Efficacy and safety of gastroscopic hemostasis in the treatment of acute gastric hemorrhage: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor with a high incidence and mortality rate worldwide for which acute bleeding is a common clinical complication. Gastroscopic hemostasis is an important method for treating acute bleeding in GC; however, its efficacy and safety remain controversial. AIM: To systematically analyze the efficacy and safety of gastroscopic hemostasis for the treatment of acute gastric hemorrhage. METHODS: The PUBMED, Web of Science, Wiley Library, EMBASE, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP databases were searched for studies related to gastroscopic hemostatic treatment for acute GC published through February 20, 2023. The literature was screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were extracted, and literature quality was evaluated. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan software (version 5.3), while Begg's test for publication bias was performed using Stata 13.0 software. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials and two retrospective analyses were retrieved. Five studies had a low, two had an uncertain, and one had a high risk of bias. Compared with the control group, the hemostatic rate of gastroscopic hemostasis was increased [relative risk (RR) = 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08 to 1.43; P = 0.003]; the rate of rebleeding (RR = 0.27; 95%CI: 0.09 to 0.80; P = 0.02), rate of surgery transfer (RR = 0.16; 95%CI: 0.06 to 0.43; P = 0.0003), serum C-reactive protein level [mean difference (MD) = -5.16; 95%CI: -6.11 to 4.21; P < 0.00001], interleukin-6 level (MD = -6.37; 95%CI: -10.33 to -2.42; P = 0.002), and tumor necrosis factor-α level (MD = -2.29; 95%CI: -4.06 to -0.52; P = 0.01) were decreased; and the quality of life improvement rate was increased (RR = 1.95; 95%C I= 1.41-2.71; P < 0.0001). Begg's test revealed no significant publication bias. CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of endoscopic hemostasis were higher than those of the control group, suggesting that it is an effective treatment for acute GC hemorrhage.