Sengstaken-Blakemore tube

Sengstaken-Blakemore tube, with three lumens (two balloons and a gastric aspiration port).

With the advent of modern endoscopic techniques which can rapidly and definitively control variceal bleeding, Sengstaken-Blakemore tubes are rarely used at present.

If bleeding continues then balloon tamponade with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube or Minnesota tube may be used in an attempt to mechanically compress the varicies.

Inflating a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube in the uterus successfully treats atonic postpartum hemorrhage refractory to medical management in approximately 80% of cases.

The Sengstaken-Blakemore tube was invented by Dr. Robert W. Sengstaken and Dr. Arthur H. Blakemore in 1950.

The term intubation is often considered synonymous with tracheal intubation, but may reference inserting a tube into the gastrointestinal tract, as with balloon tamponade with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube.

In cases of refractory bleeding, balloon tamponade with Sengstaken-Blakemore tube may be necessary, usually as a bridge to further endoscopy or treatment of the underlying cause of bleeding (usually portal hypertension).

A Sengstaken-Blakemore tube is a medical device inserted through the nose or mouth and used occasionally in the management of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to esophageal varices (distended and fragile veins in the esophageal wall, usually a result of cirrhosis).

Control of bleeding with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube followed by emergency transplantation has been suggested for patients with poor hepatic reserve, and Iwatsuki et al have proposed that transplantation is the best option for most patients with advanced liver disease and recurrent bleeding.