Precise Endoscopic Application of Tranexamic Acid and Sucralfate in Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Aim: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a common problem in the hospital. GIB can be divided into upper GIB, small bowel bleeding, and lower GIB. Endoscopic hemostasis includes epinephrine injection, hemoclipping, heat probe coagulation, and Argon plasma coagulation. Although the successful hemostasis rate is high, recurrent bleeding can occur, ranging from 10% to 50% according to the bleeding etiology. Therefore, how to reduce the rebleeding of GIB is an important clinical issue.

Methods: This is a randomized clinical trial. Patients with gastrointestinal bleeding for endoscopy screening and treatment at National Cheng Kung University Hospital were enrolled. The study will recruit 60 patients. After randomization, 30 patients will be classified into the intervention group and 30 into the control group. The participants will receive standard endoscopic hemostasis by either local injection of diluted epinephrine, heater probe coagulation, hemoclipping, or band ligation. After then, we will spray 2g of sucralfate powder and 1g of tranexamic acid through duodenoscopy precisely on the bleeding site in the intervention group. All enrolled patients will be monitored for rebleeding for 28 days after the first endoscopy.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Bleed Ulcer
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Tranexamic Acid Powder

Detailed Description

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a common problem in the hospital. The annual rate of hospitalization for any type of GI hemorrhage is estimated to be 350 hospital admissions/100,000 population. GIB can be divided into upper GIB, small bowel bleeding, and lower GIB. Approximately 50% of admissions for GIB are for UGI bleeding (from the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum), 40% are for LGI bleeding (from the colon and anorectum), and 10% are for small intestine bleeding. Ulceration bleeding, variceal bleeding, angiodysplasia, Dieulafoy lesion, and tumor bleeding are common cause for UGIB, while diverticulosis, colitis, angioectasia, cancer bleeding, and polypectomy ulcer attribute to the LGIB. GI endoscopy can identify the bleeding site and permit therapeutic hemostasis in most patients with GI bleeding.

Endoscopic hemostasis includes epinephrine injection, hemoclipping, heat probe coagulation, and Argon plasma coagulation. Although the successful hemostasis rate is high, recurrent bleeding can occur, ranging from 10% to 50% according to the bleeding etiology. Therefore, how to reduce the rebleeding of GIB is an important clinical issue.

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a well-known antifibrinolytic agent that inhibits fibrin degradation by binding to tissue plasminogen, thereby preventing blood clot lysis and reducing bleeding. A recent study evaluating the effect of topical tranexamic acid (TXA) powder on bleeding peptic ulcers demonstrated that the precise endoscopic administration of TXA powder can enhance the stop-bleeding effect.

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. With the protective effect of the papilla mucosa, sucralfate can cover the wound and has the potential to avoid further environmental damage. In combination with TXA powder in stabilizing the clotting, we expect the rebleeding event will reduce. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether the combination therapy of topical administration of TXA and sucralfate after standard endoscopic hemostasis can reduce the rebleeding event.

Furthermore, the adhesion time of the hemostasis powder at the bleeding site is also an unknown issue. High-dose barium enema use provides better clinical outcomes for initial hemostasis and long-term prevention of rebleeding than conservative therapy in LGIB. In combination of barium, the position of hemostasis powder can be identified by Xray.

Subjects and protocols Participants will be recruited from the volunteers with gastrointestinal bleeding at National Cheng Kung University Hospital. Eligible participants include patients aged ≥ 18 years who accept endoscopy for GIB, including hematemesis, Tarry stool, or bloody stool. Patient consent forms will be given and explained to all patients before the endoscopy. Exclusion criteria include patients with no need of endoscopic hemostasis, allergy to sucralfate, tranexamic acid, or barium, pregnancy, and patients with hollow organ perforation. After patient enrollment, we will randomize the patient into either the intervention group or control group by sealed envelope randomization method.

