of patients with bleeding peptic ulcers.

Endoscopic therapy for severe ulcer bleeding

Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding secondary to ulcer disease occurs commonly and results in significant patient morbidity and medical expense. After initial resuscitation, carefully performed endoscopy provides an accurate diagnosis of the source of the UGI hemorrhage and can reliably identify those high-risk subgroups that may benefit most from endoscopic hemostasis. Effective endoscopic hemostasis of ulcer bleeding can significantly improve outcomes by reducing rebleeding, transfusion requirement, and need for surgery, as well as reduce the cost of medical care. This article discusses the important aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of bleeding from ulcers, with a focus on endoscopic therapy.

Equivalent clinical outcomes of bleeding peptic ulcers in teaching and non-teaching hospitals: evidence for standardization of medical care in Japan

The clinical outcomes of treatments for several medical conditions are better in teaching hospitals than in non-teaching hospitals. However, there is only limited information for comparisons of the clinical outcomes of bleeding peptic ulcers between teaching and non-teaching hospitals. A total of 4,863 patients treated by endoscopic hemostasis on admission for bleeding peptic ulcers were evaluated in 586 hospitals of the Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) system. We collected their data from the database associated with the DPC system to compare the risk-adjusted length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality within 30 days with respect to the hospital characteristics. The hospitals were categorized into two groups: teaching hospitals that were certified by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (3,332 patients in 360 hospitals) and non-teaching hospitals (1,531 patients in 226 hospitals). There was no significant difference with regard to the mean LOS and the crude in-hospital mortality within 30 days between groups (p = 0.181 and 0.174, respectively). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that the hospital characteristics were not associated with the risk-adjusted LOS. The standardized coefficient for non-teaching hospitals was 0.019 (p = 0.172). Multiple logistic regression analyses further showed no significant difference in the in-hospital mortality within 30 days (non-teaching hospitals, odds ratio = 1.35, 95% confidence interval = 0.786 - 2.319, p = 0.277). In conclusion, both teaching and non-teaching hospitals have equivalent qualities in management of bleeding peptic ulcers. These findings suggest that the standardization of medical treatments for bleeding peptic ulcers has become disseminated in Japan.

Active gastrointestinal bleeding: Use of hemostatic forceps beyond endoscopic submucosal dissection

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the application of hemostatic forceps in active gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding that is not related to endoscopic submucosal dissection. An 86-year-old woman with chronic intake of low-dose aspirin had a Dieulafoy’s lesion of the third duodenal portion. Bleeding control with epinephrine injection was unsuccessful. A 60-year-old man presented with a bleeding ulcer in the duodenal bulb. Ten days after combined endotherapy, he had recurrent bleeding from two minimal lesions in the same location. A 66-year-old woman under combined antithrombotic treatment was referred to us for chronic GI bleeding of unexplained origin. Endoscopy revealed active diverticular bleeding in the second duodenal portion. A 61-year-old woman underwent endoscopic mucosal resection of superficial gastric adenocarcinoma, which was complicated with immediate bleeding. In all cases, the blood was washed out using a water-jet-equipped, single-channel gastroscope with a large working channel. The bleeding points were pinched and retracted with hemostatic forceps. Monopolar electrocoagulation was performed using an electrosurgical current generator. Hemostasis was achieved. No complications occurred. In conclusion, hemostatic forceps may be an effective as well as safe alternative approach for active GI bleeding of various origins.

Endoscopic hemostasis techniques for upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage: A review

Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH) is an urgent disease that is often encountered in daily medical practice. Endoscopic hemostasis is currently indispensable for the treatment of UGIH. Initially, when UGIH is suspected, a cause of UGIH is presumed from the medical interview and physical findings. After ample primary treatment, urgent endoscopy is performed. Many methods of endoscopic hemostasis are in wide use, including hemoclip, injection and thermo-coagulation methods. Although UGIH develops from a wide variety of diseases, such as esophageal varices and gastric and duodenal ulcer, hemostasis is almost always possible. Identification of the causative diseases, primary treatment and characteristic features of endoscopic hemostasis are needed to allow appropriate treatment.

[Guidelines of treatment for bleeding peptic ulcer disease]

Peptic ulcer (PU) bleeding is the main cause of non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeding. Negative outcomes include re-bleeding and death, and many of the deaths are associated with decompensation of coexisting medical conditions precipitated by acute bleeding event. Accurate analysis of risk for clinical features can help physician to decide treatment modality. Endoscopy can detect bleeding stigmata and perform therapeutic hemostasis. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) compared with placebo or H2RA reduces mortality following PU bleeding among patients with high-risk endoscopic findings, and reduces re-bleeding rates and surgical intervention. PPI treatment initiated prior to endoscopy in upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding significantly reduces the proportion of patients with stigmata of recent hemorrhage (SRH) at index endoscopy but does not reduce mortality, re-bleeding or the need for surgery. The strategy of giving oral PPI before and after endoscopy, with endoscopic hemostasis for those with major SRH, is likely to be the most cost-effective. The treatment of H. pylori infection was found to be more effective than anti-secretory therapy in preventing recurrent bleeding from PU. H. pylori eradication alone and eradication followed by misoprostol (with switch to PPI, if misoprostol is not tolerated) are the two most cost-effective strategies to prevent ulcer bleeding among H. pylori-infected NSAID users, although the data cannot exclude PPIs also being cost-effective treatment. This review focuses specifically on the current treatment of patients with acute bleeding from a peptic ulcer.