Acute Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Research Articles

Outcomes of Transarterial Embolization for Acute Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Correlation with Periprocedural Endoscopy

PurposeTo evaluate gastric and intestinal mucosal changes on postembolic endoscopy and mortality after transarterial embolization (TAE) for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Materials and MethodsAn institutional review board–approved retrospective review of patients who underwent arteriography for refractory UGIB at a multicenter health system from December 2003 to August 2019 was performed. Two hundred sixty-nine patients underwent TAE for UGIB. Data on etiology of bleeding, embolization technique, pre-embolic and postembolic endoscopic results, blood product requirements, and mortality were collected from the medical record. Endoscopy results were compared at the site of the target lesion before and after TAE. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to assess predictors of new adverse mucosal responses and mortality. ResultsThe most common etiology of UGIB was peptic ulcer. Twenty-five percent (n = 68) of the patients had clinical evidence of rebleeding after TAE, and the 30-day mortality rate was 26% (n = 73). Eighty-eight (32%) patients underwent post-TAE endoscopy, with only 15% showing new adverse mucosal changes after embolization. Procedural characteristics, including vascular territory and embolic choice, were not significantly predictive of increased risk of development of adverse mucosal response after TAE or increased mortality risk. No patients in the study were found to have bowel lumen stenosis at the time of post-TAE endoscopy or at 6 year follow-up. ConclusionsTAE is a safe and effective intervention for patients with UGIB. Post-TAE endoscopy demonstrated that most patients had either stability or improvement in the target lesion after TAE, and only a minority of patients demonstrated adverse mucosal changes.

Admission Hypocalcemia and the Need for Endoscopic and Clinical Interventions among Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Introduction: Calcium is an essential co-factor in the coagulation cascade, and hypocalcemia is associated with adverse outcomes in bleeding patients, including trauma patients, women with postpartum hemorrhage, and patients with intracranial hemorrhage. In this retrospective, single-center, cohort study, we aimed to determine whether admission-ionized calcium (Ca⁺⁺) is associated with higher rates of therapeutic interventions among patients presenting with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NV-UGIB). Methods: Adult patients admitted due to NV-UGIB between January 2009 and April 2020 were identified. The primary outcome was defined as a need for clinical intervention (two or more packed cell transfusions, need for endoscopic, surgical, or angiographic intervention). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether Ca⁺⁺ was an independent predictor of the need for therapeutic interventions. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust the imbalances of covariates between the groups. Results: A total of 434 patients were included, of whom 148 (34.1%) had hypocalcemia (Ca⁺⁺ <1.15 mmol/L). Patients with hypocalcemia were more likely to require therapeutic interventions than those without hypocalcemia (48.0% vs. 18.5%, p < 0.001). Specifically, patients with hypocalcemia were more likely to require endoscopic intervention for control of bleeding (25.0% vs. 15.7%, p = 0.03) and multiple packed cell transfusions (6.8% vs. 0.3%, p < 0.001). Additionally, they had significantly longer hospital stay (5.0 days [IQR 3.0–8.0] vs. 4.0 days [IQR 3.0–6.0], p = 0.01). After adjusting for multiple covariates, Ca⁺⁺ was an independent predictor of the need for therapeutic intervention (aOR 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.22–2.14, p < 0.001). The addition of Ca⁺⁺ to the Modified Glasgow Blatchford score improved its accuracy in the prediction of therapeutic intervention from AUC of 0.68 (95% CI 0.63–0.72) to 0.72 (95% CI 0.67–0.76), p = 0.02. After incorporation of the propensity score, the results did not change significantly. Conclusion: These findings suggest that hypocalcemia is common and is associated with an adverse clinical course in patients with NV-UGIB. Measurement of Ca⁺⁺ on admission may facilitate risk stratification in these patients. Trials are needed to assess whether the correction of hypocalcemia will lead to improved outcomes.