After the standard endoscopic hemostasis by either epinephrine injection, hemoclipping, heat coagulation, or band ligation, we will randomly assign the patients to either a control or an intervention group. After then, we will spray 2g of sucralfate powder, 1g of tranexamic acid powder, and 1g of barium through the endoscopy precisely on the bleeding site in the intervention group.

Blood tests As ward routine for bleeding patient, a blood sample is obtained to measure creatinine, albumin, total bilirubin, hemoglobin, platelet, prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). All lab data are checked by the central laboratory of the National Cheng Kung University Hospital.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Tainan, Taiwan
    • National Cheng Kung University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Eligible participants include patients aged ≥ 18 years who accept endoscopy for GIB, including hematemesis, Tarry stool, or bloody stool

Exclusion Criteria:

• no need of endoscopic hemostasis
• allergy to sucralfate, tranexamic acid, or barium
• pregnancy
• patients with hollow organ perforation

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group; All patients will receive the standard endoscopic hemostasis by either epinephrine injection, hemoclipping, heat coagulation, or band ligation. After then, patients in intervention group will receive 2g of sucralfate powder, 1g of tranexamic acid powder, and 1g of barium spray through the endoscopy precisely on the bleeding site.	Drug: Tranexamic Acid Powder; 2g of sucralfate powder, 1g of tranexamic acid powder, and 1g of barium will be sprayed through the endoscopy precisely on the bleeding site; Other Names: sucralfate powder; barrium sulfate powder
No Intervention: Control group; All patients will receive the standard endoscopic hemostasis by either epinephrine injection, hemoclipping, heat coagulation, or band ligation.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
the recurrent rate of GI bleeding during the study period	Recurrent bleeding was defined as remarkable hematochezia or Tarry stool with endoscopic evidence of the same site bleeding.	28 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
the rate of rebleeding requiring transarterial embolization or emergency surgery	rebleeding requiring transarterial embolization or emergency surgery	28 days
length of hospitalization	length of hospitalization	28 days
all-cause mortality rate	all-cause mortality	28 days
adverse events rate from powder spray	adverse events from powder spray, such as perforation or thrombotic events	28 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Cheng-Kung University Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Chiang HC, Chen PJ, Yang EH, Hsieh MT, Shih IC, Cheng HC, Chang WL, Chen WY, Chiu HC, Kuo HY, Tsai WC, Lo YN, Yang KC, Chiang CM, Chen WC, Huang KK, Tseng HH, Chen CY, Lin XZ, Chuang CH. Precise application of topical tranexamic acid to enhance endoscopic hemostasis for peptic ulcer bleeding: a randomized controlled study (with video). Gastrointest Endosc. 2023 Nov;98(5):755-764. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2023.06.013. Epub 2023 Jun 24.
• Masuelli L, Tumino G, Turriziani M, Modesti A, Bei R. Topical use of sucralfate in epithelial wound healing: clinical evidences and molecular mechanisms of action. Recent Pat Inflamm Allergy Drug Discov. 2010 Jan;4(1):25-36. doi: 10.2174/187221310789895649.
• Saydam SS, Molnar M, Vora P. The global epidemiology of upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding in general population: A systematic review. World J Gastrointest Surg. 2023 Apr 27;15(4):723-739. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v15.i4.723.
• Nagata N, Niikura R, Shimbo T, Ishizuka N, Yamano K, Mizuguchi K, Akiyama J, Yanase M, Mizokami M, Uemura N. High-dose barium impaction therapy for the recurrence of colonic diverticular bleeding: a randomized controlled trial. Ann Surg. 2015 Feb;261(2):269-75. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000000658.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 15, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 14, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 14, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 20, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 18, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 15, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Tranexamic acid; Sulcralfate; Bleeding ulcer
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Digestive System Diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Hemorrhage; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Gastrointestinal Agents; Antifibrinolytic Agents; Fibrin Modulating Agents; Hemostatics; Coagulants; Anti-Ulcer Agents; Tranexamic Acid; Sucralfate
• Other Study ID Numbers: B-BR-113-014

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: The IPD will be shared once the trial completed and study published

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No