Bleeding Ulcers Can Be Stopped with Hemostatic Powder

A new material used to treat traumatic injuries shows promise as a possible new treatment for bleeding ulcers, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Prince of Wales Hospital (Hong Kong SAR, China) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK; China) administered a proprietary powder developed by Cook Medical (Bloomington, IN, USA) through an endoscope to patients with bleeding peptic ulcers.; the powder was applied to the ulcer in one to two short bursts, until the bleeding stopped. The researchers found the bleeding was successfully stopped in 95% of the cases, and there was no recurrent bleeding or complications 30 days after treatment. According to the researchers, the preliminary findings suggest the powder has high success rates and, most importantly, the technique of applying the powder is simple. The study results were presented at the 23rd International Course on Therapeutic Endoscopy, held during October 2010 in Toronto (Canada).

"Nearly 5% - 10% of patients who have a bleeding ulcer experience additional bleeding despite our best treatment efforts,” said lead author and study presenter James Lau, M.D. "However, our findings suggest a new approach with a powder that could ultimately prove to be more effective for patients and result in fewer complications.”

A peptic ulcer is a mucosal erosion of an area of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. As many as 70% to 90% of ulcers are associated with Helicobacter pylori, a spiral-shaped bacterium that lives in the acidic environment of the stomach; ulcers can also be caused or worsened by drugs such as aspirin. More peptic ulcers arise in the duodenum, rather than in the stomach, and they are generally benign. About 4% of stomach ulcers are caused by a malignant tumor, so multiple biopsies are needed to exclude cancer.

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Chinese University of Hong Kong
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