Does Early Endoscopy Affect the Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Acute Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

In patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB), the optimal timing of endoscopy is still a matter of dispute. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the clinical benefit of early endoscopy. A literature search of the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases was conducted to identify publications from inception to March 1, 2022. Eligible studies included observational cohort studies and randomized controlled trials that reported clinical outcomes of endoscopy in patients with ANVUGIB. ANVUGIB patients who underwent endoscopy within 24 hours of admission were considered to have had an early endoscopy. The primary outcome was the mortality rate in ANVUGIB patients who had early or nonearly endoscopy. The final analysis included five randomized controlled studies (RCTs) and 20 observational studies from the 1,206 identified articles. The mortality rate was not significantly reduced among patients who received endoscopy performed within 24 hours, whether in cohort studies nor in RCTs. For subgroup analysis, a higher mortality rate was found only among patients who received very early endoscopy within 12 hours (odds ratio, 1.66; p<0.001, I2=0) in cohort studies. No significant difference in mortality rates was found among patients at high risk of bleeding who received early versus nonearly endoscopy. Early endoscopy within 24 hours does not appear to significantly reduce the mortality rates of patients with ANVUGIB. Further well-designed studies are warranted to address if very early endoscopy within 12 hours can provide a clinical benefit for patients at high risk of bleeding.

Role of multidetector computed tomography angiography in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A comprehensive review.

Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is a common gastroenterological emergency associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is currently recommended as the gold standard modality for both diagnosis and treatment, with computed tomography traditionally playing a limited role in the diagnosis of acute NVUGIB. Following the introduction of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), this modality is emerging as a promising tool in the diagnosis of NVUGIB. However, to date, evidence concerning the role of MDCT in the NVUGIB diagnosis is still lacking. The aim of our study was to review the current evidence concerning the role of MDCT in the diagnosis of acute NVUGIB.

S675 Glasgow-Blatchford Score vs Glasgow-Blatchford Score Plus Additional Variables to Predict High-Risk Peptic Ulcers in Acute Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleed in a United Arab Emirates Tertiary Center

Introduction: Acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is a medical emergency and one of the most common reasons for emergency GI care. The Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS) has been developed for risk stratification. Our group has previously reported that GBS has very limited accuracy in Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Our aim was to evaluate whether additional clinical variables improved the accuracy of GBS to predict actual high-risk stigmata or active bleeding during emergency endoscopy and to validate this in a large volume tertiary care setting in the MENA region. Methods: Data were collected retrospectively for a cohort of patients over the age of 16 years who attended the emergency department or were inpatients and underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) for acute NVUGIB from January 2020 through September 2021 at a tertiary hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Our predictor variables included GBS and other potential risk factors as listed in Table. GBS included patients' hemoglobin by gender, blood urea, heart rate, and systolic blood pressure from the time of admission as well as presentation with syncope or melena, and evidence of hepatic disease or cardiac failure. After assessing ability of the GBS to predict Forrest I- II classification by estimating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC), we examined if other patient demographics and clinical characteristics might improve upon the ability of GBS to detect Forrest I-II classification by fitting several logistic regression models and calculating the AUROCC. Results: Among the 153 patients in our cohort, the median age was 58 years (IQR XMR 11 (IQR 7 to 13). In our cohort, 28 (18.3%) patients had Forrest I-II classification identified during endoscopy. The AUROCC for the ability of GBS to detect Forrest I-II classification was 0.49 (95% CI 0.37 to 0.62). AUROCC for the ability of each patient characteristic to detect Forrest I-II classification is shown in Table. Models that contained age, diastolic blood pressure and nationality/immigration status in addition to GBS provided the highest overall AUROC with confidence intervals significantly higher than GBS alone. Conclusion: Our study did not find evidence that GBS by itself was a useful tool at identifying patients with Forrest I-II classification during endoscopy. Our data suggested younger age, nationality / immigration status along with lower DBP may be better predictors of Forrest I-II classification when considered with GBS. Table 1. - Patients Demographics and Clinical Characteristics with Area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve for Detection of Forrest I-II Classification AUC-1 AUC-2 AUROC-3 AUC-4 Predictor variable Unadjusted GBS-adjusted Age-adjusted GBS- and age-adjusted Glasgow-Blatchford score 0.493 0.704 Age 0.695 0.704 Gender 0.590 0.605 0.724 0.731 Nationality 0.630 0.634 0.737 0.745 Diabetes 0.563 0.565 0.697 0.705 Hypertension 0.609 0.627 0.696 0.706 Dyslipidemia 0.523 0.530 0.698 0.707 Chronic kidney disease 0.577 0.602 0.694 0.704 Ischemic heart disease 0.578 0.566 0.695 0.715 Atrial fibrillation 0.568 0.582 0.704 0.718 Congestive heart failure 0.510 0.519 0.696 0.706 Chronic liver disease 0.526 0.530 0.700 0.708 Cerebrovascular accident 0.563 0.575 0.691 0.702 Malignancy 0.508 0.522 0.696 0.705 Antiplatelets 0.533 0.537 0.696 0.706 Anticoagulant 0.527 0.548 0.699 0.709 Proton pump inhibitor 0.524 0.525 0.695 0.703 Steroid 0.506 0.514 0.695 0.702 NSAIDs 0.520 0.537 0.704 0.712 Admission unit 0.515 0.534 0.700 0.706 Admission time 0.538 0.533 0.699 0.711 Prior GI bleeding 0.517 0.513 0.693 0.705 Hematemesis 0.578 0.572 0.711 0.717 Melena 0.587 0.602 0.716 0.719 Drop in haemoglobin 0.519 0.504 0.693 0.706 PR Bleeding 0.528 0.541 0.698 0.705 Syncope 0.502 0.511 0.694 0.705 Urea 0.532 0.518 0.698 0.706 Initial Hgb 0.498 0.516 0.693 0.701 SBP 0.383 0.448 0.698 0.710 DBP 0.599 0.648 0.738 0.738 Heart rate 0.593 0.599 0.700 0.708 Unstable Pulse 0.570 0.607 0.700 0.705 Blood Transfusion 0.505 0.497 0.698 0.705 AUC=area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, GBS=Glasgow-Blatchford score.AUC-1 estimates were obtained from single variable logistic regression models separately for each predictor variable.AUC-2 estimates were obtained from logistic regression models separately for each predictor variable with GBS included as an additional predictor variable.AUC-3 estimates were obtained from logistic regression models separately for each predictor variable with age included as an additional predictor variable.AUC-4 estimates were obtained from logistic regression models separately for each predictor variable with GBS and age included as an additional predictor variables.

