Stress Ulcer 1999.6.2

Stress Ulcer 1999.6.2

Patients are most prone to developing stress ulcers when they are in a state of extreme exhaustion, cachexia, advanced cancer, or high fever. At such times, massive gastrointestinal bleeding can occur, quickly spreading throughout the entire digestive tract and leading to death. Recently, several cases of massive bleeding have occurred in the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine department of the Provincial Cancer Hospital—two cases of liver cancer, one case of ovarian cancer, two cases of cirrhosis, and one case of severe liver disease—all of which were accompanied by stress ulcers. These ulcers are part of a systemic response and are not simply caused by the rupture of a single blood vessel. Therefore, trying to locate the exact source of bleeding is futile! Similarly, using a three-lumen, two-balloon tube is also ineffective! Even surgical hemostasis is not effective! Western medicine relies on treating the underlying disease, providing systemic support, using hemostatic drugs, and administering large amounts of blood transfusions. Traditional Chinese medicine, on the other hand, uses the theory of "blood heat running rampant and qi deficiency unable to control the blood," prescribing formulas such as da huang, huang lian, huang qin, sheng zheshi, rou gui, hua rui shi, and han san qi. These herbs can be ground into powder and taken, or decocted and divided into doses. In addition, the Western medicine drug cimetidine (intravenous drip) is also commonly used because it can neutralize and reduce gastric acid.