Can proton pump inhibitors reduce rebleeding following Histoacryl sclerotherapy for gastric variceal hemorrhage?

Risk Factors for Glue Extrusion Bleeding After Endoscopic Injection of Cyanoacrylate Glue for Gastric Varices: A Retrospective Study of 269 Patients

BACKGROUND

Glue extrusion bleeding is a major complication of endoscopic cyanoacrylate glue injection for the treatment of gastric varices. However, its risk factors remain unclear.

AIMS

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for bleeding associated with glue extrusion.

METHODS

This study analyzed the medical data of cirrhotic patients who underwent endoscopic obliteration for gastric varices using cyanoacrylate glue between January 2016 and December 2022. The data within 1 year after therapy were carried out with logistic regression. A nomogram model was constructed based on the factors.

RESULTS

269 patients were enrolled. Risk factors associated with glue extrusion bleeding included the volume of the glue (≥ 4 mL)(OR 1.289, 95% CI 1.051-1.580; P = 0.015), massive ascites (OR 5.645, 95% CI 2.260-14.097; P = 0.000), active hemorrhage during endoscopy (OR 2.830, 95% CI 1.284-6.234; P = 0.010), and the use of β-blockers was a protective factor (OR 0.185, 95% CI 0.07-0.485; P = 0.001). The nomogram model had good prediction accuracy, with an area under the curve of 0.74 (95% CI 0.658-0.822; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Massive ascites, active hemorrhage during endoscopy, glue volume ≥ 4 mL, and the use of β-blockers are associated with glue extrusion bleeding. At-risk patients may benefit from controlling the volume of the glue, undergoing endoscopic ultrasound and using β-blockers.

Risk Factors for Rebleeding After Endoscopic Injection of Cyanoacrylate Glue for Gastric Varices: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Rebleeding is a significant complication of endoscopic injection of cyanoacrylate in gastric varices in cirrhotic patients.

AIM

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficiency of endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection and summarized the risk factors for rebleeding.

METHODS

Databases were searched for articles published between January 2012 and December 2022. Studies evaluating the efficiency of endoscopic injection of cyanoacrylate glue for gastric varices and the risk factors for rebleeding were included.

RESULTS

The final analysis included data from 24 studies. The hemostatic rates ranged from 65 to 100%. The pooled rate of gastric varices recurrence was 34% [95% CI 21-46, I2 = 61.4%], early rebleeding rate was 16% [95% CI 11-20, I2 = 37.4%], late rebleeding rate was 39% [95% CI 36-42, I2 = 90.9%], mild and moderate adverse events rate were 28% [95% CI 24-31, I2 = 91.6%], 3% [95% CI - 2 to 8, I2 = 15.3%], rebleeding-related mortality rate was 6% [95% CI 2-10, I2 = 0%], all-cause mortality rate was 17% [95% CI 12-22, I2 = 63.6%]. Independent risk factors for gastric variceal rebleeding included portal venous thrombosis, ascites, cyanoacrylate volume, fever/systemic inflammatory response syndrome, red Wale sign, previous history of variceal bleeding, active bleeding and paragastric veins. The use of proton pump inhibitors could be a protective factor.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic cyanoacrylate glue injection is an effective and safe treatment for gastric varices. Cirrhotic patients with the above risk factors may benefit from treatment aimed at reducing portal hypertension, antibiotic prophylaxis, and anticoagulation if they meet the indications.

Efficacy of Vonoprazan vs. Pantoprazole or Non-acid Suppression in Prevention of Post-variceal Ligation Ulcer Bleeding in Portal Hypertension: A Multi-arm Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Up-to-date data about the role of acid suppression therapy e.g. proton-pump inhibitors; to reduce post-endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) ulcer-bleeding are conflicting. Vonoprazan; a recently introduced potassium-competitor acid blocker, has not been studied to prevent post-EVL ulcer/bleeding. The aim was to evaluate the efficacy of vonoprazan vs. pantoprazole or non-acid suppression to prevent post-EVL ulcer/bleeding in portal hypertension patients.

Material and methods

We enrolled 275 portal hypertension patients undergoing EVL in a three-arm randomized, single-blind, controlled study. A clinico-laboratory baseline evaluation was performed. Following EVL, patients were randomly and equally assigned to receive vonoprazan 20mg once daily, pantoprazole 40 mg once daily, or no acid suppression therapy. Post-EVL ulcer bleeding, ulcer dimensions, odynophagia as well as vonoprazan safety were evaluated after 2 weeks of EVL.

Results

Post-EVL ulcer bleeding occurred among 2.15% of vonoprazan, 8.7% of pantoprazole, and 14.2% of the non-acid suppression groups (P < 0.001). Post-ligation ulcer frequency and dimensions were higher among non-acid suppression and pantoprazole groups vs. vonoprazan (P < 0.05). Chest pain and odynophagia were encountered among 73.6% and 54.9% of the non-acid suppression group vs. 39.6% and 45.1% in pantoprazole, and 17.2% and 21.5% in vonoprazan groups, respectively (P < 0.05). There were no vonoprazan-related adverse events. Non-use of vonoprazan was the strongest independent predictor for post-EVL bleeding.