Effect of Direct-acting Oral Anticoagulants and Warfarin on Hospital Outcomes in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

To evaluate the comparison of direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and warfarin for their effects on major bleeding and hospital outcomes in patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB). An observational study. Tekirdag Namik Kemal University Hospital, Hitit University Erol Olçok Education and Research Hospital, between January and December 2021. Adult patients prescribed warfarin and DOACs were followed up for one year. Their length of hospital stay, need for intensive care unit admission, need for red blood cell transfusion, and major bleeding rates were compared. Thirty-two patients (61.5%) were user of DOACs (DOAC group), and 20 patients (38.5%) were users of warfarin (warfarin group). No statistically significant difference was determined between patients in warfarin group and DOAC group for the number of packed red blood cells transfused [median 3 (0-6) units, 3 (0-10) units, p=0.229, respectively], length of hospital stay [median 5 days (3-10), and 4.5 days (2-20), p=0.739, respectively], rate of intensive care unit admission [(n=9, 45%; and n=10 (31%), p=0.623, respectively] and the occurrence of major bleeding events (warfarin-70%; DOACs-78%; p=0.529). Major bleeding episodes and hospital outcomes of acute NVUGIB were similar between patients receiving warfarin and DOACs. Direct-acting oral anticoagulants, Warfarin, Gastrointestinal bleeding, Outcome, Mortality.

A Cohort Study to Compare Effects between Ulcer- and Nonulcer-Related Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Objective The aim of this study was to better understand the characteristics and etiology of acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB) in recent years in this region and to provide evidence-based medical evidence. Methods 100 patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB) who met the clinical diagnostic criteria of ANVUGIB admitted to Suzhou First People's Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were analyzed, as well as the age difference and change rule. According to age, 100 patients were divided into young (18-39 years), middle-aged (40-59 years), and elderly (60 years and above), and the differences in the three groups were compared. The etiology was confirmed by endoscopic examination and was recorded one by one in a well-designed ANVUGIB case data registration form. Statistical software SPSS 23.0 was used for analysis. Results Gastric ulcer was the main cause in the elderly group (50.0%), duodenal ulcer was the main cause in the middle and young groups, and gastrointestinal cancer (7.1%) and marginal ulcer (2.3%) in the elderly group were higher than those in the young group. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (52.3%) were the main inducement in the elderly group, which was significantly higher than in the middle-aged group (13.1%) and the young group (5%) (P < 0.01). Drinking, fatigue, and emotional excitement led to a higher proportion in the middle-aged group and the young group, in comparison to the elderly group (P < 0.01). Conclusion Peptic ulcer is the most common cause of acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding, followed by acute gastric mucosal lesions and upper digestive system tumors, compared with nonulcer.

