GASTRIC LAVAGE OF SODIUM BICARBONATE IN COMBINATION WITH ENDOSCOPIC LITHOTRIPSY FOR THE TREATMENT OF TWO ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH GIANT GASTRIC BEZOARS

Bing Qiu^{1, #, *}, Wenhui Xu^{1, #}, Shuangquan Li² ,Lv Qin¹, Wenliang Qiu^1*

¹Department of Gastroenterology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital, Harbin, 150036, P. R. China - ²Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, General Hospital of Heilongjiang Agricultural Reclamation Bureau, Harbin, 150088, P. R. China

Introduction: Surgical treatments are usually required for elderly patients with giant gastric bezoars. Here, gastric lavage of sodium bicarbonate solution in combination with endoscopic lithotripsy was used for the treatment of patients with gastric bezoars, and satisfactory results were obtained. 

Materials and methods: Two female patients, aged 69 and 77, suffered from “upper abdominal distension and pain for 1 month” and “intermittent upper abdominal pain aggravated for three days” respectively, were admitted to our hospital. They were diagnosed with giant gastric bezoars. These two patients were prescribed to take 250 ml of 5% sodium bicarbonate orally or lavage 3~5 times a day through gastric tube in combination with endoscopic lithotripsy. 

Results: The gastric bezoars disappeared with residual ulcers after two weeks of treatment. Gastric lavage of sodium bicarbonate yields little pain but great efficacy in the treatment of elderly patients with giant gastric bezoars. 

Conclusions: This treatment is simple, safe, and affordable. No complications were observed.