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[Prognosis of the bleeding as a complication of percutaneous thick needle biopsy of the liver].

UNLABELLED: Bleeding after biopsy of the liver (LB) is a rare event, hard to prognose and occurs frequently in those cases, when we do not expect it. Bleeding is the main reason of complications and deaths subsequent to LB. The aim of the study was to prognose the bleeding on the basis of hemodynamic disturbances and clinical symptoms occurring just after LB. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was performed on 145 patients with LB. The blood pressure and heart rate were examined before and after procedure of biopsy. In the group of 142 patients without bleeding complications, circulating disturbances and clinical symptoms were compared with three patients of bleeding subsequent to LB. The patients with bleeding were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: In the group of patients without bleeding complications after LB there was observed statistically significant reduction of blood pressure. In 29 cases (46%) bradycardia occurred, in 15 cases (23.8%) clinical symptoms of vasovagal syndrome were noticed. Pain at the needle insertion site and shoulder pain happened in 15 (10.6%) patients. In one patient with low hypotension the pain was intense and localized in the whole abdominal cavity. In two cases with bleeding the hypotension occurred in 6th and 7th hour with the heart rate 60-70/min and in the third case the massive bleeding led to the shock. CONCLUSION: Hemodynamic disturbances including hypotension and bradycardia are frequent and difficult to diagnose. Bradycardia does not differentiate vasovagal reaction after LB with hypotension caused by bleeding. Coincidence of hypotension with abdominal pain indicates the high probability of bleeding subsequent to LB. Ultrasound examination of the abdomen is highly useful in the confirmation of bleeding complications.

Adolescent↗

Combination therapy with aspirin, clopidogrel and warfarin following coronary stenting is associated with a significant risk of bleeding.

Dual antiplatelet therapy of aspirin and a thienopyridine is the standard of care following coronary stenting. Patients who are on chronic warfarin therapy and receive a coronary stent need to be treated with the triple therapy of aspirin, clopidogrel and warfarin; however, the bleeding risk in these patients is unknown. To evaluate the bleeding risk in patients requiring chronic warfarin therapy and undergoing stent implantation, we compared 107 consecutive patients on chronic warfarin therapy who underwent coronary stenting and were discharged on aspirin, clopidogrel and warfarin to 107 contemporary patients who were treated with aspirin and clopidogrel. We evaluated their bleeding history before and after coronary stenting. Major bleeding was defined as bleeding that was significantly disabling, intraocular or requiring at least 2 units of blood transfusion. Minor bleeding was defined as other bleeding that led to interruption of the medications. Patients on triple therapy were younger and more likely to have hypertension. This group had significantly higher major bleeding (6.6% vs. 0%; p = 0.03) and minor bleeding (14.9% vs. 3.8%; p = 0.01) compared with the dual antiplatelet therapy group. In the triple therapy group, the international normalized ratio or aspirin dosage did not influence the bleeding risk. In patients requiring warfarin therapy, the addition of dual antiplatelet therapy is associated with an approximately 7% major bleeding risk. Thus, novel regimens are needed to reduce the bleeding risk.

Aged↗

Randomised controlled trials for variceal bleeding.

The variceal bleeding episode represents several days of high risk of bleeding, thus therapy should be evaluated not only in terms of immediate cessation of bleeding but also in terms of providing a bleed-free interval of a few days. As the risk of continued bleeding or very early rebleeding from varices diminishes rapidly following admission, time is an important confounding variable when comparing therapies within and between trials. Cirrhotics with better liver function are more likely to stop bleeding with simple measures than those with worse liver function. Vasopressin, glypressin, vasopressin combined with nitroglycerin and somatostatin have all been used as splanchnic arteriolar vasoconstrictors thus reducing portal pressure. No trial has demonstrated increased survival with use of these agents. The efficacy of vasopressin is now disputed. Vasopressin combined with nitroglycerin and somatostatin have the fewest side-effects and may be more effective than vasopressin alone. Balloon tamponade arrests bleeding and prevents exsanguination, but should be used solely as a temporizing measure before the use of emergency sclerotherapy or surgery. Sclerotherapy is the only non-operative emergency technique which has been shown not only to stop variceal bleeding, but to reduce the frequency of very early rebleeding. Emergency oesophageal transection is equally if not more effective in arresting bleeding than sclerotherapy and has a lower early rebleeding rate and a similar mortality. Choice of treatment depends on expertise available. Further studies in the management of variceal bleeding should evaluate 3 main areas. Firstly improvement of existing therapies or new therapies. Secondly, investigation of therapies not related to bleeding, eg prophylaxis against infection, improvement in renal support. Lastly evaluation of predictive factors which may a priori determine a high risk of continued bleeding or early rebleeding thus justifying immediate sclerotherapy or surgery in a sub-group of patients.

