The "Hub and Spoke" model has no effect on mortality in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A prospective multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: the lack of standardized pathways for patients with gastrointestinal bleeding may have led to differences in their management and inequity to medical care access. The "Hub & Spoke" model was adopted to fill this gap in many disciplines, but, to our knowledge, no data exist on its efficacy on mortality in GI bleeding. We aimed to evaluate if the "Hub & Spoke" organizational model has an impact on mortality risk from UGIB. METHODS: from January 2014 to December 2015, 3324 consecutive patients admitted for UGIB in 50 Italian hospitals were enrolled (1977 patients in hospitals within the "Hub & Spoke" network for digestive hemorrhagic emergency and 1347 in hospitals outside the "Hub & Spoke" network). Clinical, endoscopic and organizational data were recorded. RESULTS: we observed no differences in mortality between patients admitted to hospitals included or not included in the "Hub & Spoke" network (5.2% vs 6.1%, p = 0.3). On multivariate analysis, admission in gastroenterology wards (OR 0.61, p = 0.001) or an academic hospital (OR 0.65, p < 0.056) were independent protective factors while being in "Hub & Spoke" organization system did not affect mortality (OR 1.09, p = 0.57). CONCLUSION: the "Hub & Spoke" model per sé does not impact on mortality while being treated in academic hospital or gastroenterology wards improved survival.

Prothrombin Complex Concentrate for Major Bleeding on Factor Xa Inhibitors: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Oral factor Xa inhibitors are increasingly used for anticoagulation, but there is no approved reversal agent. Prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) for the management of Xa-inhibitor-associated bleeding has been described in small case series and one cohort study. Patients on apixaban or rivaroxaban, suffering a major bleed, were treated at nine Canadian hospitals as per existing hospital protocol with a fixed dose of PCC 2,000 units and subsequently recruited for a 30-day follow-up. The treating physician evaluated the haemostatic effectiveness as observed during the first day as good, moderate or poor/none, using an assessment guide. Safety outcomes were thromboembolism or death. We recruited 66 patients with major bleeding who were treated with PCC and who were receiving rivaroxaban (56%) or apixaban (44%). The effectiveness was assessed as good in 65% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53-77), moderate in 20% (95% CI, 10-30) and poor/none in 15% (95% CI, 6-24). For the 36 patients with intracranial haemorrhage, the corresponding ratings were 67, 17 and 17%, and for 16 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding they were 69, 12 and 19%, respectively. There were nine deaths (14%) by 30 days, and five (8%) major thromboembolic events. In a post hoc analysis, according to International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis criteria, reversal was effective in 68% and ineffective in 32%. For major bleeding associated with oral Xa inhibitors, PCC may have a beneficial effect. The risk of thromboembolism after reversal of anticoagulation in patients with a prothrombotic background has to be taken into account.

Efficacy of carvedilol versus propranolol versus variceal band ligation for primary prevention of variceal bleeding.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Band ligation and propranolol are the current therapies for primary prevention of variceal bleeding. Carvedilol is a rising nonselective beta-blocker used for reducing portal pressure with favorable outcome. The aim of this study to assess the efficacy of carvedilol, propranolol, and band ligation for primary prevention of variceal bleeding based on the effect of each regimen on progression of Child score and portal hypertensive gastropathy after 1 year. METHODS: The study included 264 cirrhotic patients with medium/large-sized varices who were candidates for primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding. Patients were randomly divided into three groups: group I: band ligation; group II: propranolol; group III: carvedilol. RESULTS: Group I showed higher success rate of 75 %, followed by group III with 70.2 % and group II with 65.2 %. Risk of bleeding was comparable between the three groups, with group II carrying the highest rate of complications (34.7 %) followed by group III (14.2 %) and finally group I (5.7 %). After 1 year of follow-up, Child score did not improve in any of the studied groups, while portal hypertensive gastropathy significantly increased in group I but decreased in groups II and III. CONCLUSIONS: Band ligation is the best treatment option for primary prevention of variceal bleeding with minimal complications. Carvedilol is a good pharmaceutical alternative medicine to propranolol with lesser side-effects. Progress of liver disease as represented by Child score is not affected by any of the primary variceal prophylactic regimens, although medical treatment reduces portal hypertensive gastropathy. Choice of treatment depends on patient will, compliance with treatment, and endoscopist competence.

