Conjugated estrogens for the management of gastrointestinal bleeding secondary to uremia of acute renal failure.

Bleeding commonly occurs secondary to the uremia of acute and chronic renal failure. Hemodialysis is indicated for the management of uremic bleeding, and administration of red blood cells and cryoprecipitate is also helpful. Desmopressin successfully reduces the bleeding tendency in patients with chronic renal failure for short-term operations or procedures, but the frequency of tachyphylaxis is high and limits the drug's usefulness for major bleeds. Conjugated estrogens shorten bleeding times in uremia and may provide a more sustained hemostatic effect over desmopressin. A patient with acute renal failure and uncontrolled gastrointestinal bleeding was successfully treated with conjugated estrogens after failing desmopressin and octreotide therapy.