Adherence to surveillance endoscopy following hospitalization for index esophageal variceal hemorrhage

To investigate patient adherence to surveillance endoscopy after index esophageal variceal hemorrhage and the extent to which adherence influences outcomes.

We reviewed the records of patients with cirrhosis admitted to the medical intensive care unit between 2000 and 2014 for first time esophageal variceal hemorrhage treated with endoscopic variceal ligation who were subsequently discharged and scheduled for surveillance endoscopy at our medical center. Demographic and clinical data were obtained through the medical records, including etiology of cirrhosis, completion of variceal obliteration, attendance at surveillance endoscopy, zip code of primary residence, distance from home to hospital, insurance status, rehospitalization for variceal hemorrhage, beta-blocker at discharge, pharmacologically treated psychiatric disorder, and transplant free survival.

Of 99 consecutive survivors of esophageal variceal bleeding, the minority (33) completed variceal obliteration and fewer (12) adhered to annual surveillance. Completion of variceal obliteration was associated with fewer rehospitalizations for variceal rebleeding (27% vs 56%, P = 0.0099) and when rehospitalizations occurred, they occurred later in those who had completed obliteration (median 259 d vs 207 d, P = 0.0083). Incomplete adherence to endoscopic surveillance was associated with more rehospitalizations for variceal rebleeding compared to those fully adherent to annual endoscopic surveillance (51% vs 17%, P = 0.0328). Those adherent to annual surveillance were more likely to be insured privately or through Medicare compared to those who did not attend post-hospital discharge endoscopy (100% vs 63%, P = 0.0119).

Most patients do not complete variceal obliteration after index esophageal variceal hemorrhage and fewer adhere to endoscopic surveillance, particularly the uninsured and those insured with Medicaid.