title: Somatostatin in the treatment of bleeding oesophageal varices.
abstract: Somatostatin has been evaluated in the treatment of patients with bleeding varices for the past 10 years. Six controlled trials are published and a large placebo controlled trial has been reported in abstract form. From these trials it appears that somatostatin is at least as effective as vasopressin or H2-antagonists and is more effective than placebo in the control of variaceal haemorrhage. It is also remarkably free of side effects in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Academic Department of Medicine, Royal Free Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Burroughs
mesh_terms: D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D014667:Vasopressins; D013004:Somatostatin