Sclerotherapy with or without Octreotide for Acute Variceal Bleeding

Acute bleeding from esophageal varices is a major problem in patients with cirrhosis of the liver and is associated with a 30 to 50 percent risk of death. 1 – 3 Sclerotherapy is considered the most effective way to stop bleeding and is the main form of emergency treatment in most institutions. 4 However, the success rate varies widely, partly because the definitions of success vary and partly because other methods, such as balloon tamponade and the administration of vasopressin, are used at the same time. Bleeding is controlled during the first five days in about 80 to 90 percent of patients, 4 , . . .