Gastroscopic findings and fecal blood loss following aspirin administration.

Abstract

A study of 19 healthy young male subjects (Group 1) was made in which a correlation of aspirin ingestion, fecal blood loss, blood salicylate levels, prothrombin concentrations, and ABO blood groups was sought. An initial 4-day control period was followed by a 4-day test period during which subjects ingested 650 mg aspirin with each meal and at bedtime. Gastroscopy with photography was done on Day 1 and Day 7. Daily fecal blood loss was quantitated using the 51-chromium tagged erythrocyte method. Sixteen patients (Group 2) with a variety of upper gastrointestinal disorders underwent gastroscopy and photography before and after the acute ingestion of aspirin. Results reveal: (1) Aspirin produced petechiae in 4 of 18 subjects and a hemorrhagic gastritis in 1 of 18 in Group 1, (2) aspirin produced no visible lesions in the 16 subjects in Group 2, (3) the mean fecal blood loss during the control period was 0.38±0.35 g/24 hr and rose to 1.54±1.42 g/24 hr (P<0.01) during aspirin ingestion, (4) no correlation between normal or abnormal gastroscopic findings and fecal blood loss was apparent, and (5) no correlation between blood salicylate levels, prothrombin concentrations, and gastroscopic findings or fecal blood loss was detected.