Role of endoscopic injection therapy in the treatment of bleeding peptic ulcer

Of patients with peptic ulceration who are actively bleeding at endoscopy, 80 per cent will continue to bleed or rebleed in hospital; 50 per cent of those who have a non-bleeding visible vessel will also rebleed. Endoscopic injection treatment stops active bleeding and prevents further haemorrhage in most of these patients. The mechanism of action may include tamponade, vasoconstriction, sclerosis, tissue dehydration and thrombogenesis; substances injected include adrenaline, sclerosants, alcohol, thrombin, or a combination of agents. Although trials often define the need for surgery as an injection treatment failure, an alternative view is that endoscopic control may facilitate safe, early, elective surgery. A successful outcome may require a combination of endoscopic and operative approaches.