[Endoscopic injection therapy in acute non-varicose upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage]

Emergency esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy was performed in 45 consecutive patients (26 men, 19 women, mean age 64 [23-91] years) with non-varicose upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The bleeding was arrested endoscopically by circumferential injection of an average of 6 (2-10) ml 1% polidocanol solution. In 10 patients an injection treatment was not possible because of extensive erosion or massive arterial bleeding. Bleeding recurred in seven patients 12-48 hours after initial injection. One patient in whom injection was not possible died during operation from massive intractable bleeding from an aortoduodenal fistula after abdominal aorta aneurysm surgery with implantation of a dacron prosthesis. There were no complications of the injection treatment.