Role of prophylactic antibiotics in cirrhotic patients with variceal bleeding.

Bacterial infections are common in cirrhotic patients with acute variceal bleeding, occurring in 20% within 48 h. Outcomes including early rebleeding and failure to control bleeding are strongly associated with bacterial infection. However, mortality from variceal bleeding is largely determined by the severity of liver disease. Besides a higher Child-Pugh score, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are particularly susceptible to infections. Despite several hypotheses that include increased use of instruments, greater risk of aspiration pneumonia and higher bacterial translocation, it remains debatable whether variceal bleeding results in infection or vice versa but studies suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis prior to endoscopy and up to 8 h is useful in reducing bacteremia and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Aerobic gram negative bacilli of enteric origin are most commonly isolated from cultures, but more recently, gram positives and quinolone-resistant organisms are increasingly seen, even though their clinical significance is unclear. Fluoroquinolones (including ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin) used for short term (7 d) have the most robust evidence and are recommended in most expert guidelines. Short term intravenous cephalosporin (especially ceftriaxone), given in a hospital setting with prevalent quinolone-resistant organisms, has been shown in studies to be beneficial, particularly in high risk patients with advanced cirrhosis.

Controlled trial of ligation plus vasoconstrictor versus proton pump inhibitor in the control of acute esophageal variceal bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic therapy combined with vasoconstrictor was generally recommended to treat acute variceal bleeding. However, up to 30% of patients may still encounter treatment failure. OBJECTIVES: This trial was to evaluate the efficacy of combination with endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) infusion in patients with acute variceal bleeding. METHODS: Cirrhotic patients presenting with acute esophageal variceal bleeding were rescued by emergency EVL. Soon after arresting of bleeding varices, eligible subjects were randomized to two groups. Vasoconstrictor group received either somatostatin or terlipressin infusion. PPI group received either omeprazole or pantoprazole. End points were initial hemostasis, very early rebleeding rate, and adverse events. RESULTS: Sixty patients were enrolled in vasoconstrictor group and 58 patients in PPI group. Both groups were comparable in baseline data. Initial hemostasis was achieved in 98% in vasoconstrictor group and 100% in PPI group (P = 1.0). Very early rebleeding within 48-120 h occurred in one patient (2%) in vasoconstrictor group and one patient (2%) in the PPI group (P = 1.0). Treatment failure was 4% in vasoconstrictor group and 2% in PPI group (P = 0.95). Adverse events occurred in 33 patients (55%) in vasoconstrictor group and three patients (6%) in PPI group (P < 0.001). Two patients in vasoconstrictor group and one patient in PPI group encountered esophageal ulcer bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: After successful control of acute variceal bleeding by EVL, adjuvant therapy with PPI infusion was similar to combination with vasoconstrictor infusion in terms of initial hemostasis, very early rebleeding rate, and associated with fewer adverse events.

A randomized controlled study comparing omeprazole and cimetidine for the prophylaxis of stress-related upper gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

OBJECT: Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are at high risk for severe stress-related upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding, which is predictive of higher mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of omeprazole and cimetidine compared with a placebo in the prevention and management of stress-related UGI bleeding in patients with ICH. METHODS: In a single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 184 surgically treated patients with CT-proven ICH within 72 hours of ictus and negative results for gastric occult blood testing were included. Of these patients, 165 who were qualified upon further evaluation were randomized into 3 groups: 58 patients received 40 mg intravenous omeprazole every 12 hours, 54 patients received 300 mg intravenous cimetidine every 6 hours, and 53 patients received a placebo. Patients whose gastric occult blood tests were positive at admission (n = 70) and during/after the prophylaxis procedure (n = 48) were treated with high-dose omeprazole at 80 mg bolus plus 8 mg/hr infusion for 3 days, followed by 40 mg intravenous omeprazole every 12 hours for 7 days. RESULTS: Of the 165 assessable patients, stress-related UGI bleeding occurred in 9 (15.5%) in the omeprazole group compared with 15 patients (27.8%) in the cimetidine group and 24 patients (45.3%) in the placebo group (p = 0.003). The occurrence of UGI bleeding was significantly related to death (p = 0.022). Nosocomial pneumonia occurred in 14 patients (24.1%) receiving omeprazole, 12 (22.2%) receiving cimetidine, and 8 (15.1%) receiving placebo (p > 0.05). In patients with UGI bleeding in which high-dose omeprazole was initiated, UGI bleeding arrested within the first 3 days in 103 patients (87.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Omeprazole significantly reduced the morbidity of stress-related UGI bleeding in patients with ICH due to its effective prophylactic effect without increasing the risk of nosocomial pneumonia, but it did not reduce the 1-month mortality or ICU stay. Further evaluation of high-dose omeprazole as the drug of choice for patients presenting with UGI bleeding is warranted. Clinical trial registration no.: ChiCTR-TRC-12001871, registered at the Chinese clinical trial registry (http://www.chictr.org/en/proj/show.aspx?proj=2384).

