Endoscopic treatment of bleeding peptic ulcers

Since June, 1979, patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, other than of the varices, have been subjected to the procedure of endoscopic hemostasis with injection of absolute ethanol. This method is based on the principle of tissue dehydration and fixation with absolute ethanol. In this procedure, the bleeding vessels are dehydrated and fixed with consequent vasoconstriction and necrosis of the vascular wall, including its endothelial lining, thereby facilitating thrombogenesis and hemostasis. We have applied this method in 147 cases of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, obtaining a successful temporary hemostasis in all cases. Rebleeding from the same site occurred in 5 cases and new bleeding from another site occurred in 6 cases; however, in these cases, hemostasis was successfully obtained by reinjecting ethanol. After hemostasis, 6 patients received elective surgery and another 2 were operated on due to perforation of the stomach. Of the patients treated by this method, 11 died due to causes unrelated to gastrointestinal bleeding. After the hemostatic procedure, cure of the ulcer by conservative treatment was attained in the remaining 136 cases. Therefore, the local injection of absolute ethanol is an effective hemostatic method for upper gastrointestinal bleeding.