Emergency: Variceal hemorrhage from esophageal varices associated with alcoholic liver disease.
Esophageal varices occur in about half of all people with alcoholic cirrhosis. About one-third of these will experience variceal hemorrhage, a life-threatening event. This article describes alcoholic cirrhosis and its complications, discusses the etiology of esophageal varices and the risk factors for hemorrhage, and addresses emergent treatment. Further treatment options, including endoscopic variceal ligation, endoscopic injection sclerotherapy, balloon tamponade, and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement, are also discussed.
Smith
Melissa M
MM
Division of Nursing at Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Canton, OH, USA. mms0816@hotmail.com
D021721:Balloon Occlusion; D002404:Catheterization; D004630:Emergencies; D004638:Emergency Treatment / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019168:Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic; D015995:Prevalence; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015911:Sclerotherapy