Risk factors for delayed postpolypectomy bleeding: how to minimize your patients’ risk

Secondary bleeding after colonoscopic polypectomy is a serious complication. Most studies show polyp size, location, and shape to be important risk factors but other factors may allow refinement of risk. The aim of this study is to look for other factors associated with delayed postpolypectomy bleeding.

This case-matched study compares patients who developed postpolypectomy bleeding with those who underwent uncomplicated polypectomy. Matching was performed for known risk factors: polyp size, location and shape, with a ratio of three controls to one subject.

Postpolypectomy bleeding occurred in 19/494 patients with polyps >2.0 cm diameter (3.8 %) and 11/4161 patients with polyps <2.0 cm (0.3 %). There was a median interval of 3 days (range 0–9 days) from polypectomy to hemorrhage. Twenty-five patients were readmitted to this institution. Ten (40.0 %) were transfused and 19 (76.0 %) were re-colonoscoped, with 13 needing either cautery (n = 7) or adrenaline injection (n = 6). Ninety patients were selected as controls, matched for polyp size, location, and shape. Mean age at polypectomy was 69.9 ± 9.2 years for patients and 64.9 ± 12.2 for controls (p = 0.042); 63.3 % subjects were male, compared to 47.8 % of controls (p = 0.140). Univariate analysis showed that older age, piecemeal polypectomy, need for additional sedation, concurrent diverticulosis and intraprocedural bleeding were significantly associated with increased risk of delayed bleeding. The associations between delayed bleeding and additional sedation, concurrent diverticulosis and intraprocedural bleeding were confirmed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Difficult colonoscopy and intraprocedural bleeding identify patients with a particularly high risk of secondary postpolypectomy bleeding. Preventive measures should be considered in such cases.