Idarucizumab reverses dabigatran-induced anticoagulation in treatment of gastric bleeding:A case report

BACKGROUND The drug instructions for dabigatran recommend adjusting the dosage to 110 mg twice daily for patients with bleeding risk,and performing at least one renal function test per year for patients with moderate renal impairment.However,owing to chronic insidiously worsening renal insufficiency,dabigatran can still accumulate abnormally,necessitating therapy with idarucizumab to reverse the anticoagulation due to severe erosive gastritis with widespread stomach mucosal bleeding.CASE SUMMARY A 76-year-old woman with a history of atrial fibrillation who took dabigatran 110 mg twice daily as directed to lessen the chance of stroke,was transported to the hospital with hematemesis and melena.Laboratory findings revealed severe lifethreatening,blood-loss-induced anemia with a hemoglobin(Hb)level of 41.0 g/L and marked coagulation abnormalities with thrombin time(TT)>180 s,most likely caused by dabigatran-induced metabolic disorder.Aggressive acid suppressive,hemostatic,and blood transfusion therapy resulted in the misconception that the bleeding was controlled,with subsequent rebleeding.Idarucizumab was administered in a timely manner to counteract dabigatran’s anticoagulant impact,and 12 h later,TT was determined to be 17.4 s,which was within the normal range.Finally,the patient had no active bleeding signs and laboratory findings showed an Hb level of 104 g/L and TT of 17.7 s.CONCLUSION Renal function,coagulation function,and dabigatran concentration should be regularly monitored in older patients.Proton pump inhibitor and dabigatran coadministration is still controversial in preventing upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding.

Massive gastric bleeding-perforation of pancreatic pseudocyst into the stomach: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Pancreatic pseudocyst may cause serious gastrointestinal complications including necrosis,infection,and perforation of the gastrointestinal tract wall,but massive gastric bleeding is very rare.CASE We report a rare case of a 49-year-old man with life-threatening gastric bleeding from a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery perforating the stomach induced by pancreatic pseudocyst.During hospitalization,gastroscopy revealed a bare blood vessel in an ulcer-like depression of the greater gastric curvature,and computed tomography scan confirmed a pancreatic pseudocyst invading part of the spleen and gastric wall of the greater curvature.Arteriography showed that the bare blood vessel originated from a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery.The bleeding was controlled by the trans-arterial embolization,the patient’s recovery was rapid and uneventful.CONCLUSION Massive gastrointestinal bleeding could be a rare complication of pancreatic pseudo aneurysm.

Endoscopic treatment of bleeding gastric ulcer causing gastric wall necrosis:A case report

BACKGROUND Gastric wall necrosis is a rare complication of endoscopic treatment for bleeding gastric ulcer,which may exacerbate the patient’s condition once it occurs and may even require surgical intervention for treatment.CASE SUMMARY A 59-year-old man was admitted to our department with melena.Endoscopy revealed a giant ulcer in the gastric antrum with a visible vessel in its center,which was treated with sclerosants and tissue glue injection and resulted in necrosis of the gastric wall.CONCLUSION Injection of sclerosants and tissue glue may lead to gastric wall necrosis,which is a serious complication.Therefore,before administering this treatment to patients,we should consider other more effective methods of hemostasis to avoid gastric wall necrosis.

Aluminum phosphate gel reduces early rebleeding in cirrhotic patients with gastric variceal bleeding treated with histoacryl injection therapy

BACKGROUND Esophageal-gastro varices bleeding(EGVB)is the most widely known cause of mortality in individuals with cirrhosis,with an occurrence rate of 5%to 15%.Among them,gastric varices bleeding(GVB)is less frequent than esophageal varices bleeding(EVB),but the former is a more critical illness and has a higher mortality rate.At present,endoscopic variceal histoacryl injection therapy(EVHT)is safe and effective,and it has been recommended by relevant guidelines as the primary method for the treatment of GVB.However,gastric varices after endoscopic treatment still have a high rate of early rebleeding,which is mainly related to complications of its treatment,such as bleeding from drained ulcers,rebleeding of varices etc.Therefore,preventing early postoperative rebleeding is very important to improve the quality of patient survival and outcomes.AIM To assess the efficacy of aluminium phosphate gel(APG)combined with proton pump inhibitor(PPI)in preventing early rebleeding after EVHT in individuals with GVB.METHODS Medical history of 196 individuals with GVB was obtained who were diagnosed using endoscopy and treated with EVHT in Shenzhen People's Hospital from January 2016 to December 2021.Based on the selection criteria,101 patients were sorted into the PPI alone treatment group,and 95 patients were sorted into the PPI combined with the APG treatment group.The incidences of early rebleeding and corresponding complications within 6 wk after treatment were compared between both groups.Statistical methods were performed by two-sample t-test,Wilcoxon rank sum test andχ2 test.RESULTS No major variations were noted between the individuals of the two groups in terms of age,gender,Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score,coagulation function,serum albumin,hemoglobin,type of gastric varices,the dose of tissue glue injection and EV that needed to be treated simultaneously.The early rebleeding rate in PPI+APG group was 3.16%(3/95),which was much lower than that in the PPI group(12.87%,13/101)(P=0.013).Causes of early rebleeding:the incidence of gastric ulcer bleeding in the PPI+APG group was 2.11%(2/95),which was reduced in comparison to that in the PPI group(11.88%,12/101)(P=0.008);the incidence of venous bleeding in PPI+APG group and PPI group was 1.05%(1/95)and 0.99%(1/101),respectively,and there was no significant difference between them(0.999).The early mortality rate was 0 in both groups within 6 wk after the operation,and the low mortality rate was related to the timely hospitalization and active treatment of all patients with rebleeding.The overall incidence of complications in the PPI+APG group was 12.63%(12/95),which was not significantly different from 13.86%(14/101)in the PPI group(P=0.800).of abdominal pain in the PPI+APG group was 3.16%(3/95),which was lower than that in the PPI group(11.88%,12/101)(P=0.022).However,due to aluminum phosphate gel usage,the incidence of constipation in the PPI+APG group was 9.47%(9/95),which was higher than that in the PPI group(1.98%,2/101)(P=0.023),but the health of the patients could be improved by increasing drinking water or oral lactulose.No patients in either group developed spontaneous peritonitis after taking PPI,and none developed hepatic encephalopathy and ectopic embolism within 6 wk of EVHT treatment.CONCLUSION PPI combined with APG can significantly reduce the incidence of early rebleeding and postoperative abdominal pain in cirrhotic patients with GVB after taking EVHT.

