Gastrointestinal bleeding therapy studied

ROCHESTER, Minn., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. medical scientists have determined endoscopic ultrasound-guided therapy appears to be a safe, effective treatment for severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

Mayo Clinic researchers said gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by a variety of conditions, most commonly peptic ulcers and arteriovenous malformations. Standard endoscopic therapies, radiologically guided interventions and surgery are the conventional treatments used to stop gastrointestinal bleeding.

"Despite advances in conventional therapies, recurrent bleeding is common in many patients," said Dr. Michael Levy, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic. "At times there are no options for patients with severe and refractory bleeding and, unfortunately in this setting, the morbidity and mortality are high."

Levy and a team of Mayo physicians set out to identify more effective therapies to control bleeding and manage recurrent bleeding if standard therapies don't work. They determined endoscopic ultrasound imaging often provides more detailed information than other endoscopic or radiologic imaging modalities.

"Equally important," said Levy, "endoscopic ultrasound provides specific details about the anatomy of the blood vessels surrounding the bleeding so therapy can be precisely delivered to the most effective location."

The study, the first of its kind to be published, appears in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.