Comparison of urgent and early endoscopy for acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding in high-risk patients

ObjectiveData regarding early (within 24h) and urgent endoscopy (within 12h) in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NV-UGIB) revealed conflicting results. This study aimed to investigate the impact of endoscopy timing on the outcomes of high-risk patients with NV-UGIB. Patients and methodsFrom February 2020 to February 2021, consecutive high-risk (Glasgow–Blatchford score ≥12) adults admitted to the emergency department with NV-UGIB were analyzed retrospectively. The primary composite outcome was 30-day mortality from any cause, inpatient rebleeding, need for endoscopic re-intervention, need for surgery or angiographic embolization. Results240 patients were enrolled: 152 (63%) patients underwent urgent endoscopy (<12h) and 88 (37%) patients underwent early endoscopy (12–24h). One or more components of the composite outcome were observed in 53 (22.1%) patients: 30 (12.5%) had 30-day mortality, rebleeding occurred in 27 (11.3%), 7 (2.9%) underwent endoscopic re-intervention, and 5 (2.1%) required surgery or angiographic embolization. The composite outcome was similar between the groups. Multivariate analysis showed only hemodynamic instability on admission (OR: 3.05, p=0.006), and the previous history of cancer (OR: 2.42, p=0.029) were significant in predicting composite outcome. In terms of secondary outcomes, the endoscopic intervention was higher in the urgent endoscopy group (p=0.006), whereas the number of transfused erythrocyte suspensions and the length of hospital stay was higher in the early endoscopy group (p=0.002 and p=0.040, respectively). ConclusionsUrgent endoscopy leads to a significant reduction in the length of hospitalization and the number of transfused erythrocyte suspensions in NV-UGIB, which can contribute to patient satisfaction, reduce healthcare expenditure, and improve hospital bed availability. The composite outcome and its sub-outcomes were the same among both groups.

Value of Blood Urea Nitrogen-to-Creatinine Ratio for Differentiating the Site of Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Assessing the Prognosis of Patients with Acute Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

To explore the diagnostic performance of blood urea nitrogen-to-creatinine (BUN/Cr) ratio in differentiating the site of gastrointestinal bleeding, and to assess the predictive value of early elevated BUN/Cr ratio for clinical outcomes in patients with acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB). The adult patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal bleeding who were hospitalized in the Department of Gastroenterology, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University between May 2020 and May 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. According to the site of gastrointestinal bleeding, the patients were divided into the upper gastrointestinal tract group, the proximal small intestinal bleeding group, and the distal small intestinal and colonic bleeding group. According to the early dynamic changes of BUN/Cr ratio within 6-48 hours after admission, patients with ANVUGIB were divided into early dynamic elevated BUN/Cr ratio group and non-early dynamic elevated BUN/Cr ratio group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic performance of BUN/Cr ratio in differentiating the site of gastrointestinal bleeding and examine the predictive efficacy of early dynamic elevated BUN/Cr ratio after admission, Rockall scoring system, and the combined indicator of the two for estimating the primary clinical outcomes in ANVUGIB patients. A total of 266 patients were enrolled. Among them, 204 cases were in the upper gastrointestinal bleeding group, 15 cases were in the proximal small intestinal bleeding group, and 47 cases were in the distal small intestinal and colonic bleeding group. In the ANVUGIB patients, 16 were in the group with early dynamic elevated BUN/Cr ratio after admission, and 146 were in the group with non-early dynamic elevated BUN/Cr ratio after admission. The area under the ROC curve of the BUN/Cr ratio was 0.831 (95% CI: 0.780-0.874), the optimal cut-off value being 34.59 mg/g for differentiation between upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The area under the ROC curve of the BUN/Cr ratio was 0.901 (95% CI: 0.798-0.963) and the optimal cut-off value was 19.27 mg/g for differentiation between proximal small intestinal bleeding and the distal small intestinal and colonic bleeding. The area under the ROC curve of the early dynamic elevated BUN/Cr ratio after admission was 0.806 (95% CI: 0.737-0.864) for predicting the primary clinical outcome in patients with ANVUGIB. The area under the ROC curve of the combined indicator included the early dynamic elevated BUN/Cr ratio after admission and the Rockall scoring system was 0.909 (95% CI: 0.854-0.949) for predicting the primary clinical outcome in patients with ANVUGIB. The BUN/Cr ratio shows rather reliable diagnostic performance for identifying the site of gastrointestinal bleeding, and the early dynamic elevated BUN/Cr ratio after admission is a reliable indicator for predicting clinical outcomes in patients with ANVUGIB.

