TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Balloon Tamponade of Gastrointestinal Bleeding A1 - Attar, Bashar M. A2 - Reichman, Eric F. Y1 - 2018 N1 - T2 - Reichman's Emergency Medicine Procedures, 3e AB - Gastroesophageal varices are among the most dangerous complications associated with cirrhosis. They are present in 50% to 60% of cirrhotic patients.1 Approximately 30% of patients 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 Variceal bleeding stops spontaneously in 20% to 30% of cases.1-4 It recurs in 70% of patients 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 (e.g., rebleeding, infection, hepatic dysfunction, and portal pressure ≥ 12 mmHg).6,7 Somatostatin and its analogues cause splanchnic vasoconstriction, leading to reduced portal pressure and portal blood flow, whereas venodilators reduce portal pressure by reducing resistance to portal flow.7,8 SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1159799549 ER -