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The hemostatic clip is a relatively new addition to the endoscopic armamentarium for gastrointestinal bleeding. Thermal endoscopic treatment (heater probe or multipolar cautery) has been demonstrated to improve outcomes in patients with high-risk lesions. Investigators in Italy prospectively compared the efficacy of hemoclips with that of heater-probe therapy in 113 patients with bleeding gastric or duodenal ulcers who had either actively bleeding vessels or nonbleeding visible vessels at endoscopy.
Patients were randomized to receive therapy with clips or heater probes until hemostasis was achieved; crossover to the other treatment was allowed to achieve initial hemostasis. Physicians caring for patients after endoscopy were blinded to trea…