TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Chapter 63. Balloon Tamponade of Gastrointestinal Bleeding A1 - Reichman, Eric F. PY - 2013 T2 - Emergency Medicine Procedures, 2e AB - Gastroesophageal varices are among the most dangerous complications associated with cirrhosis. They are present in 50% to 60% of cirrhotic patients, and about 30% of them will experience an episode of variceal hemorrhage within 2 years of the diagnosis of varices.1 The major factors that determine the risk of bleeding are variceal size and the degree of liver dysfunction.1–3 While variceal bleeding stops spontaneously in 20% to 30% of cases, it recurs in 70% within 1 year of the initial episode.1–4 Mortality is as high as 50% in the first year.5 Variceal bleeding accounts for almost one-third of deaths in cirrhotic patients. Variceal hemorrhage has a poor prognosis if it is associated with coexisting or subsequent complications including rebleeding, infection, hepatic dysfunction, and portal pressure ≥12 mmHg.6,7 Somatostatin and its analogs cause splanchnic vasoconstriction leading to reduced portal pressure and portal blood flow while venodilators reduce portal pressure by reducing resistance to portal flow.7,8 SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=57706496 ER -