Letters
Portal hypertension
BMJ 2001; 322 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.322.7300.1492 (Published 16 June 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;322:1492
Where is evidence for 5% dextrose and pulmonary artery catheter?
- Joseph Osterwalder, head of emergency department (znala@ms1.kssg.ch)
- Kantonsspital, CH-9007 St Gallen, Switzerland
- Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Surgery, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham NG7 2UH
EDITOR—In their clinical review of portal hypertension Krige and Beckingham have given recommendations for treatment.1 They claim that variceal bleeding due to portal hypertension should initially be treated with rapid infusions of 5% dextrose and colloid solution, and they advise against saline infusion as it may aggravate ascites. Furthermore, they recommend using a pulmonary artery catheter for monitoring patients who are haemodynamically unstable, are elderly, or have concomitant cardiac or pulmonary disease.
The authors have …
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