Abstract
Twenty-four alcoholic cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices and recent cessation of upper gastrointestinal bleeding were studied. All had flexible fiberoptic endoscopy, and many had nasogastric intubation for tamponade or lavage within 48 hours following the bleeding episode. In 22 patients endoscopy revealed esophageal varices to be the source of bleeding; of the 2 remaining, 1 had acute erosive gastritis and 1 a duodenal ulcer. No bleeding occurred in any of these patients subsequent to the procedures. No other complications related to the procedure developed. Fear of esophageal intubation in the presence of varices is not based on factual data.
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Lopez-Torres, A., Waye, J.D. The safety of intubation in patients with esophageal varices. Digest Dis Sci 18, 1032–1034 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01076517
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01076517