Wound complications following rivaroxaban administration: a multicenter comparison with low-molecular-weight heparins for thromboprophylaxis in lower limb arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban is recommended for venous thromboembolic prophylaxis following lower limb arthroplasty. Concerns regarding high rates of wound complications following its use have prompted this multicenter comparison with low-molecular-weight heparins. METHODS: English hospital trusts that replaced a low-molecular-weight heparin with rivaroxaban for thromboprophylaxis in lower limb arthroplasty during 2009 were identified. Prospectively collected national data for these units were analyzed to determine the thirty-day rates of wound complications and major bleeding (cerebrovascular event or gastrointestinal hemorrhage) and the ninety-day rates of symptomatic deep venous thrombosis (proximal or distal), symptomatic pulmonary embolism, and all-cause inpatient mortality before and after the change to rivaroxaban. A total of 2762 patients prescribed rivaroxaban following knee or hip arthroplasty were compared with 10,361 patients prescribed a low- molecular weight heparin. Data were analyzed with use of odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: There were significantly fewer wound complications in the low-molecular-weight heparin group (2.81% compared with 3.85%; OR = 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.58 to 0.90; p = 0.005). There were no significant differences between the low-molecular-weight heparin and rivaroxaban groups in the rates of pulmonary embolism (0.55% compared with 0.36%; OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 0.78 to 2.98), major bleeding (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.48 to 1.12), or all-cause mortality (OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.46 to 1.89). There were significantly more symptomatic deep venous thromboses in the low-molecular-weight heparin group (0.91% compared with 0.36%; OR = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.31 to 4.84; p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The rivaroxaban group had a higher wound complication rate and a lower deep venous thrombosis rate; there were no differences in symptomatic pulmonary embolism or all-cause mortality. Longer follow-up is needed to assess any potential relationship between wound complications and joint stiffness, latent infection, and limb consequences of deep venous thrombosis.

Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding management in Portugal: a multicentric prospective 1-year survey.

INTRODUCTION: Acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (ALGIB) is a common event, which consumes considerable human and economic resources. Its incidence is expected to rise in the coming years due to an increasing aging population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Multicentric prospective analysis of patients was carried out with ALGIB in 13 Portuguese hospitals from April 2008 to May 2009, using a protocol designed by the French Association Nationale des Hépato-Gastroentérologues des Hôpitaux Généraux. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS 16.0. RESULTS: In a total of 371 hemorrhagic events in 364 patients (51.4% men, mean age: 72 years), 28.4% patients showed hemodynamic instability and 54.2% were under single/combined medication with antiaggregants/NSAIDs/heparin/anticoagulants; blood transfusion was administered in 34.8% of patients. Sigmoidoscopy was the first endoscopic procedure performed in 61.3% of patients and rectal enema was the first method of bowel preparation in 67.3% of them. Endoscopic hemostasis was performed in 22.2% of all cases with efficacy ranging from 84.6 to 96.2%. Most frequent diagnoses were ischemic colitis (23.7%), diverticulosis (20.8%), and colorectal malignancies (12.4%). Surgery was needed in 8% of patients, and global mortality rate was 2.2%. Risk factors for poor outcome on multivariate analysis were heparin use before bleeding (hazards ratio: 10.6; 95% confidence interval: 0.94-119.48) and in-hospital bleeding (hazards ratio: 5.6; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-19.70). CONCLUSION: ALGIB seems to occur frequently in Portugal with a low mortality rate. Previous heparin use and in-hospital bleeding are associated with worse prognosis. Our management relies on early endoscopic examinations, which are highly available, safe, and accurate. A successful endoscopic therapeutic approach was possible in one fifth of the patients.

