{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T02:00:20Z","timestamp":1785117620908,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,25]],"date-time":"2026-07-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784937600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diagnostics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: This study aims to analyze safety and effectiveness of imipenem\/cilastatin sodium (IPM\/CS) as an off-label embolic agent in acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB). Methods: This is a multicentric prospective study including patients treated in emergency with endovascular embolization for acute LGIB. IPM\/CS particles were prepared using one vial containing 500 mg\/500 mg of IPM\/CS in powder diluted with 5 mL of pure iodine contrast agent. Inclusion criteria were: acute bleeding managed with IMP\/CS embolization, unfeasible\/ineffective endoscopic management, availability of a pre-procedural contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography (CT) scan, pre- and post-procedural blood count, pre- and post-procedural hemodynamic balance evaluation, and follow-up to 30 days. Exclusion criteria were: patients treated in elective conditions, LGIB embolization performed without IMP\/CS, IMP\/CS adoption after other embolics, incomplete clinical\u2013laboratoristic follow-up, and age &lt; 18 years. Technical success was intended as angiographic disappearance of extravasation or significant reduction\/stasis of blood flow to the target; clinical success was considered as hemoglobin values increase and\/or stop transfusions and\/or hemodynamic restoration. Result: Twenty-one patients were enrolled; bleeding etiologies included angiodysplasia, diverticular disease, gastrointestinal tumor-related bleeding, and post-surgical hemorrhage. Technical success rate was 100%, and clinical success rate at 30 days was 85.7%. Rebleeding occurred in three patients: two managed with surgery and one with coil re-embolization. Neither major and IPM\/CS related complications occurred. Conclusions: In this study IPM\/CS was a safe and feasible embolic agent in selected patients with acute LGIB; no bowel ischemia occurred during the 30 day follow-up. Future studies with larger samples are required to confirm these findings to include IPM\/CS as an off-label alternative embolic agent in LGIB.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/diagnostics16152334","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,27]],"date-time":"2026-07-27T01:26:23Z","timestamp":1785115583000},"page":"2334","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Imipenem\/Cilastatin Sodium as Reabsorbable Embolic Agent in Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Multicentric Prospective Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Pietro","family":"Roccatagliata","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department, Cardarelli Hospital, Via Antonio Cardarelli 9, 80131 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Giurazza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department, Cardarelli Hospital, Via Antonio Cardarelli 9, 80131 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8345-8663","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Discalzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Citt\u00e0 della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Corso Bramante 88, 10126 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-1373-6305","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"H\u00fcseyin Saygin","family":"Tuna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology, HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal, University Witten\/Herdecke, Heusnestr. 40, 42283 Wuppertal, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2593-8148","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabio","family":"Corvino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department, Cardarelli Hospital, Via Antonio Cardarelli 9, 80131 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9973-0593","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Felice","family":"D\u2019Antuono","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department, Cardarelli Hospital, Via Antonio Cardarelli 9, 80131 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jacopo","family":"Brino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Citt\u00e0 della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Corso Bramante 88, 10126 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Mancini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Diagnostic Imaging and Interventional Radiology Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Citt\u00e0 della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Corso Bramante 88, 10126 Turin, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raffaella","family":"Niola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vascular and Interventional Radiology Department, Cardarelli Hospital, Via Antonio Cardarelli 9, 80131 Naples, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"European Medicines Agency (EMA) (2011). 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