Common heartburn drug tested to prevent dangerous bleeding in liver patients

This study aims to determine if giving pantoprazole (a common acid-reducing drug) after a preventive variceal treatment helps reduce short-term bleeding risk in people with cirrhosis. It will enroll 208 patients who have undergone this endoscopic procedure and randomly assign them to receive either pantoprazole or no pantoprazole. Researchers will compare the rates of gastrointestinal bleeding, death, and side effects over six weeks to see if the drug provides a clear benefit.