Effect of delaying endoscopy on the outcome of bleeding peptic ulcer admissions on weekends in syria, retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of delaying endoscopy on in-hospital mortality, rebleeding, surgery indication, and blood transfusion in bleeding peptic ulcer patients admitted on weekends. Settings and Design: This was a retrospective cohort study. Subjects and Methods: We manually reviewed the medical files of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding admitted from January 2015 to June 2017. Two hundred and ninety-five patients were enrolled as weekday group (n = 232) and weekend group (n = 63). We included holiday admissions into the weekend group. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and t-test for continuous data. Results: There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics, comorbidities, or medication between the two groups. We observed that weekday group patients received earlier endoscopy treatment (0.54 ± 0.565 days vs. 1.59 ± 1.34 days; P ≤ 0.0001). They had a shorter hospitalization period (2.88 ± 3.36 days vs. 3.95 ± 4.695 days; P = 0.041). In the weekday and weekend groups, rebleeding rates were 1.7% vs. 3.2%; P = 0.612, mortality rates were 3% vs. 4.8%; P = 0.45, surgery indication rates were 4.7% vs. 3.2%; P = 0.742, and number of transfused blood units was 2.15 ± 3.181 vs. 2.38 ± 1.93; P = 0.58, respectively. Conclusions: Delaying endoscopy in the weekend did not affect the outcome of bleeding peptic ulcers, mortality, rebleeding, surgery indication, or a number of transfused blood units. It increased hospitalization period, which may be predisposed to hospital-acquired infections.