Time Interval for Endoscopic Variceal Ligation

Completed · Phase 4

Conditions studied: Variceal Bleeding

In brief

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.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01291277

Run by

University of Southern California

People needed

90

Starts

2008-08-01

Expected to finish

2015-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2017-02-13

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Patients who presented with acute upper GI bleeding due to esophageal varices and underwent successful endoscopic variceal ligation.
• Patients who would normally receive repeat endoscopic ligation therapy to eradicate varices.

You may not qualify if…

• Persistent bleeding despite endoscopic and medical therapy
• Platelet count < 40,000

Where it is running

• L.A. County + U.S.C. Medical Center — Los Angeles, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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