Portal hypertension / variceal bleeding prevention
- Treat clinically significant portal HTN
- Nonselective beta blocker lowers portal pressure
- carvedilol often preferred if tolerated
- Banding if beta blocker unsuitable
- Acute bleed needs vasoactive drug + endoscopy
- Antibiotic prophylaxis during acute variceal bleed
- Secondary prevention: beta blocker + banding
Use at a glance
- Treat clinically significant portal HTN
Treatment options
- Acute bleed needs vasoactive drug + endoscopy
- Antibiotic prophylaxis during acute variceal bleed
Practical pearls
- Secondary prevention: beta blocker + banding
Choosing treatment
- Nonselective beta blocker lowers portal pressure
- carvedilol often preferred if tolerated
- Banding if beta blocker unsuitable
Self-check
- What prevents recurrent variceal bleeding?
A beta blocker + banding. - What does acute variceal bleeding need?
A vasoactive drug + endoscopy.
Drugs used for this (3)
All clinical uses · Open Portal hypertension / variceal bleeding prevention in the interactive console ↗