Prospective study of bacteremia rate after elective band ligation and sclerotherapy with cyanoacrylate for esophageal varices in patients with advanced liver disease.

CONTEXT: Band ligation (BL) is the most appropriate endoscopic treatment for acute bleeding or prophylaxis of esophageal variceal bleeding. Sclerotherapy with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (CY) can be an alternative for patients with advanced liver disease. Bacteremia is an infrequent complication after BL while the bacteremia rate following treatment with CY for esophageal varices remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the incidence of transient bacteremia between cirrhotic patients submitted to diagnostic endoscopy, CY and BL for treatment of esophageal varices. METHODS: A prospective study comprising the period from 2004 to 2007 was conducted at Hospital of Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, SP, Brazil. Cirrhotic patients with advanced liver disease (Child-Pugh B or C) were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups according treatment: BL Group (patients undergoing band ligation, n = 20) and CY Group (patients receiving cyanoacrylate injection for esophageal variceal, n = 18). Cirrhotic patients with no esophageal varices or without indication for endoscopic treatment were recruited as control (diagnostic group n = 20). Bacteremia was evaluated by blood culture at baseline and 30 minutes after the procedure. RESULTS: After 137 scheduled endoscopic procedures, none of the 58 patients had fever or any sign suggestive of infection. All baseline cultures were negative. No positive cultures were observed after CY or in the control group - diagnostic endoscopy. Three (4.6 %) positive cultures were found out of the 65 sessions of band ligation (P = 0.187). Two of these samples were positive for coagulase-negative staphylococcus, which could be regarded as a contaminant. The isolated microorganism in the other case was Klebsiella oxytoca. The patient in this case presented no evidence of immunodeficiency except liver disease. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in bacteremia rate between these three groups. BL or CY injection for non-bleeding esophageal varices may be considered as low-risk procedures regarding bacteremia even when performed on patients with advanced liver disease.

Prospective study of bacteremia rate after elective band ligation and sclerotherapy with cyanoacrylate for esophageal varices in patients with advanced liver disease / Estudo de bacteriemia relacionada à ligadura elástica versus injeção de cianocrilato para varizes esofágicas em pacientes com doença hepática avançada

CONTEXT: Band ligation (BL) is the most appropriate endoscopic treatment for acute bleeding or prophylaxis of esophageal variceal bleeding. Sclerotherapy with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (CY) can be an alternative for patients with advanced liver disease. Bacteremia is an infrequent complication after BL while the bacteremia rate following treatment with CY for esophageal varices remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and compare the incidence of transient bacteremia between cirrhotic patients submitted to diagnostic endoscopy, CY and BL for treatment of esophageal varices. METHODS: A prospective study comprising the period from 2004 to 2007 was conducted at Hospital of Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, SP, Brazil. Cirrhotic patients with advanced liver disease (Child-Pugh B or C) were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups according treatment: BL Group (patients undergoing band ligation, n = 20) and CY Group (patients receiving cyanoacrylate injection for esophageal variceal, n = 18). Cirrhotic patients with no esophageal varices or without indication for endoscopic treatment were recruited as control (diagnostic group n = 20). Bacteremia was evaluated by blood culture at baseline and 30 minutes after the procedure. RESULTS: After 137 scheduled endoscopic procedures, none of the 58 patients had fever or any sign suggestive of infection. All baseline cultures were negative. No positive cultures were observed after CY or in the control group - diagnostic endoscopy. Three (4.6 percent) positive cultures were found out of the 65 sessions of band ligation (P = 0.187). Two of these samples were positive for coagulase-negative staphylococcus, which could be regarded as a contaminant. The isolated microorganism in the other case was Klebsiella oxytoca. The patient in this case presented no evidence of immunodeficiency except liver disease. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in bacteremia rate between these three groups. BL or CY injection for non-bleeding esophageal varices may be considered as low-risk procedures regarding bacteremia even when performed on patients with advanced liver disease.

CONTEXTO: A ligadura elástica é considerada o melhor tratamento endoscópico para o sangramento agudo por varizes esofágicas ou para profilaxia do sangramento varicoso, sendo a escleroterapia com N-2-butil-cianoacrilato uma alternativa para os pacientes com doença hepática avançada e distúrbio de coagulação. Bacteriemia é uma complicação rara associada à ligadura elástica, por outro lado, a incidência de bacteriemia relacionada com o uso de N-2-butil-cianoacrilato permanece desconhecida. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar e comparar a incidência de bacteriemia transitória entre os pacientes cirróticos submetidos a endoscopia digestiva alta diagnóstica, escleroterapia com N-2-butil-cianoacrilato ou ligadura elástica para tratamento das varizes esofágicas. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo realizado entre 2004 e 2007 foi conduzido no Hospital da Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP, Brasil. Cirróticos com doença hepática avançada (Child B ou C) foram incluídos. Os pacientes foram divididos em dois grupos de acordo com o tratamento: grupo ligadura elástica (pacientes submetidos a ligadura elástica, n = 20) e grupo N-2-butil-cianoacrilato (pacientes submetidos a injeção de N-2-butil-cianoacrilato, n = 18). Cirróticos sem varizes esofágicas ou com varizes esofágicas sem indicação de tratamento endoscópico foram recrutados como controles (grupo endoscopia diagnóstica, n = 20). Bacteriemia foi avaliada por hemocultura basal e 30 minutos após o procedimento. RESULTADOS: Dos 137 procedimentos endoscópicos realizados, nenhum dos 58 pacientes apresentou febre ou qualquer sinal sugestivo de infecção. Todas as hemoculturas de base foram negativas. Nenhuma cultura positiva foi observada após o uso de N-2-butil-cianoacrilato ou no grupo controle. Três (4,6 por cento) culturas positivas foram encontradas após as 65 sessões de ligadura elástica (P = 0,187). Duas dessas foram positivas para Staphylococcus coagulase-negativo, provavelmente relacionadas à contaminação. O microorganismo isolado no terceiro caso foi Klebsiella oxytoca. Nesse caso, o paciente apresentava a própria doença hepática como única situação relacionada à imunodeficiência. CONCLUSÕES: Não houve diferença significante na incidência de bacteriemia entre os três grupos de pacientes. Ligadura elástica ou injeção de N-2-butil-cianoacrilato para profilaxia do sangramento varicoso podem ser considerados procedimentos de baixo risco quanto ao surgimento de bacteriemia, mesmo em pacientes com doença hepática avançada.