Balloon Occlusion↗

Unplanned reoperation for bleeding.

Thirty (0.46%) patients required one or more reoperations to control bleeding after 6499 elective surgical procedures. A specific bleeding site was identified in 10 (0.15%), and bleeding was diffuse in 20 (0.31%). Bleeding occurred despite normal prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times and adequate platelet counts in all 30 cases. Diffuse bleeding was associated with the preoperative use of aspirin alone or in combination with other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) in 19 of 20 patients (95%). None of the patients with a discrete bleeding point identified at reoperation were taking these products (P < 0.001). More than one reoperation was more often required in the patients with diffuse postoperative bleeding than those with a specific site of hemorrhage. Many of these subsequent procedures were required to manage infections that developed after the first reoperation to control bleeding. Intensive care unit use, length of intensive care unit stay, total hospital stay, and hospital charges were all significantly increased when diffuse postoperative bleeding was noted. Postoperative bleeding, especially when it is diffuse rather than from a specific bleeding point, significantly prolongs hospital stay and increases costs. Bleeding is not prevented by obtaining routine screening coagulation profiles. A medication history with special attention to the recent use of aspirin and NSAIDS is advised before elective operations. Delaying surgery until the antiplatelet effects of these drugs have worn off may be advisable.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

A perspective on the use of FVIII concentrates and cryoprecipitate prophylactically in surgery or therapeutically in severe bleeds in patients with von Willebrand disease unresponsive to DDAVP: results of an international survey. On behalf of the Subcommittee on von Willebrand Factor of the Scientific and Standardization Committee of the ISTH.

An international registry was established by the Subcommittee on von Willebrand Factor of the SSC/ISTH on the treatment of patients with types of von Willebrand disease (vWD) unresponsive to DDAVP infusion. Data was collected on 76 surgical events in 64 patients from 19 treatment centers. Thirty-three non-mucosal, 12 mucosal, 10 orthopedic and 21 dental procedures were reported. In the 76 surgical events, 14 cases prophylactically received cryoprecipitate while 62 received factor VIII (FVIII) concentrate. Surgical hemostasis was reported as satisfactory, good, or excellent in 75 of the 76 cases. Post-infusion bleeding times were measured in only three of 14 surgical events treated with cryoprecipitate. All three cases had a reduction but not correction of the bleeding time. The post-infusion bleeding time was measured in 27 of 62 cases in which FVIII concentrates were used. The bleeding time time was normalized in 15, reduced but not normalized in eight, and not changed from baseline in four. Data was also collected from 16 treatment centers on 50 serious bleeding events in 35 patients. These included 19 gastrointestinal, 15 other mucosal, four central nervous system, seven orthopedic, and five other mucosal, four central nervous system, seven orthopedic, and five other bleeds. Eleven cases received cryoprecipitate and 39 received FVIII concentrate as primary therapy. The efficacy of treatment was considered good or excellent in 49 of 50 cases. Post-infusion bleeding times were measured in only 15 of the 50 reported bleeding events. The post-infusion bleeding time was normalized in six, decreased but not normalized in eight, and not changed from baseline in one. In this retrospective survey, FVIII concentrates were subjectively as efficacious as cryoprecipitate in both the surgical setting and for the treatment of severe bleeds in patients with types of vWd unresponsive to DDAVP. Since the bleeding time was monitored during therapy in only a minority of these cases, a definitive relationship between the efficacy of therapy and normalization or reduction of the bleeding time in these two clinical settings cannot be established from this study. A prospective study on the use of FVIII and/or vWf concentrates in these clinical settings is necessary to address this issue.

Cryoglobulins↗

Bleeding classification in clinical trials: observer variability and clinical relevance.

