Therapeutic Endoscopy for the Control of Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Children: A Case Series

Endoscopy in Infants With Gastrointestinal Bleeding Has Limited Diagnostic or Therapeutic Benefit

OBJECTIVES

Pediatric gastroenterologists are often consulted to perform diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy in infants with gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). The value of endoscopy and risk of complications in this population are not well characterized. We aimed to describe findings and outcomes of infants with GIB who undergo endoscopy.

METHODS

Retrospective, single-center, cohort study of hospitalized infants ≤12 months who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and/or colonoscopy/flexible sigmoidoscopy (COL) for GIB. Current procedural technology codes, international classification of diseases codes, and quality control logs identified infants.

RESULTS

Fifty-six infants were identified from 2008 to 2019 (51.8% female; mean age 161.6 days). Seven endoscopies identified sources of GIB: gastric ulcers, a duodenal ulcer, gastric angiodysplasia, esophageal varices, and an anastomotic ulcer. Three infants underwent therapeutic interventions of banding/sclerotherapy of esophageal varices and triamcinolone injection of an anastomotic ulcer. Six infants underwent abdominal surgery for GIB or suspected intestinal perforation after endoscopy, where a gastric perforation, jejunal perforation at an anastomotic stricture, necrotizing enterocolitis totalis with perforation, Meckel's diverticulum, and a duodenal ulcer were identified. No source of bleeding was identified surgically in 1 infant with GIB. Respiratory failure, use of vasopressors or octreotide, administration of blood products, and high blood urea nitrogen were associated with increased likelihood of requiring surgery ( P < 0.05 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

There was limited utility to performing endoscopy in infants ≤12 months old with clinical GIB. Endoscopy in these sick infants carries risk, and 3 infants in this series presented with a gastrointestinal (GI) perforation shortly after the procedure. These limitations and risks should influence clinical decision-making regarding endoscopy in infants with GIB.

Causes of Melena and Effective Examination Strategies in Children

Background and Aim: Melena, or tarry black stool, is not a rare symptom encountered in pediatric clinical practice, and the bleeding source varies from the upper gastrointestinal tract to the small intestine. Endoscopy is effective in identifying bleeding, but it does not always identify the source of bleeding. Endoscopic examination in children is commonly challenging, and there are no detailed reports about the causes of melena in children. This observational study aimed to validate the cause of melena in children and to investigate more effective and less burdensome examination methods. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 55 patients who underwent examination for melena. Results: In this research, 38 patients had underlying diseases such as malignancy and severe mental and physical disorders. The bleeding source was identified in 39 patients. The most common final diagnosis was duodenal ulcer (n = 22), and the other diagnoses were gastric ulcer, esophagitis, and esophageal varices. The upper gastrointestinal tract was the most common source of bleeding (n = 34). In five patients, the bleeding source was the small intestine. Vomiting, abnormal abdominal ultrasonography findings, and a hemoglobin level of ≤ 3 g/dL than the lower normal limit were significant factors indicating that the bleeding source can be found on esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Conclusions: The upper gastrointestinal tract was the most common bleeding source of melena in children. As in adults, esophagogastroduodenoscopy is the primary endoscopic method of choice. Furthermore, small bowel capsule endoscopy may be useful in identifying the bleeding source in children without upper gastrointestinal lesions.

Current status and future challenges in the endoscopic management of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding in children

PURPOSE

This study aimed to elucidate the characteristics of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) in children and the outcomes of endoscopic hemostasis (EH) performed by pediatric surgeons.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pediatric patients with NVUGIB who had undergone esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) at our hospital, between December 2006 and March 2020.

RESULTS

Thirty-six patients were included. The most common endoscopic diagnosis was gastritis (28%), followed by gastric ulcer (25%) and duodenal ulcer (25%). Thirty patients (83%) had underlying diseases, including a recent viral infection (39%), followed by Helicobacter pylori infection (14%). Fourteen patients (39%) underwent EH, exhibiting a high initial rate of hemostasis (100%). This was achieved in 12/14 patients by clipping. One patient was treated using a combination of a hypersaline and epinephrine (HSE) injection and coagulation therapy, as the ulcer exceeded the width of the hemoclips. Rebleeding occurred in one patient (7.1%) initially treated with pure ethanol injections. The partial view of the pediatric duodenum prevented the placement of hemoclips; hence, the patient was treated using a combination of HSE and coagulation therapy.

CONCLUSION

Clipping, injection, and/or coagulation therapy can lead to high success rates for hemostasis, considering the anatomical characteristics in a pediatric population.

Urgent endoscopy in children: epidemiology in a large region of France

Background and study aims  The real burden of urgent endoscopy in children has not been studied yet. Our aim was to evaluate the need for urgent endoscopy in children. Patients and methods  Information was collected about all the calls that were received during the 24 hour on-call shift for pediatric endoscopy in the region of Ile-de-France (12.1 million inhabitants) during a 6 months period (February-July 2017). Results  A total of 237 calls (19 calls/y/100,000 children) were collected regarding children of an average age of 3.2 years (range 2 days-18 years). Most of the calls (68 %) were for foreign body ingestions. Gastroscopy was required in 32 % of children: 24 % of those calling for foreign body ingestion, 48 % for gastrointestinal bleeding, 63 % for caustic ingestions ( P  = 0.01). The average time between the call and the urgent endoscopy were below the international recommendations for each situation. Conclusions  Calling the endoscopist seems to have become a recurrent practice, although in most cases, urgent endoscopy did not appear necessary, especially for foreign body ingestion. This organization of pediatric endoscopy on call was able to guarantee the performance of urgent endoscopy in adequate timing for a highly populated region.