Study of glue extrusion after endoscopic N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injection on gastric variceal bleeding

AIM:To investigate glue extrusion after endoscopic N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate injection on gastric variceal bleeding and to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of this therapy.METHODS:A total of 148 cirrhotic patients in our hospital with esophagogastric variceal bleeding(EGVB) were included in this study.N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate was mixed with lipiodol in a 1:1 ratio and injected as a bolus of 1-3 mL according to variceal size.Patients underwent endoscopic follow-up the next week,fourth week,second month,fourth month,and seventh month after injection and then every 6 mo to determine the cast shape.An abdominal X-ray fi lm and ultrasound or computed tomographic scan were also carried out in order to evaluate the time of variceal disappearance and complete extrusion of the cast.The average follow-up time was 13.1 mo.RESULTS:The instantaneous hemostatic rate was 96.2%.Early re-bleeding after injection in 9 cases(6.2%) was estimated from rejection of adhesive.Late re-bleeding occurred in 12 patients(8.1%) at 2-18 mo.The glue cast was extruded into the lumen within one month in 86.1% of patients and eliminated within one year.Light erosion was seen at the injection position and mucosa edema in the second week.The glue casts were extruded in 18 patients(12.1%) after one week and in 64 patients(42.8%) after two weeks.All kinds of glue clumping shapes and colors on endoscopic examination were observed in 127 patients(86.1%) within one month,including punctiform,globular,pillar and variform.Forty one patients(27.9%) had glue extrusion after 3 mo and 28 patients(28.9%) after six months.The extrusion time was not related to the injection volume of histoacryl.Obliteration was seen in 70.2%(104 cases) endoscopically.The main complication was re-bleeding resulting from extrusion.The prognosis of the patients depended on the severity of the underlying liver disease.CONCLUSION:Endoscopic injection of cyanoacrylate is highly effective for gastric varices bleeding.The glue clump shape is correlated with anatomic structure of vessels.The time of extrusion was not related to dosage of the glue.

Bleeding gastric varices: Results of endoscopic injection with cyanoacrylate at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

AIM： To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gastric varices injection with cyanoacrylate in patients with gastric variceal bleeding. METHODS： Twenty-four patients （15 males, 9 females） with gastric variceal bleeding underwent endoscopic treatment with cyanoacrylate injection. Successful hemostasis, rebleeding rate, and complications were retrospectively reviewed. Followed up endoscopy was performed and repeat cyanoacrylate injection was given until gastric varices were obliterated. RESULTS： Seventeen patients achieved definite hemostasis. Of these, 14 patients had primary success after initial endoscopic therapy. Ten patients developed recurrent bleeding. Repeated cyanoacrylate injection stopped rebleeding in three patients. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt （TIPS） was performed to control rebleeding in one patient which occured after repeat endoscopic therapy. Six patients died （three from uncontrolled bleeding, two from sepsis, and one from mesenteric vein thrombosis）. Minor complications occurred in 11 patients （six epigastric discomfort and five post injection ulcers）. Cyanoacrylate embolism developed in two patients. One of these patients died from mesenteric vein thrombosis. The other had pulmonary embolism which resolved spontaneously. Advanced drrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） were major risk factors for uncontrolled bleeding. CONCLUSION： Endoscopic treatment for bleeding gastric varices with cyanoacrylate injection is effective for immediate hemostasis. Repeat cyanoacrylate injection has a lower success rate than the initial injection. Cyanoacrylate embolism is not a common serious complication.

