Abstract
BackgroundApproximately 3.5 million pilgrims perform Hajj every year. Planning for their healthcare requires knowledge of the pattern of diseases and risk factors of pilgrims who require hospitalization during the Hajj period. The aim of the current study was to evaluate common causes and risk factors of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) among pilgrims during the Hajj season.MethodWe conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study using a data collection checklist to collect data from medical records. We included all patients who had UGIB and attended the endoscopy department of the King Abdulaziz Hospital, Mecca, in the AL-Hajj season of the Islamic years 1437-1439 (2016-2018).ResultsA total of 93 patients were included in the current study; of those, 65.59% were males. The mean age of the patients was 63.37 ± 12.83 years, and about one-third (29.03%) of them were Indonesian. Overall, melena with or without anemia was the most common presentation (44.09%), followed by hematemesis (34.78%), melena with hematemesis (15.05%), hematemesis with ascites (9.68%), and abdominal/epigastric pain (3.23%). The most common cause of UGIB was the presence of gastric origin (erosive gastritis/gastric ulcer/gastric tumor) with 22.58% of the patients presenting with the same. The most common factors were medications, especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (37.63%) and blood thinners (22.58%). Hypertension (31.18%), diabetes mellitus (DM) (29.03%), and chronic liver disease/failure (27.96%) were the most common chronic conditions in the studied population.ConclusionMedical orientation towards high-risk pilgrims prone to developing UGIB who intend to travel may help reduce the risk of developing the condition, by taking proper measurements of those groups by the medical teams, especially in those with preventable factors.
Highlights
Hajj, the yearly pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca, is the world's largest peaceful mass gathering in terms of numbers, diversity of the population, and the regularity of different activities [1]
A total of 93 patients were included in the current study; of those, 65.59% were males
During the Hajj pilgrimage, upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is one of the most common medical conditions seen among pilgrims as it has been estimated that 6.3% of all hospitalizations during the pilgrimage are due to UGIB [3]
Summary
The yearly pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca, is the world's largest peaceful mass gathering in terms of numbers, diversity of the population, and the regularity of different activities [1]. About 3.5 million pilgrims from about 200 countries travel to different holy places of Mecca, along with thousands of Saudi residents. This diverse population (in terms of ethnicity, race, gender, age, health, and socioeconomic status) performs the same activities over a limited period of time and a defined area of land, which is a challenge to the medical system due to high morbidity, less healthcare accessibility, and difficulty of evacuation in emergent cases [2]. The aim of the current study was to evaluate common causes and risk factors of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) among pilgrims during the Hajj season
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
