Introduction: We investigated the hemostatic effect and safety of a hemostatic peptide solution for the treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding requiring emergency endoscopy.
Methods: We retrospectively examined the patient backgrounds, hemostatic results, and procedural safety in patients who were treated with a hemostatic peptide solution for hemostasis during emergency endoscopies for gastrointestinal bleeding. All hemostatic procedures were performed by non-expert physicians with less than 10 years of endoscopic experience. All of the cases were treated at a single institution over the months from January 2022 to January 2023.
Results: Twenty-six consecutive patients (17 males and 9 females) with a median age of 74 (45-95) years. Their conditions requiring emergency endoscopy were melena in 8, hematochezia in 2 patients, hematemesis in 8, anemia in 6, and bleeding during esophagogastroduodenoscopy in 2. The sites of bleeding were the esophagus in 3 patients, stomach in 17, duodenum in 3, small intestine in 2, and colon in 1. Hemostasis was obtained with another hemostasis device used in conjunction with the hemostatic peptide solution in 13 cases, and with the hemostatic peptide solution alone in 13 cases. The hemostasis success rate was 100%, with no complications. Rebleeding occurred within 1 week in 4 cases.
Conclusion: Hemostasis with the hemostatic peptide solution was safe and provided a temporary high hemostatic effect in emergency gastrointestinal endoscopy.