Fatores preditivos de morbidade associada à sangramento de varizes esofágicas em crianças com hipertensão porta / Predictive factors of morbidity associated with esophageal variceal bleeding in children with portal hypertension

ABSTRACT Background: Most data on the natural history of portal hypertension come from studies in adults. The morbidity rate of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in children with portal hypertension has not been systematically characterized. Objective: To describe the morbidity and mortality of UGIB in pediatric patients with portal hypertension and identify predictive factors for the occurrence of its main complications. Methods: This retrospective study included pediatric patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension or with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO). Mortality and UGIB complications within a period of up to 6 weeks of the bleeding were investigated. To determine the predictive factors of morbidity, a multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression; all results were considered significant at P<0.05. Results: A total of 86 patients (51.2% with EHPVO and 48.8% with cirrhosis) had 174 bleeding events. Ascites was the most common complication (43.1% of all cases), being more prevalent in patients with cirrhosis (P<0.001). Cirrhosis was a predictor of the occurrence of any morbidity (OR 20.3). The need for blood transfusion was predictor of at least one complication (OR 5.8), ascites (OR 7.2) and infections (OR 3.8) in the general group and at least one complication (OR 11.3) and ascites (OR 5.8) in cirrhotic patients. The need for expansion was a predictor of any morbidity (OR 4.6) and infections (OR 3.9) in the general group, in addition to being predictor of infection in cirrhotic patients (OR 5.4). There were no deaths from UGIB in the six weeks post-bleeding. Conclusion: The study showed the relevance of morbidity after UGIB in pediatric patients with portal hypertension, especially in those with cirrhosis. The patients with hemodynamic instability requiring blood transfusion or expansion on admission are at increased risk of complications related to upper gastrointestinal bleeding and should be closely monitored.

RESUMO Contexto: A maioria dos dados sobre a história natural da hipertensão porta provém de estudos em adultos. A morbidade associada à hemorragia digestiva alta (HDA) em crianças com hipertensão porta ainda não foi sistematicamente estudada. Objetivo: Descrever a morbimortalidade da HDA em pacientes pediátricos com hipertensão porta e identificar fatores preditivos para a ocorrência de suas principais complicações. Métodos: Este estudo retrospectivo incluiu pacientes pediátricos com hipertensão porta cirrótica ou com obstrução extra-hepática da veia porta (OEHVP). A mortalidade e as complicações da HDA foram estudadas até seis semanas após o sangramento. Para determinar os fatores preditivos de morbidade, foi realizada análise multivariada por meio de regressão logística; todos os resultados foram considerados significativos com P<0,05. Resultados: Oitenta e seis pacientes (51,2% com OEHVP e 48,8% com cirrose) tiveram 174 eventos hemorrágicos. A ascite foi a complicação mais comum (43,1% de todos os casos), sendo mais prevalente em pacientes com cirrose (P<0,001). A cirrose foi preditor da ocorrência de pelo menos uma complicação (OR 20,3). A necessidade de transfusão sanguínea foi preditora de pelo menos uma complicação (OR 5,8), ascite (OR 7,2) e infecções (OR 3,8) no grupo geral e pelo menos uma complicação (OR 11,3) e ascite (OR 5,8) nos cirróticos. A necessidade de expansão foi preditor de qualquer morbidade (OR 4,6) e infecções (OR 3,9) no grupo geral, além de ser preditor de infecção em cirróticos (OR 5,4). Não houve óbitos por HDA nas 6 semanas pós-sangramento. Conclusão: O estudo mostrou a relevância da morbidade após HDA em pacientes pediátricos com hipertensão porta, principalmente naqueles com cirrose. Os pacientes com instabilidade hemodinâmica que necessitam de transfusão de sangue ou expansão na admissão têm risco aumentado de complicações relacionadas à hemorragia digestiva alta e devem ser monitorados de perto.

Management of Acute Variceal Bleeding

Acute variceal bleeding could be a fatal complication in patients with liver cirrhosis. In patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis accompanied by ascites or hepatic encephalopathy, acute variceal bleeding is associated with a high mortality rate. Therefore, timely endoscopic hemostasis and prevention of relapse of bleeding are most important. The treatment goals for acute variceal bleeding are to correct hypovolemia; achieve rapid hemostasis; and prevent early rebleeding, complications related to bleeding, and deterioration of liver function. If variceal bleeding is suspected, treatment with vasopressors and antibiotics should be initiated immediately on arrival to the hospital. Furthermore, to obtain hemodynamic stability, the hemoglobin level should be maintained at >8 g/dL, systolic blood pressure >90 to 100 mm Hg, heart rate <100/min, and the central venous pressure from 1 to 5 mm Hg. When the patient becomes hemodynamically stable, hemostasis should be achieved by performing endoscopy as soon as possible. For esophageal variceal bleeding, endoscopic variceal ligation is usually performed, and for gastric variceal bleeding, endoscopic variceal obturation is performed primarily. If it is considered difficult to achieve hemostasis through endoscopy, salvage therapy may be carried out while keeping the patient hemodynamically stable.

Actualización en el manejo de la hemorragia digestiva alta variceal / Update on the management of variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Variceal bleeding is a severe complication of portal hypertension, associated to hepatic cirrhosis. It is more frequent in esophageal varices than in gastric varices. The first-line treatment is resuscitation, careful intravenous saline fluids infusions, prophylactic antibiotics and early combined use of vasoactive drugs and endoscopic therapy. Despite these measures, haemostasis failure is of 20 percent after 6 weeks. In these patients, the second-line treatment is transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), procedure that requires an interventional radiologist. Therapeutic options are evaluated for bleeding esophageal varices, such as TIPS with covered stent as first-line treatment, portosystemic shunt surgery in Child-Pugh A patients as alternative to TIPS, the use of recombinant FVII in massive bleeding established by endoscopy and selfexpandable metallic stent in Child-Pugh B-C patients, instead of balloon. For gastric varices the use of balloon retrograde transvenous occlusion (BRTO) is described.

El sangrado variceal es una complicación grave de la hipertensión portal asociada a cirrosis hepática. Es más frecuente en várices esofágicas que gástricas. Como primera línea de tratamiento está la resucitación, volemización cuidadosa, profilaxis antibiótica y el uso combinado precoz de drogas vasoactivas junto a terapia endoscópica. A pesar de estas medidas, la hemostasia fracasa hasta en 20 por ciento a 6 semanas. En estos pacientes, la segunda línea de tratamiento es el Cortocircuito intrahepático portosistémico transyugular (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt- TIPS), procedimiento que requiere la participación de un radiólogo intervencionista. Se evalúan opciones terapéuticas para várices esofágicas sangrantes como el TIPS con stent recubierto usado de primera línea, la cirugía de shunt portosistémico en pacientes Child A como alternativa al TIPS, el uso de FVII recombinante en sangrado variceal masivo detectado mediante endoscopia, y el stent metálico autoexpandible en Child B-C en vez de balón. Para várices gástricas se describe el uso del balón oclusivo retrógrado transvenoso (B-RTO).