A Trial of Somatostatin With Endoscopic Variceal Ligation (EVL) in Control of Acute Variceal Bleeding

Exclusion Criteria

• •Non-cirrhotic cause of portal hypertension
• •Age \<12 or \>75 years
• •Hepatic encephalopathy grade 3 or 4
• •Renal failure with serum creatinine \>2 mg/dL
• •Any evidence of bleeding from additional source apart from esophageal varices (like gastric varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, erosions or ulcers including variceal ulcers)
• •Patients already on vasoactive drugs like somatostatin or terlipressin during the current episode of bleeding
• •Patients already received EVL or EST elsewhere during the current episode of bleeding prior to presenting to our hospital
• •Patients with history of surgery for portal hypertension or TIPS
• •Concomitant severe cardio-pulmonary disease
• •Concomitant malignancy
• •HVPG not possible within 24 hrs of presentation
• •Patients refusing to participate in the study.