Conclusion

Short course of vonoprazan 20 mg/day is safe and superior to pantoprazole 40 mg/day in the reduction of post-EVL ulcer dimensions at 2 weeks post-EVL, and prevention of ulcer-related bleeding. Acid suppression is superior to no acid suppression to prevent post-EVL complications.

PPI efficacy in the reduction of variceal bleeding incidence and mortality, a meta-analysis

Objective

To review the efficacy and safety of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in gastroesophageal varices (GEVs).

Methods

We searched PubMed MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies that measured the effect of PPI for prophylaxis and treatment of post-band ligation ulcers up to July 20, 2021. We included studies that measured the effect of PPI as treatment or prophylaxis for post-band ligation ulcers; articles that were published in peer-reviewed international journals and had enough data for qualitative and quantitative analysis were included with no language restriction. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the inconsistency (I2) and chi-squared (χ2) test. I2 > 50% was considered substantial heterogeneity in the studies, and a P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The data was continuous, and we used the standardized mean difference (MD) and risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval to assess the estimated effect measure.

Results

A total of 7 studies with 2030 patients were included in our study of which 1480 participants were males (72%) and 550 females (18%). Mean age was 59.7 years old. Rebleeding post-band ligation was compared between PPI and placebo with significant favor for PPI (p = 0.00001). The pooled risk ratio was 0.53 (95% CI of 0.41, 0.68); furthermore, bleeding-related death at a 1-month period was compared between PPI and placebo with significant favor for PPI (p = 0.00001). The pooled risk ratio was significant at 0.33 (95% CI of 0.20, 0.53). The length of hospital stay postoperative was compared between PPI and placebo with cumulative mean difference of 0.13 (95% CI of −1.13, 1.39), yet without significance.

Conclusions

The study suggests a twofold reduction in the risk of bleeding and a threefold reduction in the risk of bleeding-related death with the use of PPI following EVL.

Endoscopic diagnosis and management of esophagogastric variceal hemorrhage: European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) Guideline

1: ESGE recommends that patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD; due to viruses, alcohol, and/or nonobese [BMI < 30 kg/m²] nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) and clinically significant portal hypertension (hepatic venous pressure gradient [HVPG] > 10 mmHg and/or liver stiffness by transient elastography > 25 kPa) should receive, if no contraindications, nonselective beta blocker (NSBB) therapy (preferably carvedilol) to prevent the development of variceal bleeding.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 2: ESGE recommends that in those patients unable to receive NSBB therapy with a screening upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy that demonstrates high risk esophageal varices, endoscopic band ligation (EBL) is the endoscopic prophylactic treatment of choice. EBL should be repeated every 2-4 weeks until variceal eradication is achieved. Thereafter, surveillance EGD should be performed every 3-6 months in the first year following eradication.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 3: ESGE recommends, in hemodynamically stable patients with acute upper GI hemorrhage (UGIH) and no history of cardiovascular disease, a restrictive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion strategy, with a hemoglobin threshold of ≤ 70 g/L prompting RBC transfusion. A post-transfusion target hemoglobin of 70-90 g/L is desired.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 4 : ESGE recommends that patients with ACLD presenting with suspected acute variceal bleeding be risk stratified according to the Child-Pugh score and MELD score, and by documentation of active/inactive bleeding at the time of upper GI endoscopy.Strong recommendation, high quality of evidence. 5 : ESGE recommends the vasoactive agents terlipressin, octreotide, or somatostatin be initiated at the time of presentation in patients with suspected acute variceal bleeding and be continued for a duration of up to 5 days.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 6 : ESGE recommends antibiotic prophylaxis using ceftriaxone 1 g/day for up to 7 days for all patients with ACLD presenting with acute variceal hemorrhage, or in accordance with local antibiotic resistance and patient allergies.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 7 : ESGE recommends, in the absence of contraindications, intravenous erythromycin 250 mg be given 30-120 minutes prior to upper GI endoscopy in patients with suspected acute variceal hemorrhage.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 8 : ESGE recommends that, in patients with suspected variceal hemorrhage, endoscopic evaluation should take place within 12 hours from the time of patient presentation provided the patient has been hemodynamically resuscitated.Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 9 : ESGE recommends EBL for the treatment of acute esophageal variceal hemorrhage (EVH).Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 10 : ESGE recommends that, in patients at high risk for recurrent esophageal variceal bleeding following successful endoscopic hemostasis (Child-Pugh C  ≤ 13 or Child-Pugh B > 7 with active EVH at the time of endoscopy despite vasoactive agents, or HVPG > 20 mmHg), pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) within 72 hours (preferably within 24 hours) must be considered.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 11 : ESGE recommends that, for persistent esophageal variceal bleeding despite vasoactive pharmacological and endoscopic hemostasis therapy, urgent rescue TIPS should be considered (where available).Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 12 : ESGE recommends endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection for acute gastric (cardiofundal) variceal (GOV2, IGV1) hemorrhage.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence. 13: ESGE recommends endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection or EBL in patients with GOV1-specific bleeding.Strong recommendations, moderate quality evidence. 14: ESGE suggests urgent rescue TIPS or balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) for gastric variceal bleeding when there is a failure of endoscopic hemostasis or early recurrent bleeding.Weak recommendation, low quality evidence. 15: ESGE recommends that patients who have undergone EBL for acute EVH should be scheduled for follow-up EBLs at 1- to 4-weekly intervals to eradicate esophageal varices (secondary prophylaxis).Strong recommendation, moderate quality evidence. 16: ESGE recommends the use of NSBBs (propranolol or carvedilol) in combination with endoscopic therapy for secondary prophylaxis in EVH in patients with ACLD.Strong recommendation, high quality evidence.