To evaluate the bleeding classification in a recent trial on venous thrombosis treatment, a selection of reported bleeding episodes was adjudicated twice by an independent committee and graded by the treating physician and independent clinical experts on the clinical severity and impact on the patient's life. The kappa values for the dichotomy major bleeding versus minor or no bleeding were 0.79 (95% CI, 0.57-1.0) for the agreement between the two members of the adjudication committee and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.52-1.0) for the agreement between both adjudication sessions. The kappa values for the dichotomy major or minor bleeding versus no bleeding were 0.42 and 0.44. The weighted kappa values for the agreement between the treating physician and the independent experts were 0.76 for the clinical severity and 0.79 for the impact on the patient's life (95% CI, 0.63-0.88 and 0.70-0.89). The association between the adjudication result expressed as major bleeding or minor or no bleeding and the clinical grading by the treating physician resulted in an ROC curve with an area under the curve of 0.98 for the clinical severity and 0.99 for the impact on the patient's life. The dichotomy major or minor bleeding versus no bleeding resulted in areas under the curve of 0.70 and 0.66. In conclusion, the applied criteria for major bleeding are reproducible and clinically relevant. The criteria for minor bleeding are not reproducible and are less associated with the observed clinical relevance.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Colonoscopy: the initial test for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Despite literature showing safety, accuracy, and therapeutic capability of emergency colonoscopy for acute lower gastrointestinal (LGI) bleeding, surgical literature suggests that this examination is difficult to perform in the acute setting. In contrast to currently accepted protocols, we believe that unprepared colonoscopy within 24 hours of presentation can be performed safely with a high rate of success in localizing and often treating the specific cause of LGI bleeding. We report results over a 7-year period in our institution using early colonoscopy as the primary investigative method for the diagnosis and treatment of LGI bleeding. We analyzed 85 consecutive patients suspected of LGI bleeding referred to the surgical service between 1989 and 1996. LGI bleeding was defined as the passage of blood per rectum, distal to the ligament if Trietz. We excluded patients who were only hemoccult positive or had an upper gastrointestinal source by nasogastric aspirate or upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. All patients underwent urgent unprepped colonoscopy by surgical endoscopists relying on the cathartic effect of blood and liberal suction/irrigation to cleanse the colon. Therapeutic maneuvers included Nd:YAG laser or BICAP coagulation. Studies in which active bleeding was found or lesions with endoscopic evidence of recent hemorrhage were considered positive. A total of 126 colonoscopies were performed in 85 patients, 44 males and 41 females, with a median age of 75 years (range, 12-91 years). Fifty-three patients (62%) had hematocrit drops of greater than 5 per cent. Thirty-four patients were transfused an average of 4.5 units of blood per patient. The source of bleeding was correctly identified in 82 of 85 (97%) patients. Ninety-one per cent of sources were colonic, and 9 per cent were small bowel. Fecal residue prevented initial adequate examination in only two patients. Diverticulosis (20%), ischemic colitis (18%), hemorrhoids (14%), and arteriovenous malformations (11%) were the predominant sources of bleeding. Spontaneous cessation of bleeding occurred in 58 (68%) patients. Control of active hemorrhage was achieved endoscopically in 17 of 27 acutely bleeding patients. Significant therapeutic interventions were performed in 26 additional patients, including fulgration, polypectomy, relief of obstruction, and removal of foreign body. One patient with asymptomatic free air was observed nonoperatively, for a complication rate of 0.8 per cent. In-hospital mortality was 3.5 per cent (three patients), all secondary to multisystem organ failure and underlying disease. In-hospital rebleeding rate was 3.5 per cent (three). We conclude that, using colonoscopy, it is possible to identify the source of acute LGI bleeding in more than 95 per cent of cases. Diagnostic and therapeutic capability with colonoscopic intervention to control active hemorrhage is especially appealing. Additionally, the pattern, amount, and location of blood in the unprepared colon all give clues as to source and rate of bleeding. In experienced hands, morbidity and mortality of emergent colonoscopy is very low. High accuracy, safety, and therapeutic capability makes colonoscopy the initial diagnostic test of choice for acute LGI hemorrhage.

Acute Disease↗

Aspirin effects on colonic mucosal bleeding: implications for colonic biopsy and polypectomy.

