Making decisions using radiology in lower GI hemorrhage

Impact of inter-hospital transfer on success of angioembolization for lower gastrointestinal bleeding

BACKGROUND

Angioembolization is a useful therapeutic tool for lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) however is only available at centres with specialist interventional radiology departments. Delay in angioembolization of greater than 120-150 minutes is associated with higher rates of non-therapeutic angioembolization.

METHODS

This retrospective review analysed the impact of interhospital transfer on timing and success of angioembolization in adults with LGIB.

RESULTS

Of the 121 patients who underwent CTMA at a peripheral hospital for LGIB, only 20.7% had positive CTMA (n = 25). Of the 24 patients who were transferred for the purpose of angioembolization, only five ultimately had successful embolisation (20.1%). Patients who had unsuccessful angioembolization had a significantly longer mean time from arrival at the tertiary hospital to angioembolization compared to patients who had successful angioembolization (mean 375 versus 175 min, P = 0.001). There was no association of patient haemodynamics, use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy, and transfusion requirement with success of angioembolization.

CONCLUSION

Interhospital transfer is associated with delay in angioembolization. Delay after arrival at the receiving hospital is associated with unsuccessful angioembolization.

Transcatheter arterial embolization for gastrointestinal bleeding: Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors predicting mortality

We evaluated clinical outcome and prognostic factors predicting mortality of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) for acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Fifty-nine patients (42 men, 17 women; mean age 66.1 ± 17.0) who underwent 59 TAE procedures for GI bleeding during 2013-2018 were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical outcomes included technical success, adverse events, and rebleeding and mortality rate within 30 days. The technical success rate was 100%. Angiography showed contrast extravasation in 41 (69.5%) patients and indirect signs of bleeding in 16 (27.1%) patients. Two (3.4%) patients underwent prophylactic embolization. TAE-related adverse events occurred in 7 (11.9%) patients; adverse events were more common for mid GI or lower GI bleeding than for upper GI bleeding (22.6% vs 0%, P = 0.007). Rebleeding within 30 days was observed in 22 (37.3%) patients after TAE. Coagulopathy was a prognostic factor for rebleeding (odds ratio [OR] = 3.53, 95% confidence interval 1.07-11.67, P = .038). Mortality within 30 days occurred in 11 (18.6%) patients. Coagulopathy (OR = 24, 95% confidence interval 2.56-225.32, P = .005) was an independent prognostic factor for mortality within 30 days. TAE is an effective, safe, and potentially lifesaving procedure for GI bleeding. If possible, coagulopathy should be corrected before TAE as it may reduce rebleeding and mortality.

Factors predicting positive CT mesenteric angiography results in lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage prior to consideration of intra-arterial angio-embolisation

INTRODUCTION

Lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage (LGIH) is a challenging phenomenon in a comorbid, elderly population. CT mesenteric angiography (CTMA) allows localisation of the site of haemorrhage, and provides a target for interventional techniques, but the intermittent nature of LGIH makes it challenging to reliably demonstrate extravasation. This study aimed to identify objective factors that may predict scan outcomes.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, all patients undergoing CTMA for LGIH at Monash Health from January 2011 to December 2019 (n = 854) were included. Baseline patient characteristics included age, bowel resection/endoscopic intervention within the past 14 days, known bowel malignancy, anticoagulant/antiplatelet use, duration of symptoms, vital signs, transfusion requirements in the past 24 h and investigation results (recent haemoglobin levels, platelet count, international normalised ratio and creatinine levels). Univariate analysis was performed, and significant factors were entered into a multivariate model.

RESULTS

The final multivariate model was statistically significant (P < 0.001) and consisted of bowel resection/endoscopic intervention within the past 14 days (OR = 2.15), use of antiplatelet agents (OR = 2.03), blood transfusion requirement greater than 3 units per 24 h (OR = 1.79), systolic blood pressure less than 100 mmHg (OR = 1.56) and heart rate greater than 100 beats per minute (OR = 1.52).

CONCLUSION

The factors identified above are objective, independently associated with positive scan outcomes, readily available to radiologists and are useful for more judicious patient selection.

Empiric cone-beam CT-guided embolization in acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of cone-beam CT (CBCT)-guided empirical embolization for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) in patients with a positive CT angiography (CTA) but subsequent negative digital subtraction angiography (DSA).

METHODS

A retrospective study of consecutive LGIB patients with a positive CTA who received a DSA within 24 h from January 2008 to July 2019. Patients with a positive DSA were treated with targeted embolization (TE group). Patients with a negative DSA underwent an empiric CBCT-guided embolization of the assumed ruptured vas rectum (EE group) or no embolization (NE group). Recurrent bleeding, major ischemic complications, and in-hospital mortality were compared by means of Fisher's exact test. Further subgroup analysis was performed on hemodynamic instability.

RESULTS

Eighty-five patients (67.6 years ± 15.7, 52 men) were included (TE group, n = 47; EE group, n = 19; NE group, n = 19). If DSA was positive, technical success of targeted embolization was 100% (47/47). If DSA was negative and the intention to treat by empiric CBCT-guided embolization, technical success was 100% (19/19). Recurrent bleeding rates in the TE group, EE group, and NE group were 17.0% (8/47), 21.1% (4/19), and 52.6% (10/19) respectively. Empiric CBCT-guided embolization reduced rebleeding significantly in patients with a negative DSA and hemodynamic instability (EE group, 3/10 vs NE group, 10/12, p = .027). Major ischemic complications occurred in one patient (TE group). Overall, the in-hospital mortality rate was 7.1% (6/85).

