Causes, management, and prognosis of severe gastrointestinal bleedings in critically ill patients with pancreatic cancer: A retrospective multicenter study.

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a leading cause of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in pancreatic cancer patients.

Aims: To analyze causes, ICU mortality and hemostatic treatment success rates of GI bleeding in pancreatic cancer patients requiring ICU admission.

Methods: Retrospective multicenter cohort study between 2009 and 2021. Patients with a recent pancreatic resection surgery were excluded.

Results: Ninety-five patients were included (62 % males, 67 years-old). Fifty-one percent presented hemorrhagic shock, 41 % required mechanical ventilation. Main GI bleeding causes were gastroduodenal tumor invasion (32 %), gastroesophageal varices (21 %) and arterial aneurysm (12 %). Arterial aneurysms were more frequent in patients with previous pancreatic resection (36 % vs 2 %, p < 0.001). Hemostatic procedures included gastroduodenal endoscopy in 81 % patients and arterial embolization in 28 % patients. ICU mortality was 19 %. Multivariate analysis identified four variables associated with mortality: performance status >2 (OR 9.34, p = 0.026), mechanical ventilation (OR 14.14, p = 0.003), treatment success (OR 0.09, p = 0.010), hemorrhagic shock (OR 11.24, p = 0.010). Treatment success was 46 % and was associated with aneurysmal bleeding (OR 29.89, p = 0.005), ongoing chemotherapy (OR 0.22, p = 0.016), and prothrombin time ratio (OR 1.05, p = 0.001).

Conclusion: In pancreatic cancer patients with severe GI bleeding, early identification of aneurysmal bleeding (particularly in case of previous resection surgery) and coagulopathy management may increase the treatment success and reduce mortality.