Tseng C C, Green R M, Burke S K, Connors P J, Carr-Locke D L
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Gastrointest Endosc. 1992 May-Jun;38(3):336-7. doi: 10.1016/s0016-5107(92)70427-1.
In a 6-month period, 17 consecutive unselected patients undergoing emergency or elective endoscopic variceal band ligation were evaluated prospectively for clinical and bacteriological signs of bacteremia after each treatment session. None had signs of sepsis, fever, or chills; however, in one patient, a coagulase-negative Staphylococcus epidermidis was cultured from peripheral blood at 5 but not 30 min after the procedure. These data indicate that, in contrast to sclerotherapy, endoscopic variceal ligation rarely induces bacteremia.
