Octreotide is a medication used to treat upper gastrointestinal bleeding as well as conditions associated with overproduction of growth hormone. In this mnemonic video, we'll cover important facts about octreotide so you'll be ready come test day. Come join me on a stroll through my favorite part of the forest, this patch of oak trees. While we're at it, let's use these oak trees to symbolize the drug octreotide. Get it?
Oak tree for octreotide. You can even think of it as oak-tree-otide, if that helps. Fee-fi-fo-fum! Apparently I'm not the only one who's drawn to this grove of oak trees. Take a look at that gigantic giant stomping through the trees.
The giant has scared a little boy into climbing right up the oak tree. When you think of this gigantic giant in the oak trees, remember that octreotide is used to treat gigantism and acromegaly. Both are conditions of overgrowth due to overactive growth hormone secretion.
Octreotide works to block the secretion of growth hormone, thereby reducing the growth of the body in these diseases. Some giants might be friendly, but that doesn't seem to be the case with this particular giant, who seems to have blood dripping from his mouth down his throat. The blood around the mouth and throat represents upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. Because when we talk about upper GI bleeds, we are referring to bleeding from the mouth, esophagus, and stomach areas.
Once we get down into the intestines, that is considered the lower GI tract. Clinically, octreotide is used to treat upper GI tract bleeds, particularly those resulting from esophageal varices. Esophageal varices are enlarged veins in the esophagus, usually caused by blocked blood flow to the liver in patients with cirrhosis.
When these vessels burst, they can lead to life-threatening bleeding from the esophagus. This bleeding can be reduced by administering octreotide. Alright, that's all for this mnemonic.
Let's recap. Octreotide is a medication used to treat conditions of overgrowth like gigantism and acromegaly. The drug is also used in the acute setting to treat upper gastrointestinal bleeding such as that caused by esophageal varices. And now we're actually done with octreotide. I think I'll have to find myself another patch of oak trees, preferably one not inhabited by a bloodthirsty giant.
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