Argon plasma coagulation and radiofrequency ablation in nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is one of the most common causes of emergency department visits worldwide and represents a significant public health problem in many countries. Endoscopy plays a major role in the diagnosis and treatment of UGIB. Endoscopic hemostasis of peptic ulcer bleeding is preferably achieved by the combination of injection with contact thermal methods or mechanical methods. Argon plasma coagulation (APC) is a noncontact thermal method of hemostasis that has been employed to treat bleeding angioectasia. The use of APC in this situation presents satisfactory results with a low adverse event rate. APC presents the possibility to treat large bleeding areas in a single session. There is also a limited experience with the use of APC for peptic ulcer bleeding and bleeding from gastrointestinal neoplasia. More recently, radiofrequency ablation has been employed for the treatment of diffuse UGIB caused by angioectasias with promising results.