Endoscopic Control of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Abstract

It has been estimated that gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding occurs in more than 100,000 patients with peptic ulcer disease each year. In 75-80% of the cases, bleeding will be self-limited. A major predictor of persistent or recurrent bleeding is the magnitude of blood loss before the initial evaluation. Endoscopy has an important role in the evaluation of the patient with suspected or presumed upper GI bleeding. Active bleeding at the time of the endoscopy correlates with the more likely probability of persistent bleeding, which carries a higher morbidity and mortality. In addition, there has been continued interest in the finding of a visible vessel. Although there is some controversy as to what a visible vessel actually is and how closely observations will agree about its recognition, there is general agreement that it is an important endoscopic finding and that it carries a high likelihood of rebleeding. In addition to the finding of a visible vessel, many endoscopists feel that ulcers found in the posterior-inferior wall of the duodenal bulb and high on the lesser curve of the stomach should be considered in a separate category. Owing to their proximity to large vessels, some feel that endoscopic management carries a greater risk because of the possibility of inducing bleeding. A wide variety of endoscopic approaches are available for the therapy of upper GI bleeding. It is convenient to divide these therapies into four categories: (a) topical, (b) injection, (c) mechanical, and (d) thermal. Endoscopic therapy for bleeding ulcers has generally been performed with a high degree of safety.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)