Upper Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage (upper + gastrointestinal_haemorrhage)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


GS12P MANAGEMENT OF UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL HAEMORRHAGE IN A DISTRICT HOSPITAL

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 2007
I. Dayoub
Background This study was conducted to assess the management of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a district hospital and to compare these results with national guidelines and the published literature. Materials And Methods This prospective and retrospective study included 112 patients, mean age 66 years, who presented with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding between July 2004 and February 2005. All patients were assigned a Rockall risk assessment score. Results The surgical on-call teams managed all the patients according to an agreed protocol. 49 patients had a Rockall score > or = 4. Endoscopy was performed in all patients, with 60% accomplished within the first 24 hours. The most common cause found was peptic ulcer (30%). Therapeutic endoscopy was undertaken in 10 patients (9%) with a success rate of 70%. Open surgery was performed in 3 patients. One patient died after having surgery and the Rockall score was >5. Of the patients admitted with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, 90.2% were discharged without complication. 11 patients died (9.8%) and all of them from the high risk group with Rockall scores >5. Their mean hospital stay was 17.8 days (range, 2,43 days). Conclusion High-standard results in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be achieved in a district hospital. The management, including the use of the operating theatre facilities with operative and anaesthetic support, was safe and efficient. A 24-hour-a-day endoscopy service is important to achieve early diagnosis and to plan management. A protocol and early endoscopy improve clinical outcome and reduce mortality, which occurred mostly among elderly patients with high risk scores. It is advisable to introduce the Rockall scoring system in practice. [source]


The Glasgow Blatchford scoring system enables accurate risk stratification of patients with upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 7 2010
R. Srirajaskanthan
Summary Background:, Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) haemorrhage is a frequent cause of hospital admission. Scoring systems have been devised to identify those at risk of adverse outcomes. We evaluated the Glasgow Blatchford score's (GBS) ability to identify the need for clinical and endoscopic intervention in patients with UGI haemorrhage. Methods:, A retrospective observational study was performed in all patients who attended the A&E department with UGI haemorrhage during a 12-month period. Patients were separated into low and high risk categories. High risk encompassed patients who required blood transfusions, operative or endoscopic interventions, management on high dependency or intensive care units, and those who re-bled, represented with further bleeding, or who died. Results:, A total of 174 patients were seen with UGI bleeding. Eight of them self-discharged and were excluded. Of the remaining 166, 94 had a ,low risk' bleed, and 72 ,high risk'. The GBS was significantly higher in the high risk (median = 10) than in the low risk group (median 1, p < 0.001). To assess the validity of the GBS at separating low and high risk groups, receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted. The GBS had an area under ROC curve of 0.96 (95% CI 0.95,1.00). When a cut-off value of , 3 was used, sensitivity and specificity of GBS for identifying high risk bleeds was 100% and 68%. Thus at a cut-off value of , 2 the GBS is useful for distinguishing those patients with a low risk UGI bleed. Conclusions:, The GBS accurately identifies low risk patients who could be managed safely as outpatients. [source]


Erythromycin prior to endoscopy for acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage: a cost-effectiveness analysis

ALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 10 2007
N. S. WINSTEAD
Summary Background, Erythromycin is a potent stimulator of gastrointestinal motility. Recent studies have examined the use of intravenous erythromycin to clear the stomach of blood before oesophago-gastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage (UGIH). These studies have shown clinical effectiveness. Aim, To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this intervention. Methods, We sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of erythromycin before EGD from the payer's perspective. We found three relevant studies of erythromycin and used these data for the analysis. We obtained costs for intravenous erythromycin and charges for peptic ulcer hospitalization, EGD, surgery, and angiographic embolization. Complication rates were also incorporated from the literature. We implemented a model of health-related quality of life to measure the impact of the intervention. We created a decision-analysis tree and performed a probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Results, A strategy of erythromycin prior to EGD resulted in a cost-effective outcome in a majority of trials using willingness-to-pay figures of $0, $50 000 and $100 000 (US) per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Conclusion, Because of the implications for cost saving and increase in QALY, we would recommend giving erythromycin prior to EGD for UGIH. [source]


Changing patterns in the management of gastric volvulus over 14 years

BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 3 2000
W. J. Teague
Background: Gastric volvulus is an uncommon condition, which can be difficult to diagnose and treat. This study represents a large series of patients with the condition. Methods: All patients presenting with gastric volvulus over a 14-year period were reviewed. Results: Some 36 patients (median age 75 years) were identified. Volvulus, usually secondary to a hiatus hernia, presented acutely in 29 patients. The major symptoms were abdominal pain, vomiting and upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The most useful investigations were barium contrast studies and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, which were helpful in 21 of 25 and 11 of 18 patients respectively. Treatment was conservative in five patients, by open surgery in 13 and laparoscopic repair in 18 (three converted to open operation). There were no major complications and no deaths. Median hospital stay was shorter in patients treated by laparoscopic rather than open surgery (6 (range 4,36) versus 14 (7,50) days; P < 0·05). Conclusion: Acute and chronic gastric volvulus can be treated successfully by either open or laparoscopic surgery. However, laparoscopic surgery now represents a safe and acceptable approach, with minimal morbidity and a significantly shorter hospital stay. This is likely to be of considerable benefit for the treatment of a predominantly elderly population, often with significant co-morbidity. © 2000 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd [source]