BACKGROUND: Many patients who require endoscopic treatments such as biopsy and polypectomy are given antiplatelet agents reluctantly. We have studied the effects of aspirin on colonic mucosal hemostasis. METHODS AND PATIENTS: We developed a new endoscopic device to make a standard incision (7-mm length) on the colonic mucosa to study colon bleeding time. We measured the colon bleeding time of normal colonic mucosa in 47 cases. The colon bleeding time and skin bleeding time (Simplate method) were measured before and one hour after aspirin ingestion (990 mg) in ten healthy subjects. RESULTS: The bleeding time of normal colonic mucosa was 156 +/- 71 (mean +/- standard deviation) seconds. Significant prolongation was noted in both skin bleeding time (357 +/- 192 vs. 477 +/- 183 seconds; P < 0.05) and colon bleeding time (155 +/- 47 vs. 244 +/- 169 seconds; P < 0.05) after aspirin ingestion. CONCLUSIONS: Bleeding time was measured safely under direct colonoscopic visualization. Aspirin prolonged the colon bleeding time. Therefore, endoscopists should be aware of a risk of abnormal bleeding after endoscopic biopsy and polypectomy in patients with aspirin use. Two days were necessary for colon bleeding time to become normalized in patients with aspirin use.

Aspirin↗

Vaginal bleeding patterns in women using once-a-month injectable contraceptives.

The main raison d'être for the development of once-a-month injectable contraceptives is the need for a long-acting method which produces a regular vaginal bleeding pattern. Although many women will successfully tolerate the amenorrhea or irregular bleeding which frequently accompany use of long-acting progestogen-only methods, there is a substantial minority, especially in certain ethnic groups, who find this unacceptable. The extensive literature does indicate that although combined estrogen-progestogen once-a-month injectables produce much more regular bleeding patterns than long-acting injectables like depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate, the patterns are not entirely normal. Detailed studies by the World Health Organization have demonstrated some deviation from normal menstrual patterns by users of the two once-a-month injectables, Cyclofem and Mesigyna. For example, 23.5% of Cyclofem and 25.2% of Mesigyna users experience irregular bleeding between 3 and 6 months of use compared with 4.8% of untreated women, and 13.3% of Cyclofem and 11.1% of Mesigyna users experience prolonged bleeding compared with 2.3% of untreated women. Comparable figures are much worse for DMPA users with a 35.7% incidence of irregular and 27.7% incidence of prolonged bleeding after similar duration of use. Bleeding patterns with all long-acting methods tend to improve with time. Overall group data for once-a-month injectable users are reasonably close to those of untreated women with, for example, a median of 15.6 days (5th and 95th percentiles: 7.5 and 26; confidence limits) of bleeding or spotting per 90-day reference period compared with a median of 18.5 days (5th and 95th percentiles: 12.2 and 25.5) for untreated women. Twelve-month life table discontinuation rates for menstrual bleeding disturbances are lower than expected for most progestogen-only methods at 2.1-5.2% for Cyclofem and 0.8-4.2% for Mesigyna for amenorrhea, and 6.3-12.7% for Cyclofem and 7.5-12.0% for Mesigyna for bleeding-related reasons. Once-a-month injectable contraceptives produce vaginal bleeding patterns much closer to normal than other injectables, but there are still significant deviations which lead to some discontinuation for menstrual reasons. Hence, full explanation and counselling about possible menstrual changes are still essential for all intending users of these methods.

Contraceptive Agents, Female↗

Dose-effect and pharmacokinetics of estrogens given to correct bleeding time in uremia.

Conjugated estrogens have a significant and long-lasting effect in shortening bleeding time in patients with end-stage renal disease. The studies so far available indicate that repeated estrogen administrations are necessary to short bleeding time in uremia in a dose range of 95 to 325 mg. With the present study we wanted to establish whether single or repeated doses are required to induce a significant shortening of bleeding time in uremia, and the minimum cumulative dose of conjugated estrogens necessary to control bleeding time for a prolonged period of time, and to check whether the prolonged effect of estrogens on bleeding time in uremia is due to an accumulation of the drug or its metabolites in the blood. Fifteen uremics on chronic hemodialysis were studied. A pilot study carried out in five uremic patients indicated that single or repeated estrogen infusions of 0.3 mg/kg did not significantly influence bleeding time values. Therefore the subsequent studies have been carried out using daily infusion of 0.6 mg/kg. A single estrogen infusion of 0.6 mg/kg shortened bleeding time in all patients. The effect was transient and bleeding time returned to pre-infusion values within 72 hours. A 50% decrease of bleeding time or a shortening of bleeding time more than 30 to 15 minutes or less was obtained in all patients with four or five infusions (0.6 mg/kg) spaced 24 hours apart. The effect lasted for 14 days. At day 25 from the last infusion all the patients had bleeding time values comparable with the pre-infusion ones.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Clinical approach to the patient with unexpected bleeding.

