Endoscopic injection therapy for bleeding peptic ulcer using absolute alcohol

The injection of sclerosants and adrenaline in a bleeding peptic ulcer is known to arrest bleeding in the majority of patients. However, there are very few studies from India on this subject. Injection therapy was carried out using absolute alcohol in 21 patients with bleeding gastric ulcer and 55 with bleeding duodenal ulcer. Injection therapy successfully controlled bleeding in all 76 patients. Bleeding recurred in two patients who were successfully managed with a second injection of absolute alcohol. Post-injection blood transfusion was required in 16 (76%) patients with gastric ulcer compared with only 12 (22%) of those with a duodenal ulcer. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). No complication of injection therapy was noted. It is concluded that injection therapy using absolute alcohol is a safe and effective therapy for managing patients with bleeding peptic ulcer.