Surgical findings and outcome for dairy cattle with jejunal hemorrhage syndrome: 31 cases (2000-2007).

OBJECTIVE: To describe signalment; surgical findings; short-, medium-, and long-term outcome; and recurrence rate for cattle undergoing celiotomy because of jejunal hemorrhage syndrome (JHS) and to analyze risk factors associated with outcome and recurrence. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 31 dairy cattle with JHS. PROCEDURES: Medical records were analyzed. Follow-up information was obtained from owners of cattle surviving until discharge. RESULTS: 18 of 31 (58%) cattle undergoing celiotomy survived to initial discharge. Fifteen (48%) and 13 (42%) were alive 6 and 12 months after discharge, respectively. All 5 deaths within 12 months after discharge were attributed to JHS recurrence. Survival time was 12 to 85 months for the 13 long-term survivors. Six of 7 that died > 12 months after celiotomy did so for reasons unrelated to JHS. Recurrence rate among short-term survivors was 7 of 18; 1 of these survived long-term. A significant proportion of affected cattle were Brown Swiss, compared with proportions for other breeds. Manual massage of the bowel to break down clots was associated with a significantly higher short-term survival rate than was enterectomy or enterotomy. Medium- and long-term survival rate was higher in cattle referred 24 to 48 hours after onset of signs. Length of obstructing blood clots was not associated with outcome. Other factors were not significantly associated with recurrence. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Survival rates were higher than those in other reports. Prompt celiotomy and resolution by use of manual massage were associated with higher survival rates. In this population, JHS recurred in 7 of 18 short-term survivors.

Short- and long-term mortality after an acute illness for elderly whites and blacks.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate racial differences in mortality at 30 days and up to 2 years following a hospital admission for the elderly with common medical conditions. DATA SOURCES: The Medicare Provider Analysis and Review File and the VA Patient Treatment File from 1998 to 2002 were used to extract patients 65 or older admitted with a principal diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, stroke, hip fracture, gastrointestinal bleeding, congestive heart failure, or pneumonia. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of risk-adjusted mortality after hospital admission for blacks and whites by medical condition and in different hospital settings. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Black Medicare patients had consistently lower adjusted 30-day mortality than white Medicare patients, but the initial survival advantage observed among blacks dissipated beyond 30 days and reversed by 2 years. For VA hospitalizations similar patterns were observed, but the initial survival advantage for blacks dissipated at a slower rate. CONCLUSIONS: Racial disparities in health are more likely to be generated in the posthospital phase of the process of care delivery rather than during the hospital stay. The slower rate of increase in relative mortality among black VA patients suggests an integrated health care delivery system like the VA may attenuate racial disparities in health.

Does adding misoprostol to standard intravenous proton pump inhibitor protocol improve the outcome of aspirin/NSAID-induced upper gastrointestinal bleeding?: a randomized prospective study.

Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced gastrointestinal bleeding is recognized as an important health problem. We performed a single-center randomized clinical trial to compare the effect of high-dose intravenous proton pump inhibitor (omeprazole) alone (group 1) with omeprazole in combination with a low-dose prostaglandin analog (misoprostol; group 2) on clinical outcomes in patients with aspirin/NSAID-induced upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Additionally, we evaluated the contribution of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy on the late consequences. Patients were recruited to the study if they had upper gastrointestinal bleeding with history of taking aspirin or other NSAIDs within the week before the onset of bleeding. All were evaluated in terms of probable risk factors. After the standard treatment protocol, patients with histologically proven H pylori infection were prescribed a triple eradication therapy for 14 days. The primary end points were recurrent bleeding, surgery requirement, and death rates before discharge and at the end of follow-up period. This study lasted for 2 years. A total of 249 patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding were admitted, and 49.7% of these patients were users of aspirin/NSAIDs. There were 67 patients in group 1 and 56 in group 2. The distributions for gender, age, comorbidity, H pylori infection, and high-risk ulcer rate were similar in both groups. Among aspirin/NSAID users, endoscopy revealed duodenal ulcer in 47 (38.2%), gastric ulcer in 10 (8.1%), and erosive gastropathy in 33 (26.8%). The overall rebleeding occurred in 12.2%, death in 2.4% of the patients. The in-hospital death (P=.414), rebleeding (P=.925), and surgery (P=.547) rates were similar in both treatment groups. After the follow-up period of 3 months, overall rebleeding occurred in 4.1%, and death in 4.8% of the patients. The overall mortality rate was highest in those >65 years old, who were chronic low-dose aspirin users with comorbidity. One died of transfusion-related graft-versus-host disease. In this pilot study, we indicated that adding misoprostol (600 microg/day) to standardized proton pump inhibitor treatment did not improve or change the rebleeding or mortality rates of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding related to aspirin/NSAID use. Other prospective studies on higher doses of misoprostol are needed to establish the coeffect. One should bear in mind that all blood products must be irradiated before transfused to the host.