Bleeding can be considered unexpected if it is disproportionate to the intensity of the haemostatic stress in a patient with no known haemorrhagic disorder or if it occurs in a patient in whom a bleeding disorder has been characterized but is adequately treated. A thorough history usually allows the clinician to predict reasonably accurately whether the patient is likely to have a systemic haemostatic defect (and if so whether it is congenital or acquired), or whether the bleeding likely has a purely anatomical basis. The nature of bleeding is instructive with respect to preliminary categorization. Thus, mucocutaneous bleeding suggests defects of primary haemostasis (disordered platelet-vascular interactions). Bleeding into deeper structures is more suggestive of coagulation defects leading to impaired fibrin clot formation, and delayed bleeding after primary haemostasis is characteristic of hyperfibrinolysis. Localized bleeding suggests an anatomical cause, although an underlying haemostatic defect may coexist. Where bleeding is so acutely threatening as to require urgent intervention, diagnosis and treatment must proceed simultaneously. In the case of minor haemorrhage (not threatening to life or limb) it may be preferable to defer therapy while the nature of the bleeding disorder is methodically investigated. Initial laboratory evaluation is guided by the preliminary clinical impression. The amount of blood loss can be inferred from the haematocrit or haemoglobin concentration, and the platelet count will quickly identify cases in which thrombocytopenia is the likely cause of bleeding. In the latter instance, examination of the red cell morphology, leucocyte differential, and mean platelet volume may allow the aetiological mechanism to be presumptively identified as hypoproliferative or consumptive. With regard to coagulation testing, the activated PTT, prothrombin time, and thrombin time usually constitute an adequate battery of screening tests, unless the clinical picture is sufficiently distinctive to indicate the immediate need for more focused testing. In any event, sufficient blood should be taken to allow more detailed studies to be done based on the results of these screening tests. These results will direct the need for further assays, such as specific clotting factor activity levels, von Willebrand factor assays, tests for coagulation inhibitors, platelet function assays, and markers of primary or secondary fibrinolytic activity.

Adult↗

The volume of blood shed during the bleeding time correlates with the peripheral venous hematocrit.

The relation among the bleeding time, the peripheral venous hematocrit, and the amount of blood shed at the template bleeding time site has not been previously defined. We studied this relation in 227 persons: 26 were patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), 137 were patients with a variety of other bleeding disorders, and 64 were healthy subjects. The bleeding time (mean +/- SD) for the healthy group was 7.1 +/- 1.2 minutes, and the amount of shed blood was 136.4 +/- 47.2 microL; in patients with ITP the bleeding time was 14.0 +/- 4.1 minutes and the shed blood was 508.1 +/- 387 microL; and in the group with other bleeding disorders, the mean bleeding time was 9.0 +/- 3.5 minutes, and the amount of shed blood was 224.7 +/- 184 microL. Bleeding times for all persons studied showed a significant correlation of 0.75 for the amount of shed blood on the filter paper and a significant correlation of 0.28 for the peripheral venous hematocrit. There was also a significant correlation between the bleeding time and the platelet count in patients with ITP. This study demonstrates that the volume of blood shed at the bleeding time site correlates with the peripheral venous hematocrit and emphasizes the contribution of the hematocrit to primary hemostasis in healthy subjects and patients with bleeding disorders.

Bleeding Time↗

Prolonged bleeding time: a new clinical manifestation of hepatocellular carcinoma?

