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Octreotide bolus injection and azygos blood flow in patients with cirrhosis: is the effect really predictable?
Laurent Spahr1, Emiliano Giostra, Gilles Mentha
1Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit, University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. Laurent.Spahr@hcuge.ch
Background:
Octreotide (OCT) improves the management of variceal bleeding, but the pattern of administration is not clearly defined. Available data show a transient decrease in portal pressure and azygos blood flow (AzBF) after OCT bolus injection with desensitization at readministration.
Aim:
To explore the sustained hemodynamic effects of OCT and changes associated with readministration at 60 minutes on AzBF in patients with portal hypertension.
Patients And Methods:
AzBF was measured invasively (thermodilution technique) in 12 patients at baseline and at 10 minutes intervals after OCT 50-μg IV bolus for a total of 60 minutes. Readministration of OCT was followed by AzBF measurement for another 15 minutes. Patients [age 51.4 y (30 to 69)] had cirrhosis (alcoholic in 9 patients; Pugh's score 8.8±0.3), portal hypertension (HVPG 19±1 mm Hg), and elevated AzBF (658±138 mL/min).
Results:
The bolus of OCT was followed at 10 minutes by a 34% decline in AzBF as compared with baseline value. This AzBF reduction was sustained over the 60-minute study period (-36%±1.4%) with the values that remained decreased as compared with baseline (P<0.01). Mean arterial pressure remained stable. At 60 minutes, the repeat OCT bolus induced a further significant (P<0.01) decline in AzBF, although the response was blunted (-18%±1.2%).
Conclusion:
The AzBF showed a sustained decrease of value after a bolus injection of 50-μg OCT. A further hemodynamic response is detectable at OCT readministration after 60 minutes. The pattern of hemodynamic response to OCT may not be uniform among cirrhotics.
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