Somatostatin adjunctive therapy for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal rebleeding after endoscopic therapy

To evaluate the effect of pantoprazole with a somatostatin adjunct in patients with acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB).

We performed a retrospective analysis of a prospective database in a tertiary care university hospital. From October 2006 to October 2008, we enrolled 101 patients with NVUGIB that had a high-risk stigma on endoscopy. Within 24 h of hospital admission, all patients underwent endoscopic therapy. After successful endoscopic hemostasis, all patients received an 80-mg bolus of pantoprazole followed by continuous intravenous infusion (8 mg/h for 72 h). The somatostatin adjunct group (n = 49) also received a 250-μg bolus of somatostatin, followed by continuous infusion (250 μg/h for 72 h). Early rebleeding rates, disappearance of endoscopic stigma and risk factors associated with early rebleeding were examined.

Early rebleeding rates were not significantly different between treatment groups (12.2% vs 14.3%, P = 0.766). Disappearance of endoscopic stigma on the second endoscopy was not significantly different between treatment groups (94.2% vs 95.9%, P = 0.696). Multivariate analysis showed that the complete Rockall score was a significant risk factor for early rebleeding (P = 0.044, OR: 9.080, 95% CI: 1.062-77.595).

The adjunctive use of somatostatin was not superior to pantoprazole monotherapy after successful endoscopic hemostasis in patients with NVUGIB.