Treatment of bleeding from peptic ulcers

Written by Chen Rong
Gastroenterology
Updated on September 14, 2024
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Gastrointestinal ulcer bleeding may require different management based on the volume of bleeding.

With significant bleeding, the condition becomes critical and rapidly changing. Priorities include anti-shock measures, rapid replenishment of blood volume, maintaining a supine position, keeping the airway clear to avoid aspiration during vomiting, providing oxygen if necessary, fasting during active bleeding, closely monitoring the patient's vital signs, immediate blood typing and cross-matching, promptly establishing an effective intravenous infusion pathway, and replenishing blood volume. Medications such as PPIs or H2 receptor antagonists can be used; the former should be chosen for severe bleeding and administered intravenously.

About 80% of patients with gastrointestinal ulcer bleeding may stop bleeding without any special treatment, while the remaining patients may experience persistent bleeding or rebleeding. Emergency gastroscopy is crucial to determine if the patient is at high risk of rebleeding or has ongoing bleeding and can include therapeutic endoscopic interventions such as drug injections, electrocoagulation, and the use of hemostatic clips. If endoscopic treatment fails, the gastric and duodenal arteries may be embolized via arterial intervention. If pharmacologic, endoscopic, and interventional treatments cannot control the bleeding, and there is ongoing significant blood loss threatening the patient's life, surgical treatment may be necessary.

(Specific medications should be administered under the guidance of a physician.)

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
51sec home-news-image

Etiology of Peptic Ulcer

Peptic ulcers include gastric ulcers, duodenal bulb ulcers, complex ulcers, and so on. It is currently believed that about 80% of peptic ulcers are related to infection with Helicobacter pylori. Additionally, poor dietary and living habits are closely linked to the formation of peptic ulcers, such as excessive smoking and drinking, overeating cold, greasy, spicy, and irritating foods, as well as strong tea, coffee, etc. Moreover, many medications can cause damage to the gastric mucosa, leading to gastric ulcers, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Furthermore, emotional excitement and major trauma and other stress responses can also lead to acute gastric mucosal lesions, resulting in peptic ulcers.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
57sec home-news-image

Clinical characteristics of peptic ulcer

Peptic ulcer is a common and frequently occurring upper gastrointestinal disease. The most likely cause may be infection by Helicobacter pylori, with other potential causes including irritation from smoking and alcohol, poor dietary and living habits, severe psychological stress, or medications, among others. The primary change is usually an excessive secretion of gastric acid, which irritates the gastric mucosa leading to self-digestion and the appearance of gastric or duodenal erosion and ulcers. Clinically, it often presents as long-term, periodic, rhythmic upper abdominal pain, which may be located in the upper left abdomen or slightly right of the navel, and is often accompanied by regurgitation, belching, acid reflux, nausea, etc. If there is ulcer bleeding, it often presents as black stools or even vomiting blood, among other symptoms.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua
Gastroenterology
1min 22sec home-news-image

Can a peptic ulcer heal itself?

Peptic ulcers, commonly referred to as stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers, are relatively common in clinical settings and generally have a good prognosis. For simple peptic ulcers, patients usually do not exhibit common symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting blood, bloody stools, abdominal distension, vomiting, etc., and these can often heal on their own. However, if a patient experiences typical upper abdominal symptoms like vomiting blood, bloody stools, or significant abdominal pain, especially pain in the lower back, it is advisable for the patient to seek timely treatment at a local hospital for further clarification. In treating this condition, a few points should be noted: First, pay attention to diet and rest, it’s advisable to eat smaller, more frequent meals and avoid spicy foods and abstain from smoking and alcohol. Second, if peptic ulcers are suspected, one might consider using supplementary oral medications, such as antacids or gastroprotective drugs etc., which generally lead to a good prognosis. Of course, if the patient does not exhibit any special symptoms, regular observation may suffice.

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Written by Jiang Guo Ming
Gastroenterology
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Why does a peptic ulcer bleed?

Peptic ulcers include gastric ulcers, duodenal bulb ulcers, and so on. Gastrointestinal bleeding is one of the common complications of peptic ulcers, usually caused by the ulcer being relatively large or deep, invading the blood vessels, leading to vessel rupture and resulting in bleeding. For minor bleeding, the patient may not have any discomfort symptoms, primarily indicated by black stools or a positive fecal occult blood test. If there is substantial bleeding, it can lead to symptoms such as vomiting blood. Such cases need attention and usually require hospitalization for observation and treatment. Sometimes, recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding may require surgical treatment.

doctor image
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Written by Chen Rong
Gastroenterology
1min 51sec home-news-image

Treatment of bleeding from peptic ulcers

Gastrointestinal ulcer bleeding may require different management based on the volume of bleeding. With significant bleeding, the condition becomes critical and rapidly changing. Priorities include anti-shock measures, rapid replenishment of blood volume, maintaining a supine position, keeping the airway clear to avoid aspiration during vomiting, providing oxygen if necessary, fasting during active bleeding, closely monitoring the patient's vital signs, immediate blood typing and cross-matching, promptly establishing an effective intravenous infusion pathway, and replenishing blood volume. Medications such as PPIs or H2 receptor antagonists can be used; the former should be chosen for severe bleeding and administered intravenously. About 80% of patients with gastrointestinal ulcer bleeding may stop bleeding without any special treatment, while the remaining patients may experience persistent bleeding or rebleeding. Emergency gastroscopy is crucial to determine if the patient is at high risk of rebleeding or has ongoing bleeding and can include therapeutic endoscopic interventions such as drug injections, electrocoagulation, and the use of hemostatic clips. If endoscopic treatment fails, the gastric and duodenal arteries may be embolized via arterial intervention. If pharmacologic, endoscopic, and interventional treatments cannot control the bleeding, and there is ongoing significant blood loss threatening the patient's life, surgical treatment may be necessary. (Specific medications should be administered under the guidance of a physician.)