Efficacy of Endoscopic Clipping for Bleeding Gastroduodenal Ulcer: Comparison with Topical Ethanol Injection

Objective: Although endoscopic clipping is used widely for the treatment of bleeding gastroduodenal ulcers, clinical trials on its efficacy are scarce. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of endoscopic clipping for hemostasis from bleeding gastroduodenal ulcers.

Methods: The present study was designed as a retrospective study using historical controls. One hundred consecutive patients with bleeding gastroduodenal ulcers were treated by endoscopic clipping. The preceding 91 consecutive patients treated by endoscopic pure ethanol injection were regarded as controls. Forty-nine of the clipping group and 41 of the ethanol group had lesions at sites difficult to perform endoscopic manipulation. Hemostatic rates, rebleeding rates, amounts of blood transfusion, and durations of hospital stay were analyzed.

Results: The hemostatic rate was 96% in both clipping and ethanol groups, whereas the rebleeding rate was lower (15% vs 29%, p = 0.023) in the former than the latter. In technically difficult cases, the hemostatic rate was comparable (96 vs 90%).

Conclusion: In patients with bleeding gastroduodenal ulcers, endoscopic clipping may be a choice of therapy because of a low rebleeding rate compared with pure ethanol injection.