INTRODUCTION: Hemospray, an inorganic hemostatic powder, has emerged as a promising tool for managing gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), offering advantages in ease of use and effectiveness across various bleeding etiologies. In this retrospective cohort study of 55 patients at a tertiary care center, we evaluated Hemospray as either a primary or salvage endoscopic hemostatic therapy. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study reviewed consecutive adults who presented with GIB and received Hemospray from January 1, 2019, to August 22, 2022. The primary outcome was immediate hemostasis, and secondary outcomes included rebleeding rate, blood transfusion requirement, length of stay, and mortality. Statistical comparisons were made using Wilcoxon's rank sum and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: The study included 55 patients with a median age of 57 (IQR, 49-67). Of these, 47 had an upper gastrointestinal bleed. The sources of bleeding identified included gastric ulcers (27%), bleeding tumors (20%), duodenal ulcers (18%), erosive esophagitis (11%), esophageal varices (9%), Mallory-Weiss tears (5%), Dieulafoy lesions (5%), and others (4%). Immediate hemostasis was achieved in 98% (54) of patients.Rebleeding was documented in 30% (n=10) of the patients treated with Hemospray as an adjuvant therapy versus 14% (n=3) in the group treated only with Hemospray (p-value: 0.20). CONCLUSION: The use of Hemospray is effective in achieving immediate hemostasis in patients with acute GIB. There was no significant difference in the rate of rebleeding between the patients treated with Hemospray alone compared with the patients treated with Hemospray as adjuvant therapy.
Garrison et al. (Tue,) studied this question.