Circulating levels of arginine vasopressin before and during the infusion of the hormone in patients presenting with bleeding oesophageal varices.

Circulating levels of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) were measured in patients presenting with bleeding oesophageal varices before and during treatment with arginine vasopressin. There was no significant difference in the circulating levels of ADH before and during treatment with arginine vasopressin in patients in which the hormone successfully controlled haemorrhage and those in which it did not. It is concluded that the failure of vasopressin to control variceal haemorrhage in approximately 40% of patients presenting for treatment cannot be attributed to higher circulating levels of the hormone in these subjects.