Hydrogen Peroxide in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Coming of Age?

Excerpt

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding remains the most common medical emergency managed by gastroenterologists, with an incidence of 37–172 per 100,000 of the population per year. Despite advances in medical and endoscopic treatment, morality remains at between 3 and 14%, rising to 33% for patients developing secondary upper gastrointestinal bleeding following admission for other reasons [1, 2]. Gastroduodenal ulcer disease is the commonest cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, accounting for almost 50% of admission caused by acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, with 15,000 annual hospital admissions in the United States and an estimated cost of $750 million [3, 4]. …