Efficacy Analysis of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization in Acute Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in the treatment of acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB), and to guide clinical practice and continue to optimize diagnosis and treatment strategies. This retrospective study included 266 patients who underwent angiography due to ANVUGIB between March 2016 and March 2021. Data on the positive rate of angiography, the technical success rate and clinical success rate of TAE, and the rebleeding rate and the all-cause mortality within 30 days after TAE treatment were collected, and the influencing factors relevant to the above events were analyzed accordingly. All 266 patients completed angiography--the positive rate of angiography was 54.1% (144/266), the total technical success rate was 97.3% (217/223), the clinical success rate was 73.1% (155/212), and the rebleeding rate and all-cause mortality within 30 days were 26.9% (57/212) and 16.1% (35/217), respectively. This study found that shock index>1 ( OR=5.950; 95% CI: 1.481-23.895; P=0.012), computed tomography angiography (CTA) positive result ( OR=6.813; 95% CI: 1.643-28.252; P=0.008) and interval<24 h ( OR=10.530; 95% CI: 2.845-38.976; P<0.001) were independent predictors of positive angiography. Shock index>1 ( OR=2.544; 95% CI: 1.301-4.972; P=0.006) and INR>1.5 ( OR=3.207; 95% CI: 1.381-7.451; P=0.007) were independent risk factors for rebleeding. Patients with postoperative bleeding ( OR=3.174; 95% CI: 1.164-8.654; P=0.024) and patients with rebleeding after embolization ( OR=34.665; 95% CI: 11.471-104.758; P<0.001) had a higher risk of death within 30 days. TAE is safe and effective in the treatment of ANVUGIB. Patients with shock index>1 and positive CTA are more likely to be angiographic positive, and should undergo angiography as early as possible after bleeding. In addition, rebleeding after embolization deserves high attention.

Octreotide Efficacy and Safety in Pediatric Non-variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: Octreotide has been used to control bleeding episodes with variceal origin in the pediatric population. To date, there is no clear evidence of octreotide use for non-variceal bleeding in clinical trials. Objectives: We aimed to assess the octreotide efficacy as an add-on therapy to the conventional regimen of proton pump inhibitors for controlling upper non-variceal gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in the pediatric population. Methods: This prospective randomized controlled clinical trial was performed on pediatric patients aged 1 - 15 years and diagnosed with acute non-variceal upper GI bleeding. The participants were allocated to receive octreotide or placebo and pantoprazole concomitantly. The study was conducted in Mofid Children’s Hospital, Tehran, Iran, during February 2019 - December 2019. Patients with hepatic failure, liver stigma, and coagulopathy due to thrombocytopenia were excluded. Demographic, clinical, and preclinical data were recorded in prepared sheets. All the patients were followed until therapy discontinuation. P-value &lt; 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Forty-three patients with a mean age of 4.98 ± 3.79 years and confirmed non-variceal upper GI bleeding were included in the present study. Most patients had no specific etiology for their bleeding episodes. Patients in the intervention and control groups received pantoprazole in comparable doses. No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of baseline hemoglobin values (P = 0.08), while final hemoglobin values were significantly higher in the intervention group (P = 0.014). The bleeding duration was not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.99). Moreover, none of the cases showed adverse drug reactions due to octreotide infusion. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that octreotide did not alter bleeding duration or need for blood transfusion. However, positive results were observed for hemoglobin, affecting blood loss volume.

Duodenal Dieulafoy lesion: a rare pathogeny of gastrointestinal bleeding in children

Dieulafoy lesion is a calibre persistent submucosal artery associated with a minuter mucosal defect. Dieulafoy lesion has been reported to account for 1-5.8% of acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding in adults, but it is rarely reported in children. Here we report a case of duodenal Dieulafoy lesion in a 13-year-old boy. After endoscopy and laparotomy, he still had no definite diagnosis and effective treatment. The duodenal Dieulafoy lesion was finally identified by selective angiography and was effectively treated by intravascular embolization. For unexplained upper gastrointestinal bleeding, the possibility of duodenal Dieulafoy lesion should be considered. A combination of multiple diagnosis and treatment methods can improve the success rate of diagnosis and treatment when a single test or treatment method cannot provide definitive diagnosis or effective treatment.

