Muhammad Owais Fazal, Hina Akram, Ahmed Zeeshan Chughtai, Muhammad Yasir Yaqoob, Muhammad Usman Musharaf.
Comparison of betablockers and endoscopic variceal band ligation (EVBL) for secondary prevention of variceal bleed in cirrhotics..
Professional Med J Jan ;29(10):1499-505.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of pharmacological and endoscopic procedures (band ligation) in preventing variceal bleed. Study Design: Randomized Control Trial. Setting: MU-I of Allied Hospital Faisalabad. Period: January to June 2020. Material & Methods: 80 patients were enrolled after fulfilling exclusion and inclusion criteria, divided into two groups. Group A, patients treated Carvedilol 6.25-12.5mg pulse rate of 60-70 beats per minute. Group B patients underwent repeated endoscopic procedures (band ligation), repeated every 2 weeks until obliteration of varices was achieved. Surveillance endoscopy was done one month later. Follow up was done by telephonic contact at 3 months. Results: In our study, mean age was 52.88+9.29 and 53.57+8.85 years in Group-A and B, 42.5%(n=17) in Group-A and 50%(n=20) in Group-B were male, 57.5%(n=23) in Group-A and 50%(n=20) female in group B, Recurrence of variceal bleeding and efficacy of drug comparison showed that 7.5%(n=3) in Group-A and 27.5%(n=11) in Group-B had a recurrence of variceal bleed while 92.5%(n=37) in Group-A and 72.5%(n=29) in Group-B had no recurrence of variceal bleed, p-value (0.01) was significant. Conclusion: Beta-blocker (Carvedilol) is more efficacious for preventing recurrence of variceal bleed than Endoscopic Band Ligation.

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