A CHEAP, EFFECTIVE GASTRIC COOLING APPARATUS FOR THE CONTROL OF GASTROINTESTINAL HEMORRHAGE

Gastric cooling (as opposed to freezing) is a useful adjunct in the management of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Commercial machines for this purpose are expensive. A simple system is described in which cooled tap water is circulated through an extragastric reservoir, using an applicator modified slightly from the original design described by Wangensteen. The entire system can be made up in any hospital workshop at a cost of less than ten dollars. Tested in the laboratory and clinically, it has been found to be easy to set up, readily monitored, and safe. It has effectively controlled bleeding in seven of eight patients treated by this device.