Injection sclerotherapy for bleeding varices: risk factors and complications.

Risk factors for complications after injection sclerotherapy were studied in 163 patients undergoing 667 treatments for bleeding oesophageal varices. The overall mortality rate was 7 per cent per injection sclerotherapy session; 16 per cent per acute session and 2.4 per cent per elective session. Acute variceal bleeding was controlled by injection sclerotherapy in 91 per cent of patients. Complications occurred after 16 per cent of injection sclerotherapy sessions. Deaths and complications were significantly associated with poor modified Child's grading (P less than 0.001), the first variceal bleed (P less than 0.001), acute injection sclerotherapy (P less than 0.001) and the use of the rigid oesophagoscope (P less than 0.001).