A comparison of the incidence of transient bacteremia and infectious sequelae in patients undergoing sclerotherapy and those undergoing variceal ligation has not yet been reported. Fifty patients admitted with acute esophageal variceal bleeding were treated with sclerotherapy between July 1990 and July 1991. Fifty-five patients were treated with banding ligation between July 1991 and July 1992. Blood cultures were taken before and 5 minutes, 30 minutes, and 24 hours after treatment to compare the incidence of transient bacteremia in each group. The incidence of infectious sequelae during hospitalization was also compared. Transient bacteremia occurred in 17.2% of the sclerotherapy group and in 3.3% of the ligation group (p < 0.03). Infectious sequelae occurred in 18% of the sclerotherapy group and 1.8% of the ligation group (p < 0.01). Apart from bacteremia, the most frequently encountered infectious sequela was spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Both transient bacteremia and infectious sequelae are more likely to develop when liver disease is severe. Two patients in the sclerotherapy group but none in the ligation group died of infectious sequelae. The incidence of transient bacteremia and infectious complications after sclerotherapy for acute variceal bleeding is about 5 to 10 times greater than that after variceal ligation. Inasmuch as it is equally effective and entails fewer infectious complications, variceal ligation is preferable to sclerotherapy for patients with acute variceal bleeding. Further randomized trials are needed.