6533b835fe1ef96bd129ebca

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Prevention of upper gastrointestinal bleeding from portal hypertension in cirrhosis: rationale for medical treatment.

Linda PastaFabio TinèGennaro D'amicoLuigi Pagliaro

subject

Liver Cirrhosismedicine.medical_specialtyCirrhosisAdrenergic beta-AntagonistsEsophageal and Gastric Variceslaw.inventionRandomized controlled triallawRecurrenceHypertension PortalMedicineHumansIntensive care medicineMedical treatmentbusiness.industryIncidenceGastroenterologyHemodynamicsGeneral Medicinemedicine.diseaseSurgeryMeta-analysisPortal hypertensionUpper gastrointestinal bleedingbusinessGastrointestinal Hemorrhage

description

We updated meta-analysis and critical descriptive analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the value of beta-blockers in preventing first bleeding (prophylactic) or rebleeding (therapeutic) and on survival of patients with cirrhosis. Both the methods of Peto-Mantel-Haenszel and DerSimonian-Laird were used to assess the heterogeneity and obtain cumulative estimates of treatment effects; the L'Abbé plot was also used for a visual assessment of heterogeneity in the direction of treatment effect. Seven prophylactic and nine therapeutic RCTs were analysed. beta-Blockers uniformly reduced the bleeding risk and revealed a trend toward improved survival in non-ascitic, well-compensated patients in both the prophylactic and therapeutic sets of RCTs. Discordant results were found in patients with ascites or in poor functional condition.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
1992-01-01Digestive diseases (Basel, Switzerland)
10.1159/000171388https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1362378