Practical Strategies Related to the Application of Balloon Tamponade Therapy in Acute Variceal Bleeding

IMPORTANCE: Acute gastrointestinal variceal hemorrhage is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cirrhotic liver disease. Approximately one-third of cirrhotic patients will have variceal hemorrhage, and each bleeding episode is associated with up to 20% mortality. Balloon tamponade devices are used to achieve temporary hemostasis of bleeding esophagogastric varices and as a bridge to definitive therapy. Rapid and proper placement is crucial in a life-threatening bleed both to improve patient’s chances of survival and minimize procedural complications. Passage of the tube can be complicated by coiling in the oropharynx or mid-esophagus particularly if an endotracheal tube is in place or the patient has large variceal burden. Endoscopic placement can be a useful adjunct but may not be readily accessible depending on resources and availability of specialists. Here, we describe a technique of balloon tamponade placement using a stiffening guidewire to overcome this challenge. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to: 1) describe the guidewire method for balloon tamponade tube placement and 2) highlight proof of concept through clinical application. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective case series of patients treated with balloon tamponade using the guidewire method. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This study was done at a single-center quaternary-care facility. Patients admitted to the surgical ICU and treated with a balloon tamponade device for acute variceal hemorrhage were included. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Patient characteristics were assessed including age, sex, model for end stage liver disease score, etiology of cirrhosis, and definitive treatment received. RESULTS: Nine patients were included in the final analysis. Mean age was 50 ± 19, and mean model for end stage liver disease was 39 ± 8. Alcohol cirrhosis was the most common cause of cirrhosis in this sample (n = 5). Six patients were able to be bridged to definitive treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Guidewire-assisted balloon tamponade placement is practical, is effective, and can be performed by acute care providers.