The association between prolonged bleeding time and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been well studied. We investigated whether bleeding time is prolonged in cirrhotic patients with HCC and studied the role of clinical characteristics, tumour size, and laboratory data in predicting bleeding time prolongation. After excluding patients that presented with blood dyscrasia and uraemia, 58 cirrhotic patients with HCC, 106 cirrhotic patients without HCC, and 44 age-and sex-matched healthy subjects were included in the study. Bleeding time, imaging studies, clinical characteristics and biochemical data were obtained for every patient. Cirrhotic patients with and without HCC had longer bleeding times (554 +/- 32 s, respectively) compared with healthy controls (357 +/- 13 s, P < 0.05). Hepatocellular carcinoma patients with a large tumour burden (> 5 cm in diameter) had a significantly longer bleeding time than those patients without (663 +/- 105 vs 376 +/- 23 s, respectively, P < 0.05). After excluding patients with a platelet count < or = 80 000/mm3, cirrhotic patients classified as Child-Pugh's grading A and with a large tumour burden had longer bleeding times(580 +/- 87 s) than patients with a small tumour burden (< or = 5cm in diameter) and cirrhotic patients without HCC (371 +/- 22 and 416 +/- 29 s, respectively, P < 0.05). In cirrhotic patients with HCC, higher serum bilirubin levels, a Child-Pugh's grading C, and a tumour size > 5 cm in diameter were found to be significant predictors for prolonged bleeding time on univariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, both tumour size > 5 cm in diameter and a Child-Pugh's grading C (odd's ratio, 95% confidence interval and P value were measured as 38.5, 2.8-534.7, < 0.001, and 10.5, 0.9-117.6, 0.02, respectively) were the significant independent predictors. A significant correlation existed between tumour diameter and bleeding time (r = 0.44, P < 0.01). In conclusion, these results suggest that prolonged bleeding time may be categorized as a new clinical manifestation in patients with HCC. In addition to cirrhosis, HCC itself may also participate in the pathogenesis of bleeding time prolongation.

Bleeding Time↗

Effects of platelet transfusion on post cardiopulmonary bypass bleeding.

A common complication of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery is post-operative bleeding that may result in re-exploration. Bleeding is often due to the coagulopathy that follows the procedure, rather than the surgical technique. Etiology of this coagulopathy has been attributed to platelet dysfunction. We reviewed the medical records of 592 patients who had undergone CPB surgery between 1992 and 1994. Bleeding times (both pre and post operative) in treated (those who received platelets) and untreated patients were recorded where available. Both groups showed a rise in bleeding time (295 sec versus 192 sec, respectively, p<0.001). However, the treated group had a greater increase in the bleeding time compared to the un-treated (p<0.05). The result was the same when we compared 2 subgroups with similar pre-operative bleeding times. When the treated group was subdivided into those who received >10 units of platelets and those who received <10 units, there was no significant difference in the increase in their bleeding times (p>0.1). Administration of platelets did not improve bleeding time abnormalities induced by CPB. Both treated and untreated groups had a significant rise in their bleeding times, irrespective of the amount of platelets administered. The mean rise in the bleeding time in patients who bled significantly to require surgical re-exploration (but did not receive platelets) was not significantly different from those who received platelets. These observations suggest that the administration of platelets has no clinical benefit in improving bleeding time following CPB.

Bleeding Time↗

[Standardization of bleeding time by IVY method in male Japanese healthy volunteers].

PURPOSE: In the development of new antithrombotic agents, the bleeding time has been used to evaluate the anti-hemostatic effects and predict the bleeding tendency. The Simplate bleeding time method (SIMP) has so far been used worldwide. However, the production of Simplate has been ceased. In this study, we introduced a new method which applies a thin taper needle to bleeding time measurement (IVY). There is no fundamental data of IVY in Japanese and the characters of two methods have never been compared in Japanese subjects. The purpose of this study is to find the standard values of bleeding time using IVY in 120 Japanese healthy male subjects and compare the inter-operator and inter-subject variability of IVY and SIMP. METHODS: In 120 subjects, bleeding time was measured by 1 operator using two different implements for IVY. In 6 volunteers, bleeding time was measured by 3 different operators using IVY and SIMP. RESULTS: The standards of bleeding time using IVY were 1'13"-2'44" (mean1'58" +/- 2SD, n = 117) by Glucoject Plus 2 and 1'4"-2'47" (mean1'56" +/- 2SD, n = 116) by auto-Lancet II. Average values by IVY were consistent, 1.8, 1.8 and 1.9 minutes among 3 operators. The corresponding values by SIMP were inconsistent, 5.3, 6.8 and 9.2 minutes. Bleeding time values measured by IVY were stable and consistent among subjects compared with values obtained by SIMP. CONCLUSION: The standard of bleeding time using IVY and less inter-operator and -subject variability of IVY were shown in this study. IVY might replace SIMP for measuring bleeding time.