Comparison of a Hemostatic Powder and Standard Treatment in the Control of Active Bleeding From Upper Nonvariceal Lesions

The effectiveness of the hemostatic powder TC-325 as a single endoscopic treatment for acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding is uncertain. To compare TC-325 with standard endoscopic hemostatic treatments in the control of active bleeding from nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal causes. One-sided, noninferiority, randomized, controlled trial. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02534571). University teaching hospitals in the Asia-Pacific region. 224 adult patients with acute bleeding from a nonvariceal cause on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. TC-325 (n = 111) or standard hemostatic treatment (n = 113). The primary outcome was control of bleeding within 30 days. Other outcomes included failure to control bleeding during index endoscopy, recurrent bleeding after initial hemostasis, further interventions, blood transfusion, hospitalization, and death. 224 patients were enrolled (136 with gastroduodenal ulcers [60.7%], 33 with tumors [14.7%], and 55 with other causes of bleeding [24.6%]). Bleeding was controlled within 30 days in 100 of 111 patients (90.1%) in the TC-325 group and 92 of 113 (81.4%) in the standard treatment group (risk difference, 8.7 percentage points [1-sided 95% CI, 0.95 percentage point]). There were fewer failures of hemostasis during index endoscopy with TC-325 (3 [2.7%] vs. 11 [9.7%]; odds ratio, 0.26 [CI, 0.07 to 0.95]). Recurrent bleeding within 30 days did not differ between groups (9 [8.1%] vs. 10 [8.8%]). The need for further interventions also did not differ between groups (further endoscopic treatment: 8 [7.2%] vs. 10 [8.8%]; angiography: 2 [1.8%] vs. 4 [3.5%]; surgery: 1 [0.9%] vs. 0). There were 14 deaths in each group (12.6% vs. 12.4%). Clinicians were not blinded to treatment. TC-325 is not inferior to standard treatment in the endoscopic control of bleeding from nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal causes. General Research Fund to the University Grants Committee, Hong Kong SAR Government.

Characteristics of Patients with Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding - Are We Underestimating Gastroprotection during NSAIDs Therapy?

The aim of our study was to determine the etiological factors, treatment and outcome of patients with non-variceal bleeding from upper gastrointestinal tract. This study enrolled 200 patients admitted to Sarajevo University Clinical Center with signs and symptoms of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, from January 2019 to July 2020. All patients had undergone gastroscopy, confirming the cause of gastrointestinal bleeding. Clinical and laboratory data were collected retrospectively, including previous non-steroid antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and anticoagulant therapy, comorbidities, risk factors, as well as endoscopic findings, laboratory findings, treatment and clinical follow-up. The majority of patients were men (59%) with an average age of 53±6 years. Duodenal and gastric ulcers were the most common cause, followed by other etiologies. In our study, previous NSAIDs therapy had been registered in 29.5% of patients, anticoagulants in 8%, and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) in 2.9% of patients. Endoscopic intervention was required in 34% of patients. The need for transfusion occurred in 44.5% of cases. Rebleeding during hospitalization was observed in 7.5% of patients, mortality in 1.5% and surgery in 3% of patients. The patients admitted to our hospital with symptoms of acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding were elderly, predominantly males, with significant comorbidities and a higher incidence of NSAID use. Gastroprotection is underutilized during NSAID treatment in patients with other coexisting risk factors, with a low rate of concomitant use of PPI during NSAIDs therapy. Endoscopic therapy, together with PPI, significantly reduces rebleeding rates, mortality and the number of emergency surgical interventions.

Incidence, Predictive Factors, Clinical Characteristics and Outcome of Non-variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding - A Prospective Population-based Study from Hungary.

