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Topical Application of Sucralfate in Promoting Healing of Esophageal Ulcers After Esophageal Varices Ligation

NCT07679191 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2026-07-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Patients with EV bleeding often suffered from hematemesis, Tarry stool, and blood loss. Standard treatment for bleeding esophageal varices includes hemodynamic stabilization, pharmacological control, and endoscopic intervention. For endoscopic intervention, endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) is the first-line therapy with 95% initial hemostasis success rate. However, after variceal ligation, esophageal ulcers form 3 days later. These ulcers expose underlying vessels in friable esophageal mucosa, exacerbated by portal hypertension and coagulopathy in cirrhosis patients. Bleeding peaks around day 5-10 when bands detach. Among these patients, 7-9% of patients experience recurrent bleeding as a result. Recurrent bleeding from esophageal ulcers carries an extremely high mortality rate, particularly in patients with advanced stage cirrhosis. Therefore, how to promote esophageal ulcer healing and prevent ulcer rebleeding is an important clinical issue.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the primary drugs for preventing and treating gastric ulcers, but clinical evidence for their role in preventing post-ligation esophageal ulcers is insufficient. Sucralfate, a complex of aluminum hydroxide and sucrose octa sulfate, can bind to the wound base. This protective barrier can prevent the wound from further environmental injury. Sucralfate has been widely used for wounds and ulcer treatment, e.g., skin wounds, oral ulcers, and peptic ulcers. Our recent clinical trial also proved topical sucralfate can prevent postpolypectomy bleeding. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether the topical administration of sucralfate after standard endoscopic hemostasis can promote the esophageal ulcer healing and reduce the rebleeding event.

Conditions

  • Ulcer Healing

Interventions

DRUG

Sucralfate

3g of sucralfate powder through the endoscopy precisely on the EV ligation bands in the intervention group. Followingly, patients in the intervention group will receive oral sucralfate suspension 1g four times a day for 5 days.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Hsueh-Chien Chiang · National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-07-01
Primary Completion
2027-12-31
Completion
2027-12-31

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07679191 on ClinicalTrials.gov