Time Interval for Endoscopic Variceal Ligation

Variceal Bleeding Clinical Trial

Official title: Appropriate Time Interval for Repeat Sessions of Endoscopic Ligation for the Eradication of Esophageal Varices

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Patients with liver disease frequently present to the hospital with bleeding from dilated veins in their foodpipe (called esophageal varices). The current standard of care is to perform endoscopic variceal ligation (placing rubber bands around the varices through an endoscope)in patients presenting with bleeding varices. Patients generally receive ligation at the time they come in with bleeding and then return at regular intervals to have repeat ligation in order to eradicate the varices. However there have been no studies to determine the appropriate intervals for esophageal variceal ligation until eradication. We will conduct a randomized comparison of 1-week vs. 2-week intervals for esophageal ligation in patients that have presented with bleeding varices. Our hypothesis is that one-week ligation will achieve more rapid eradication than the two-week interval with a greater proportion of patients achieving variceal eradication at 4 weeks after the index bleeding episode.

Clinical Trial Description

n/a

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Variceal Bleeding

• NCT number: NCT01291277
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Southern California
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: August 2008
• Completion date: December 2015