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Monday, 6 August 2012

VARICEAL HEMORRHAGE

·         Risk for death from bleeding is mainly related to the underlying hepatic functional reserve.
Risk for death µ  __________1__________
                                   Hepatic functional reserve

·         The greatest risk for rebleeding from varices is within the first few days after the onset of hemorrhage.
·         Pathogenesis-
·         Treatment
Ä  Nonoperative treatments are generally preferred for acutely bleeding patients because they are often high operative risks because of decompensated hepatic function.
Ä  Treatment of the acutely bleeding episode
§  Points to be kept in mind-
    Patients with acute variceal bleeding are at high risk for emergency surgical intervention due to decompensated hepatic function.
    Emergency treatment should be nonoperative [Endoscopic treatment (sclerosis or ligation)] whenever possible.
    Before endoscopy, the patient should be hemodynamically stabilized and the stomach evacuated of blood clots with a large-bore lavage tube.
§  Resuscitation-
    Restoration of circulating blood volume with isotonic crystalloid solutions & blood.
    Monitoring of blood volume status through central venous pressure measurements, urinary output & Swan-Ganz pulmonary artery catheter.
    If Prothrombin time > 3 sec, then give FFP.
    If Platelet count < 50,000/mm3, then infuse platelets.
    Prophylactic antibiotics to be initiated.
§  Treatment plan-
    If a bleeding esophageal varix is observed or suspected because of an overlying clot, sclerotherapy or variceal ligation is performed.
    Bleeding from gastric varices or from Portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) should be treated initially with pharmacotherapy.
§  Pharmacotherapy
    Vasopressin
§  Causes hypertension, bradycardia, i cardiac output & coronary vasoconstriction.
§  Nitroglycerin is simultaneously infused to reduce systemic A/E.
    Somatostatin Analogues
§  Somatostatin- 250 mg IV bolus, followed by continuous infusion of 250 mg/hour  IV for 2-4 days.
§  Octreotide (long acting)- 50 mg IV bolus, followed by continuous infusion of 25-50 mg/hour  IV for 2-4 days.
§  Ballon tamponade
    Done using Sengstaken-Blakemore tube
    Adv- immediate cessation of bleeding
    Diasadv- frequent recurrent hemorrhage
    Complications-
§  Esophageal perforation secondary to intraesophageal inflation of the gastric balloon
§  Ischemic necrosis of the esophagus secondary to overinflation of the esophageal balloon
§  Aspiration
    Indications-
§  When exsanguinating hemorrhage prevents acute endoscopic treatment
§  In patients in whom sclerotherapy has failed
§  In patients who do not respond to pharmacotherapy
§  Endoscopic treatment
    Variceal Sclerosis
§  Both intravariceal and paravariceal techniques used.
§  Sclerosants- sodium morrhuate and sodium tetradecyl sulfate.
§  Each varix is usually injected with 1 to 2 mL of sclerosant just above the esophagogastric junction and 5 cm proximal to it.
§  Complications of sclerotherapy- 1retrosternal chest pain, 2esophageal ulceration, 3fever, 4esophageal perforation, 5worsening of variceal hemorrhage, and 6aspiration pneumonitis
    Band Ligation- variceal ligation with rubber band.
    Failure of endoscopic treatment is declared when two sessions fail to control hemorrhage.
§  Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)
    A parenchymal tract between hepatic and major intrahepatic portal venous branch is created with a balloon catheter, and a 10-mm expandable metal stent is inserted, thereby creating the shunt.
    Not recommended as initial therapy for acute variceal hemorrhage
    Used only after less invasive treatments, such as endoscopic therapy and pharmacotherapy, have failed to control bleeding.
    Absolute contraindications-
§  Right-sided heart failure
§  Polycystic liver disease
    Relative contraindications
§  Portal vein thrombosis
§  Hypervascular liver tumors
§  Encephalopathy
§  Emergency surgery
    Portacaval shunt

Ä  Prevention of Recurrent Hemorrhage
§  Options available for definitive treatment include pharmacotherapy, chronic endoscopic treatment, TIPS, three hemodynamic types of shunt operations (nonselective, selective, and partial), a variety of nonshunt procedures, and hepatic transplantation. The most effective treatment regimen usually uses two or more of these therapies in sequence.
§  Pharmacotherapy
    Objective- to reduce the HVWP (Hepatic Venous Wedge Pressure) below 12 mm Hg.
    Combination of a β-blocker and a long-acting nitrate (isosorbide 5-mononitrate) is used.
§  Endoscopic therapy
    Objective- to eradicate esophageal varices
    After eradication is achieved, diagnostic endoscopy is performed at 6-month to 1-year intervals because varices do recur and can bleed (also, through gastric varices & PHG)
    Variceal ligation more efficacious than sclerotherapy.
    combination of variceal ligation and pharmacotherapy with nonselective β-blockade is more effective.
§  TIPS
    TIPS, when it effectively decompresses varices, is a nonselective shunt and completely diverts portal flow.
    Major limitations- 1Shunt stenosis, 2 h encephalopathy, 3 shunt thrombosis
§  Portosystemic shunts
    Nonselective shunts
§  End-to-side portacaval shunt (Eck fistula)
§  Side-to-side portacaval shunt
§  Large-diameter interposition shunts
§  Conventional splenorenal shunt
    Selective shunts
§  The distal splenorenal shunt- anastomosis of the distal end of the splenic vein to the left renal vein and interruption of all collateral vessels, such as the coronary and gastroepiploic veins, connecting the superior mesenteric and gastrosplenic components of the splanchnic venous circulation.
    Partial shunts
§  Small-diameter interposition portacaval shunt using a polytetrafluoroethylene graft, combined with ligation of the coronary vein and other collateral vessels
§  objectives of partial and selective shunts-
    Effective decompression of varices
    Preservation of hepatic portal perfusion
    Maintenance of some residual portal hypertension
§  Non-shunt operations
§  Hepatic transplantation

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