EP4 agonist alleviates indomethacin-induced gastric lesions and promotes chronic gastric ulcer healing

AIM： To investigate EP4-selective agonist effect on indomethacin-induced gastric lesions and on the spontaneous healing of chronic gastric ulcers. METHODS： In a mouse model of gastric bleeding with high dose of indomethacin （20 mg/kg）, an EP4-selective agonist was administered orally. Stomach lesions and gastric mucous regeneration were monitored. In a mouse model of chronic gastric ulcer induced by acetic acid, EP4 agonist effect on the healing of chronic gastric ulcer was evaluated in the presence or absence of low dose indomethadn （3 mg/kg）. In cultured human gastric mucous cells, EP4 agonist effect on indomethacin- induced apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. RESULTS： The EP4-selective agonist reduced high dose indomethacin-induced acute hemorrhagic damage and promoted mucous epithelial regeneration. Low-dose indomethacin aggravated ulcer bleeding and inflammation, and delayed the healing of the established chronic gastric ulcer. The EP4 agonist, when applied locally, not only offset indomethacin-induced gastric bleeding and inflammation, but also accelerated ulcer healing. In the absence of indomethacin, the EP4 agonist even accelerated chronic gastric ulcer healing and suppressed inflammatory cell infiltration in the granulation tissue. In vitro, the EP4 agonist protected human gastric mucous cells from indomethacin-induced apoptosis.CONCLUSION： EP4-selective agonist may prevent indomethacin-induced gastric lesions and promote healing of existing and i ulcers, via promoting mucous epithelial cells. proliferation and survival of mucous epithelial cells.

Coil-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration for gastric varices in a Chinese case

Gastric varices are a major complication of portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis and are associated with more massive bleeding events and higher mortality rate.Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration(BRTO)have been well documented as effective therapies for portal hypertensive gastric variceal bleeding.In China,TIPS are well accepted but BRTO is not well recieved due to the increase risk of complications associated with traditional BRTO.However,modified-BRTO,known as coil-assisted and plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration(CARTO and PARTO,respectively),is receiving increased attention due to devoid of BRTO’s shortcomings.No CARTO case from China has been reported in literature thus far.Here,we present a Chinese case of CARTO to treat gastric varices bleeding.

Torsion of spleen and portal hypertension: Pathophysiology and clinical implications

The displacement of spleen from its normal location to other places is known as wandering spleen(WS)and is a rare disease.The repeated torsion of WS is due to the presence of long pedicle and absence/laxity of anchoring ligaments.A WS is an extremely rare cause of left-sided portal hypertension(PHT)and severe gastric variceal bleeding.Left-sided PHT usually occurs as a result of splenic vein occlusion caused by splenic torsion,extrinsic compression of the splenic pedicle by enlarged spleen,and splenic vein thrombosis.There is a paucity of data on WSrelated PHT,and these data are mostly in the form of case reports.In this review,we have analyzed the data of 20 reported cases of WS-related PHT.The mechanisms of pathogenesis,clinico-demographic profile,and clinical implications are described in this article.The majority of patients were diagnosed in the second to third decade of life(mean age:26 years),with a strong female preponderance(M:F=1:9).Eleven of the 20 WS patients with left-sided PHT presented with abdominal pain and mass.In 6 of the 11 patients,varices were detected incidentally on preoperative imaging studies or discovered intraoperatively.Therefore,pre-operative search for varices is required in patients with splenic torsion.

Efficacy and safety of combined endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection and balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous occlusion(BRTOcc)of gastrorenal shunts in patients with bleeding gastric fundal varices

Background:Endoscopic cyanoacrylate(glue)injection of fundal varices may result in life-threatening embolic adverse events through spontaneous gastrorenal shunts(GRSs).Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous occlusion(BRTOcc)of GRSs during cyanoacrylate injection may prevent serious systemic glue embolization through the shunt.This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combined endoscopic–interventional radiologic(BRTOcc)approach for the treatment of bleeding fundal varices.Methods:We retrospectively analysed the data of patients who underwent the combined procedure for acutely bleeding fundal varices between January 2010 and April 2018.Data were extracted for patient demographics,clinical and endoscopic findings,technical details,and adverse events of the endoscopic–BRTOcc approach and patient outcomes.Results:We identified 30 patients(13[43.3%]women;median age 58[range,25–92]years)with gastroesophageal varices type 2(53.3%,16/30)and isolated gastric varices type 1(46.7%,14/30)per Sarin classification,and median clinical and endoscopic follow-up of 151(range,4–2,513)days and 98(range,3–2,373)days,respectively.The median volume of octylcyanoacrylate:Lipiodol injected was 7(range,4–22)mL.Procedure-related adverse events occurred in three(10.0%)patients,including transient fever,non-life-threatening pulmonary glue embolism,and an injection-site ulcer bleed.Complete gastric variceal obturation was achieved in 18 of 21 patients(85.7%)at endoscopic follow-up.Delayed variceal rebleeding was confirmed in one patient(3.3%)and suspected in two patients(6.7%).Although no procedure-related deaths occurred,the overall mortality rate was 46.7%,primarily from liver-disease progression and co-morbidities.Conclusion:The combined endoscopic–BRTOcc procedure is a relatively safe and effective technique for bleeding fundal varices,with a high rate of variceal obturation and a low rate of serious adverse events.