Comparison of 2 Days versus 5 Days of Octreotide after Endoscopic Therapy in Preventing Early Esophageal Varices Rebleed: A Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

In esophageal varices bleeding, following the initial endoscopic hemostasis, it is recommended to administer vasoactive medications for a period of 2-5 days in order to avoid early rebleeding. Octreotide is the preferred vasoactive medication for treating variceal bleeding due to its favorable safety profile. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a 2-day octreotide infusion against a 5-day octreotide infusion following endoscopic intervention in avoiding early rebleeding of esophageal varices in individuals with cirrhosis. This study was a prospective, parallel, randomised controlled experiment conducted on a cohort of 184 subjects who were recruited from the endoscopy unit of the Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases Department at Tanta University Hospital in Egypt. The five days rate of rebleeding was 16.85% in the 2-days group against 15.91% in the 5- days group without significant difference (P= 0.865). In cirrhotic individuals with bleeding esophageal varices, a 2-day regimen of octreotide is equally efficacious as a 5-day regimen in avoiding rebleeding over a 5-day period, following successful control of bleeding with endoscopic intervention.