CONCLUSION

Empiric cone-beam CT-guided embolization proved to be a feasible, effective, and safe treatment strategy to reduce rebleeding and improve clinical success in hemodynamically unstable patients with acute LGIB, positive CTA but negative DSA.

KEY POINTS

• A novel transarterial embolization technique guided by cone-beam CT could be developed extending the "empiric" embolization strategy to lower gastrointestinal bleeding. • By implementing the empiric treatment strategy, nearly all patients with an active lower gastrointestinal bleeding on CTA will be eligible for a superselective empiric embolization, even if subsequent catheter angiography is negative. • In patients with a negative catheter angiography, empiric embolization reduces the rebleeding rate and, particularly in hemodynamically unstable patients, improves clinical success compared with a conservative "wait-and-see" management.

Angiography versus colonoscopy in patients with severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding: a nation-wide observational study

Aim

Clinical guidelines for acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) recommend non‐endoscopic treatment when endoscopic treatment is difficult or the patient is hemodynamically unstable. The aim of this study was to investigate whether angiography should be prioritized as initial treatment for severe LGIB patients over colonoscopy.

Methods

We undertook a retrospective cohort study using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database. We compared adult patients who underwent colonoscopy or angiography within 1 day of admission for severe LGIB from 2010 to 2017. The primary outcome was in‐hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included surgery carried out within 1 day after admission and surgery carried out between 2 and 7 days of admission. Propensity score‐matched analyses were undertaken to adjust for confounders.

Results

We identified 6,546 eligible patients. The patients were divided into the colonoscopy group (n = 5,737) and angiography group (n = 809). After one‐to‐four propensity score matching, we compared 3,220 and 805 patients who underwent colonoscopy and angiography, respectively. The angiography group was not significantly associated with reduced in‐hospital mortality compared with the colonoscopy group. In contrast, the number of patients who underwent surgery within 1 day of admission was significantly lower in the angiography group than in the colonoscopy group.

Conclusions

The present study revealed that in‐hospital mortality did not significantly differ between colonoscopy and angiography, even in severe LGIB patients. Although this study was unable to identify which subgroups should undergo angiography for primary hemostasis, angiography might be a better option than colonoscopy for initial hemostasis in more severe cases of LGIB.

Diagnosis and therapeutic strategies for small bowel vascular lesions

Small bowel vascular lesions, including angioectasia (AE), Dieulafoy’s lesion (DL) and arteriovenous malformation (AVM), are the most common causes of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Since AE are considered to be venous lesions, they usually manifest as a chronic, well-compensated condition. Subsequent to video capsule endoscopy, deep enteroscopy can be applied to control active bleeding or to improve anemia necessitating blood transfusion. Despite the initial treatment efficacy of argon plasma coagulation (APC), many patients experience re-bleeding, probably because of recurrent or missed AEs. Pharmacological treatments can be considered for patients who have not responded well to other types of treatment or in whom endoscopy is contraindicated. Meanwhile, a conservative approach with iron supplementation remains an option for patients with mild anemia. DL and AVM are considered to be arterial lesions; therefore, these lesions frequently cause acute life-threatening hemorrhage. Mechanical hemostasis using endoclips is recommended to treat DLs, considering the high re-bleeding rate after primary APC cauterization. Meanwhile, most small bowel AVMs are large and susceptible to re-bleeding therefore, they usually require surgical resection. To achieve optimal diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for each type of small bowel lesion, the differences in their epidemiology, pathology and clinical presentation must be understood.

Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Characteristics and Clinical Outcome of Patients Treated With an Intensive Protocol

BACKGROUND

In recent years major advances have been made in the management of patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics and clinical outcome of patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (ALGIB) treated with an intensive protocol.

METHODS

We analyzed the medical records of 528 patients with ALGIB. All patients after hemodynamic stabilization underwent colonoscopy during the first 24 h of hospitalization and capsule enteroscopy when needed. Patients with massive ongoing bleeding underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA), and when active bleeding was detected embolization was immediately performed.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 70.2 ± 14.6 years and 271 (51.3%) of them were men. At least one comorbidity was present in 464 patients (87.9%), cardiovascular disease in 266 (50.4%), while 158 (30%) patients were on antiplatelet drugs and 96 (18.2%) on anticoagulants. The most common causes of bleeding were diverticulosis (19.7%) and ischemic colitis (19.3%). Thirty-six patients (6.9%) had small intestinal bleeding. In 117 patients (22.2%) active bleeding or recent bleeding stigmata were found and in 82 of them (92.1%) endoscopic hemostasis was applied. Embolization was performed in 10 (1.9%) and was successful in seven (70%) cases, while surgical hemostasis was required in only six (1.1%) cases. Forty-four (8.3%) patients had a rebleeding episode, and 13 patients died with an overall mortality of 2.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

Management of ALGIB based on an intensive protocol is safe and effective. The bleeding source can be identified in most cases with a favorable outcome.