Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Bai, Y.
• Guo, J.‐F.
• Li, Z.‐S.

Titel

Meta‐analysis: erythromycin before endoscopy for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Ist Teil von

• Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 2011-07, Vol.34 (2), p.166-171

Ort / Verlag

Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2011

Quelle

Elektronische Zeitschriftenbibliothek - Frei zugängliche E-Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2011; 34: 166–171 Summary Background  Studies evaluating the effect of erythromycin on patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) had been reported, but the results were inconclusive. Aims  To compare erythromycin with control in patients with acute UGIB by performing a meta‐analysis. Methods  Electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library, Science Citation Index, were searched to find relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Two reviewers independently identified relevant trials evaluating the effect of erythromycin on patients with acute UGIB. Outcome measures were the incidence of empty stomach, need for second endoscopy, blood transfusion, length of hospital stay, endoscopic procedure time and mortality. Results  Four RCTs including 335 patients were identified. Meta‐analysis demonstrated the incidence of empty stomach was significantly increased in patients receiving erythromycin (active group 69%, control group 37%, P < 0.00001). The need for second endoscopy, amount of blood transfusion and the length of hospital stay were also significantly reduced (all P < 0.05). A trend for shorter endoscopic procedure time and decreased mortality rate was observed. Conclusions  Prophylactic erythromycin is useful for patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding to decrease the amount of blood in the stomach and reduce the need for second endoscopy, amount of blood transfusion. It may shorten the length of hospital stay, but its effects on mortality need further larger trials to be confirmed.