Adult↗

Bleeding after endoscopic sphincterotomy as an underestimated entity.

Hemorrhage is the most frequent complication of endoscopic sphincterotomy, with a reported incidence of 2 to 9 per cent. Previous reports have generally defined this complication clinically, leaving the issue of occult bleeding after sphincterotomy essentially unaddressed. Seventy-five serial sphincterotomies were reviewed to further assess this complication. Nine patients had clinically evident hemorrhage and 27 patients had occult bleeding manifested only by a decrement in hematologic parameters, for a total postsphincterotomy bleeding rate of 48 per cent. No statistically significant risk factors for bleeding were delineated. Endoscopically recognized bleeding at the time of the sphincterotomy was 47 per cent sensitive and 85 per cent specific in predicting postprocedural bleeding. Significant delayed hemorrhage was manifest in three patients, one of whom had clinically occult bleeding. We conclude that bleeding complicates endoscopic sphincterotomy much more frequently than previously reported, although often in a clinically occult manner. Significant delayed bleeding can occur, and may not be clinically apparent. Bleeding recognized endoscopically at the time of sphincterotomy is an insensitive but relatively specific predictor of postprocedural bleeding. As use of endoscopic sphincterotomy increases, careful surveillance for hemorrhagic complications, as well as efforts to identify factors predisposing to the same, will be of increasing importance.

Aged↗

Accuracy and efficacy of nuclear scintigraphy for the detection of gastrointestinal bleeding.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of nuclear scintigraphy for the diagnosis and localization of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and to determine whether nuclear scintigraphy accurately predicts the results of angiography. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. The following data were obtained from the medical records: age; diagnosis before scintigraphy; duration of bleeding; hemoglobin and hematocrit values; number and duration of blood transfusions; results of angiography and GI endoscopy; location of bleeding as determined by angiography, endoscopy, and nuclear scintigraphy; treatment received by patients; actual site of bleeding as documented in the medical record; and outcome of treatment. SETTING: Community hospital in a city with a population of approximately 100,000 and a catchment area of approximately 500,000. PATIENTS: One hundred fifty-five patients undergoing 161 nuclear scintigraphic examinations because of GI bleeding between January 1, 1989, and December 31, 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnosis and location of GI bleeding as determined by nuclear scintigraphy and angiography and actual site of GI bleeding as confirmed by operative intervention or endoscopy. RESULTS: Of 114 scintigraphic examinations for which the diagnosis and localization of GI bleeding were definite, results were positive in 56 (49.1%); of these 56, a definite location of the bleeding was shown in 51 cases (91.1%), and the bleeding was localized to its exact site in 22 cases (19.3%). Of the scintigraphic examinations for which results were positive, results of angiograms were positive in 7 cases, which gives nuclear scintigraphy a 39% positive predictive value for angiography. CONCLUSION: The routine use of nuclear scintigraphy is neither accurate nor cost-effective for determining the site of GI bleeding in the community hospital.

Adult↗

Repeat selective visceral angiography in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin.

In the past 9 years, we have operated on 56 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding of obscure origin. Selective visceral angiography demonstrated the bleeding lesions in 24 of the 30 patients who underwent this investigation. Six of these 24 patients, however, had a negative angiogram initially and the lesions were only demonstrated on a repeat angiogram. The negative initial angiograms were due to: (1) slow bleeding from lesions in two patients; (2) a small bleeding tumour that caused only intermittent jejunojejunal intussusception in one patient; (3) technical fault in one patient; and (4) spasm of the bleeding vascular lesions and their feeding arteries in two patients. We advocate repeat angiography the following day in all patients in whom profuse bleeding continues, and during the next intestinal bleeding in those whose bleeding stops after the initial negative angiography. In patients who have repeated episodes of massive bleeding, and in whom full investigations fail to reveal the bleeding source, repeat angiography carried out 4 weeks after the bleeding has stopped can sometimes demonstrate the vascular lesions.

Angiography↗