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Published in: Digestive Diseases and Sciences 12/2010

01-12-2010 | Original Article

Characteristics and Outcomes of Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in a Tertiary Referral Hospital

Authors: Magnus Halland, Melissa Young, Michael N. Fitzgerald, Kerry Inder, John M. Duggan, Anne Duggan

Published in: Digestive Diseases and Sciences | Issue 12/2010

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Abstract

Background and Aims

Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage remains a problem in spite of improved diagnosis and management. There is sparse knowledge of recent epidemiology and outcomes. We wanted to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage over a 4-year period in a tertiary referral hospital.

Methods

We prospectively collected data on patients admitted with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage to John Hunter Hospital between August 2004 and December 2008. Variables of interest included age, gender, co-morbidities, and time to endoscopy. Main outcomes included etiology, treatment, and survival. Variceal and non-variceal bleeds were analyzed separately.

Results

There were 792 admissions from 734 unique patients (61% male) with a mean age of 66 years. The most frequent causes of non-variceal bleeds (88%) included ulcers 265 (33%); Mallory Weiss tear 91 (11%); esophagitis 60 (8%), and malignancy 29 (4%). Most patients had one or more co-morbidity (74%). Transfusion was not employed in 41%. Overall mortality was 4.0% (5.4% in the variceal and 3.9% in the non-variceal group). Only 1.9% of patients had surgery.

Conclusions

Patients presenting with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage are overall elderly with significant co-morbidities. Our overall mortality and surgery rates are lower than in previously published international data.
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Metadata
Title
Characteristics and Outcomes of Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage in a Tertiary Referral Hospital
Authors
Magnus Halland
Melissa Young
Michael N. Fitzgerald
Kerry Inder
John M. Duggan
Anne Duggan
Publication date
01-12-2010
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Digestive Diseases and Sciences / Issue 12/2010
Print ISSN: 0163-2116
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2568
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-010-1223-4

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