title: Management of acute variceal haemorrhage.
abstract: Endoscopic therapy and in particular endoscopic variceal banding ligation, in experienced hands, is the treatment of choice for acute variceal bleeding which remains a major cause of death in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Pharmacological therapy with Glypressin or somatostatin can be useful to gain time when the endoscopic expertise is not available or to help to obtain a clearer endoscopic view. Transjugular intrahepatic porto-systemic stent shunt is currently used for endoscopic failures, producing similar results with the surgical portacaval shunts. Which one of the two should be preferred, since they both work best in relatively compensated patients, should be a balance between the available surgical and radiological expertise, the urgency of the situation and the expected course of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9NH, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vlavianos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Westaby
mesh_terms: D004724:Endoscopy; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D006728:Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008236:Lypressin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019168:Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic; D012151:Resuscitation; D015911:Sclerotherapy; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077585:Terlipressin; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D014667:Vasopressins; D008236:Lypressin; D013004:Somatostatin; D000077585:Terlipressin