A New Triple-Lumen Tube for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage

THE first successful attempt at controlling esophageal hemorrhage by balloon tamponage was reported by Westphal1 in 1930. He treated 2 patients with a Gottstein sound distended with water, and applied the compression effectively for twenty-four to twenty-nine hours without any harmful consequence. The idea attracted little attention until 1947, when Rowntree and his associates2 obtained good results in 2 patients using a Miller—Abbott tube with a latex bag attached to the distal end. Since then other papers have appeared in the literature attesting to the value of balloon tamponage in the treatment of variceal hemorrhage.3 4 5 6 7 Most of the authors focused . . .