Gastrointestinal bleeding: endoscopic treatment of peptic ulcer haemorrhage

The development and study of haemostatic methods that can be used through flexible endoscopes has been one area of gastroenterology in which major advances have been made over the last 15 years. Bioengineering research with lasers and thermal probes as well as the study and application of simple injection techniques has given the endoscopist a range of tools with which to stop bleeding. Randomized controlled trials have provided fairly convincing evidence that these methods can be of value in the treatment of human peptic ulcer bleeding.