Comparison of heater probe coagulation and argon plasma coagulation in the management of Mallory–Weiss tears and high-risk ulcer bleeding

Abstract Background and study aims Upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common medical emergency. Endoscopic treatments often lead to better therapeutic outcomes than conventional conservative treatments. This study aimed to investigate and compare the use of heater probe coagulation (HPC) and argon plasma coagulation (APC) together with epinephrine injection for the treatment of Mallory–Weiss tears and high-risk ulcer bleeding. Patients and methods A total of 97 patients (54 in the HPC group and 43 in the APC group) who were diagnosed with upper GI bleeding secondary to a Mallory–Weiss tear or high-risk gastric or duodenal ulcers were included in the study. Lesions were classified according to the Forrest classification. The HPC and APC groups were compared in terms of initial haemostasis, re-bleeding in the early period, need for surgery, average need for transfusion, and duration of hospital stay. Results There were no significant differences between the HPC and APC groups in terms of ensuring initial haemostasis (98% vs. 97.5%, p > 0.05), re-bleeding rates (17% vs. 19%, p > 0.05), need for surgery (2% vs. 9%, p > 0.05), average need for transfusion (3.7 ± 2.11 vs. 3.4 ± 2.95 units, p > 0.05), and average duration of hospital stay (4.6 ± 2.24 vs. 5.3 ± 3.23 days, p > 0.05). Conclusion There was no difference between HPC and APC when used together with epinephrine injection for the treatment of Mallory–Weiss tear and high-risk ulcer bleeding.