Inclusion criteria were: (i) acute hemorrhage from esophageal varice(s); (ii) portal hypertension attributed by cirrhosis; (iii) age was between 20 and 80 years old. Acute bleeding of esophageal varices was defined as when oozing or spurting were directly observed endoscopically, or when red color signs and/or white nipple sign were seen on esophageal varices without other potential sources of bleeding identified.