[Gastrointestinal haemorrhage related to alcoholic cirrhosis. Prognostical influence of digestive lavage (author's transl)].

During gastrointestinal bleeding associated with cirrhosis, the presence of blood within the lumen of the gut may cause or favorise the onset of hepatic coma. Digestive lavage by rapid intragastric infusion of an isotonic solution based upon mannitol may reduce the mortality due to hepatic coma. The value of this method was studied retrospectively by comparison of two series of haemorrhagic complications: Group I-1971-1976: 224 haemorrhagic complications treated in the usual manner; Group II-1976-1977: 127 haemorrhagic complications treated in accordance with a protocol which included digestive lavage. The results indicate the prognostic significance of certain clinical signs (ascites, jaundice, shock), and also made it possible to determine the cause of death and to demonstrate a reduction in mortality in the group treated by digestive lavage (p < 0.02), concerning only deaths as a result of hepatic coma (p < 0.01) above all in forms with a poor initial prognosis with shock or decompensation with jaundice and ascites.