Diagnosis and treatment of bleeding colonic diverticula.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Colonic diverticula are the most frequent cause of major lower intestinal bleeding and pose a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the attending physician. Emergency surgical resection is associated with a high mortality and morbidity and patients who will stop bleeding spontaneously cannot be distinguished from those who will continue to bleed. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of barium enema as a sole less invasive treatment option for severe diverticular bleeding. METHODOLOGY: We evaluated 102 patients admitted with colonic diverticular bleeding, from 1993 to 1997, who needed transfusion of 2 or more units of blood. We compared the clinical efficacy of surgical resection, conservative treatment, and therapeutic barium enema with regard to the cessation of bleeding, morbidity, mortality, and rebleeding rate. The therapeutic strategies used after further episodes of bleeding were also registered. RESULTS: Transfusion requirements were highest in patients who underwent surgical treatment, while the least amount of blood was required by the barium enema group (6.9 +/- 3.1 vs. 3.6 +/- 1.5 units of blood). However, the quantity of transfused blood did not correlate with the initial hemoglobin level, which was highest in the conservative treatment group and lowest in the operative group (9.0 +/- 1.2 vs. 8.1 +/- 1.3 g/dL). These data support the fact that the most severe bleeding would necessitate surgical resection and that therapeutic barium enema may be considered more effective than conservative treatments. With regard to the outcome of treatment, conservative treatment led to a rebleeding rate of 43.3%, which differed significantly from a 15.9% rebleeding rate after therapeutic barium enema (P = 0.009). No rebleeding was registered in surgically treated patients. Sixty percent of patients in whom therapeutic barium enema failed were treated by colonic resection without mortality, while 77% of patients who had rebleeding after conservative treatment were successfully treated with barium enema. Overall, barium enema was the most frequently applied second-line treatment (56.5%). The mortality after surgery was significantly higher than that after other treatment modalities (33% vs. 1%; P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: If diverticular bleeding is clinically suspected as the cause of major lower intestinal hemorrhage, barium enema is a more promising alternative than conservative treatment because of diagnostic and therapeutic importance in the long-term. In the event of urgent secondary surgery following the failure of barium enema to stop bleeding, we recommend a sigmoidoscopy and, optionally, an angiography before surgery in order to first localize the bleeding. We conclude that therapeutic barium enema is the treatment of choice for the first bleeding episode, while surgical resection should be performed if rebleeding occurs.

Long-term follow-up of gastric variceal sclerotherapy: an eleven-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Bleeding from gastric varices is often a serious medical emergency. The role of endoscopy in the management of gastric variceal bleeding is still controversial. The types of gastric varices and their respective management strategies have not been identified. METHODS: Gastric varices were observed in 209 patients with portal hypertension. Seventy-one patients (with cirrhosis 33, noncirrhotic 38) underwent gastric variceal sclerotherapy, 53 of these (75%) for gastric variceal bleeding. By use of a previously described classification, gastric varices were divided into gastroesophageal varices, type 1 (GOV1) and type 2 (GOV2), and isolated gastric varices, type 1 (IGV 1). Gastric variceal sclerotherapy was done every week using a combination technique of paravariceal and intravariceal injections with absolute alcohol. RESULTS: Emergency gastric variceal sclerotherapy arrested acute bleeding in 12 (66.7%) of 18 patients. Variceal obliteration was achieved in 43 of the 60 (71.6%) patients who underwent repeated elective sclerotherapy. Variceal obliteration was higher in patients with GOV1 (94.4%) than in those with GOV2 (70.4%) and IGV1 (41%). Rebleeding after elective gastric variceal sclerotherapy was seen in 5.5%, 19%, and 53%, respectively, in the three types of gastric varices. Gastric variceal recurrence was not seen during a mean follow-up of 24.2 +/- 22.9 months. Seventeen (24%) patients died, nearly equally from rebleeding and liver failure. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Sclerotherapy can effectively arrest acute gastric variceal bleeding and achieve gastric variceal obliteration, (2) it is more effective in patients with gastroesophageal varices, and (3) alternative therapies need to be evaluated for patients with IGV1.