Effects of poor hepatic reserve in cirrhotic patients with bacterial infections: A population-based study

OBJECTIVE

Ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and esophageal variceal bleeding are major complications associated with cirrhosis. The presence of these complications indicates poor hepatic reserve. This study aimed to identify the effects of poor hepatic reserve on mortality in cirrhotic patients with bacterial infections.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The Taiwan National Health Insurance Database was used to identify 43,042 cirrhotic patients with bacterial infections hospitalized between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2013, after propensity score matching analysis. Of these, 21,521 cirrhotic patients had major cirrhotic-related complications and were considered to have poor hepatic reserve.

RESULTS

Mortality rates at 30 and 90 days were 24.2% and 39.5% in the poor hepatic reserve group and 12.8% and 21.7% in the good hepatic reserve group, respectively (P < 0.001 for each group). The cirrhotic patients with poor hepatic reserve (hazard ratio [HR], 2.10; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.03-2.18; P < 0.001) had significantly increased mortality at 90 days. The mortality HRs in patients with one, two, and three or more complications compared to patients without complications were 1.92 (95% CI = 1.85-1.99, P < 0.001), 2.61 (95% CI = 2.47-2.77, P < 0.001), and 3.81 (95% CI = 3.18-4.57, P < 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSION

In cirrhotic patients with bacterial infections, poor hepatic reserve is associated with a poor prognosis. The presence of three or more cirrhotic-related complications increases mortality almost four folds.

Progress in endoscopic treatment of gastric varices in patients with liver cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is defined as diffuse or prolonged hepatic damage caused by one or more etiologies. When liver cirrhosis progresses to decompensation stage, hepatic dysfunction and portal hypertension are the main manifestations. Main symptoms of portal hypertension include collateral circulation, splenomegaly, and ascites. Gastric varices (GV) is one of the most common manifestations of collateral circulation. Gastric variceal bleeding (GVB) is one of the most common complications of cirrhosis, with a high mortality rate. In recent years, there are many studies on GV, but the choice of endoscopic treatments for different types of GV is still controversial. Compared with esophageal variceal bleeding, GVB is associated with large volume of bleeding, high risk, and high mortality. Therefore, selecting an appropriate endoscopic treatment can effectively reduce mortality and improve the prognosis. This article reviews the type of GV and endoscopic treatment of different types of GV.

Risk factors of in-hospital mortality among patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding and acute myocardial infarction

Background/Aims

Patients with simultaneous upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have higher mortality than patients with either GIB or AMI. We aimed to assess the incidence and risk factors of in-hospital mortality in patients with UGIB and AMI.

Patients and Methods

A total of 243 patients with UGIB and AMI were enrolled during 2012-2017. Clinical and laboratory data were collected and analyzed for clinical characteristics and potential risk factors of in-hospital mortality.

Results

Among the 243 patients, 60 in-hospital deaths were observed (in-hospital mortality rate of 24.7%). Patients who died were older than the survivors (78.7 ± 6.6 vs. 72.6 ± 10.5 years, P < 0.001). Compared with survivors, patients who died showed increased peak white blood cell (WBC) count (9.74 ± 4.72 vs. 7.60 ± 2.91 × 109/L, P= 0.002), serum creatinine levels [134 (106, 190) vs. 97 (79, 125) mmol/L, P= 0.014], peak blood urine nitrogen levels (16.31 ± 8.48 mmol/L vs. 9.86 ± 6.33 mmol/L, P < 0.001), and peak brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) amounts [13,250 (6071, 30,000) vs. 3598 (728, 12,842) pg/mL, P < 0.001]. Meanwhile, patients who died also displayed lower minimum hemoglobin levels (78.3 ± 21.1 vs. 86.3 ± 22.3 g/L, P= 0.018) and minimum platelet counts (184.3 ± 79.1 vs. 214.6 ± 80.1 × 109/L, P= 0.013). In multivariable logistic analysis, age [OR (95% CI) =1.118 (1.053-1.186), P < 0.001], peak WBC count [OR (95% CI) =1.252 (1.113-1.407), P < 0.001], minimum platelet count [OR (95% CI) = 0.994 (0.989-1.000), P= 0.032], and peak BNP levels [OR (95% CI) =3.880 (1.761-8.550), P= 0.001] were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality.

Conclusions

Patients with UGIB and AMI had a high in-hospital mortality, which was independently associated with age, peak WBC count, minimum platelet count, and peak BNP levels.