[High-dose omeprazole versus famotidine, pirenzepine and antacid in therapy of acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in a retrospective comparison]. / Omeprazol hochdosiert versus Famotidin, Pirenzepin und Antazidum in der Therapie der akuten oberen gastrointestinalen Blutung im retrospektiven Vergleich.

We retrospectively investigated the efficacy of high dose omeprazole compared to a combined therapy of famotidine, pirenzepine and antacid for acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (AUGIH) also adjuvant to endoscopic injection therapy if indicated. The clinical course of AUGIH was evaluated, if emergency endoscopy revealed lesions substantially dependent on intragastric acidity with respect to pathogenesis and/or healing (peptic ulcer, erosive gastroduodenitis, reflux-esophagitis, Mallory-Weiss tears) and patients either received a combined therapy of famotidine (20 mg i.v. every 12 hrs), pirenzepine (10 mg i.v. every 12 hrs) and antacid (control group: n = 96) or omeprazole (40 mg i.v. every 6 hrs; omeprazole group: n = 100). Rate of rebleeding was lower in the omeprazole group without reaching significance (12 vs. 21; p = 0.06). No difference was found for rates of operation (6 vs. 6; p = 0.94), death from bleeding (5 vs. 9; p = 0.22), transfusions ([mean +/- SD] 3.3 +/- 5.0 vs. 3.2 +/- 5.7; p = 0.51) and hospitalisation ([mean +/- SD] 26.8 +/- 12.1 vs. 27.8 +/- 16.0 days; p = 0.88). Considering prognostic risk factors (age > or = 65, actively bleeding lesion, initial state of shock) logistic regression showed that high dose omeprazole inhibited rebleeding (p = 0.01) but had no effect as regards surgery or mortality. Within two selected subgroups defined by additional criteria (no endoscopic treatment and anamnestic peptic lesion) omeprazole-treated cases showed lower rates of rebleeding (3/49 vs. 12/54, p " 0.02 and 3/44 vs. 13/48, p = 0.01 resp.) and death from bleeding (0/46 vs. 6/50, p = 0.03 and 0/43 vs. 5/45, p = 0.03 resp.).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Subtotal colectomy as a last resort for unrelenting, unlocalized, lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage: experience with 12 cases.

A 7-year experience involving 12 cases of massive, unrelenting lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage is presented. In these patients, the bleeding could not be localized by multiple diagnostic modalities and was managed by blind subtotal colectomy. While the procedure was efficacious in arresting bleeding in all cases, a resultant mortality of four cases (33%) ensued. Morbidity among the survivors was significant. Only three patients (25%) survived without complications, which enabled an early discharge from the hospital. Diverticulosis was the most common cause (83%) of uncontrollable and preoperatively undiagnosed bleeding in this group of patients. These 12 cases of blind subtotal colectomy for massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding represent one of the larger series in the literature. These data are consistent with more recent reports that indicate that subtotal colectomy for lower gastrointestinal bleeding is an effective but a formidable procedure. This is contrary to the earlier published results.

Controlled, semielective, segmental resection for massive colonic hemorrhage.

An aggressive diagnostic work-up to determine the site of bleeding was employed in all 25 patients requiring transfusion of over 1,500 cc of blood for colonic hemorrhage in New Haven in 1977 and 1978. A specific bleeding site that permitted segmental colectomy was found in 23 patients (92 percent). The mortality rate was zero, reflecting the rapid improvement in survival that has occurred in the last decade among patients with massive colonic hemorrhage.