Acute non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence, management, risk factors and outcomes of acute non-variceal UGIB in a population-based study from Hungary. The present prospective one-year study involved six major community hospitals in Western Hungary covering a population of 1,263,365 persons between January 1 and December 31, 2016. Data collection included demographics, comorbidities endoscopic management, Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS), Rockall score (RS) transfusion requirements, length of hospital stay and mortality. 688 cases of acute non-variceal UGIB were included with an incidence rate of 54.4 (95%CI: 50.5-58.6) per 100,000 per year. Endoscopy was performed within 12 hours in 71.8%. 5.3% of the patients required surgical treatment and the overall mortality was 13.5%. Weekend presentation was associated with increased transfusion requirements (p=0.047), surgery (p=0.016) and mortality (p=0.021). Presentation with hemodynamic instability or presence of comorbidities was associated with transfusion (p<0.001 both), second look endoscopy (p<0.001 both), re-bleeding (p<0.001 both), longer in-hospital stay (p<0.001 both) and mortality (p=0.017 and p<0.001). GBS was associated with transfusion requirement (AUC:0.82; cut-off: GBS >7points), while mortality was best predicted by the post-endoscopic RS (AUC:0.75; cut-off: RS >5points). Incidence rates of acute non-variceal UGIB in Western Hungary are in line with international trends. Longer pre-hospital time, comorbidities, hemodynamic instability, weekend presentation, treatment with anticoagulants or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was associated with worse outcomes.

Timing of endoscopy for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a territory-wide cohort study

ObjectiveWhile it is recommended that patients presenting with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) should receive endoscopic intervention within 24 hours, the optimal timing is still uncertain. We aimed to assess...

Early Endoscopy Decrease the Length of Hospital Stay and the Costs in Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common cause of hospitalization. There are conflicting results regarding the effectiveness of early endoscopy in patients with upper GI bleeding. The study aimed to determine the benefit of early endoscopy and the epidemiological characteristics of patients presenting to the emergency department with non-variceal acute upper GI bleeding. Patients over 18 years of age who presented to the emergency department with upper GI between 2015 and 2016 and underwent endoscopy were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: early endoscopy group (endoscopy within the 24 h) and late endoscopy group (endoscopy after 24 h). Of 104 patients, 57.7% were man, and the mean age was 66.27 ± 17.64 years. Of the patients who underwent endoscopy, 80 (76.9%) were in the early endoscopy group. There was no difference in blood transfusion needs (P = 0.388), re-bleeding (P = 0.137), the need for surgery, and mortality rates with regard to the timing of endoscopy. The results of the receiver-operating characteristics curve analysis revealed patients with a GBS ≥ 9 were taken as high-risk, and a prognosis analysis was performed accordingly. However, in patients undergoing early endoscopy, a difference was detected with respect to the length of hospital stay (P = 0.011) and treatment costs (P = 0.030). In the comparison with the admission time (working/non-working h) and variables, there were no significant differences in the length of hospital stay (P = 0.230), transfusion needs (P = 0.348), re-bleeding frequency (P = 0.905), and treatment costs (P = 0.094). Endoscopy within 24 h in the setting of acute upper non-variceal GI bleeding is associated with an increase in the length of hospital stay and treatment costs, but is not associated with re-bleeding, transfusion needs, need for surgery, and mortality.

Complete Rockall Score in Predicting Outcomes of Elderly Patients with Acute Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Background: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common life-threatening emergency with an overall mortality rate of around 10%. Complete Rockall score is designed to identify patients who are at greater risk of adverse outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the Rockall score as a predictor of adverse outcome in elderly population presenting with non-variceal UGIB. Materials and Methods: This study was an observational study conducted in 116 patients of age &gt;60 years. After stabilizing the patient, endoscopy was performed using a Pentax endoscope. Severity of bleeding was assessed with complete Rockall scoring. The statistical significance was fixed at 5% level (P-value &lt;0.05). Results: The mean age of the study population was 70.16 ± 6.01 years with male-to-female ratio of 2.63:1. Majority of patients (55.17%) presented with both hematemesis and melena. The most common lesion was duodenal ulcer (33.62%). The mean blood transfusion was 1.56 ± 1.14 U. The mean Rockall score was 4.37 ± 2.12. The mean hospitalization was 3.26 ± 1.69 days. Rebleeding occurred in 12.93% of the patients and 8.62% of the patients expired during hospitalization. Out of the 10 patients expired, 20.0% belonged to the moderate-risk and 80.0% belonged to the high-risk Rockall groups, which were found to be statistically significant (P-value &lt;0.001). Conclusion: Acute UGIB is a medical emergency and Rockall score is ideal to stratify elderly patients to anticipate outcome and prognosis.

Does Performing Endoscopy Sooner Have an Impact on Outcomes in Patients With Acute Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage? A Systematic Review.

BackgroundEndoscopy is the cornerstone for the diagnosis and treatment of nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Regarding the management of nonvariceal bleeding, the administration of crystalloid solution and proton pump inhibitors before endoscopy is well established, but the optimal timing of endoscopy has been a matter of debate and a subject of many investigational studies. The need for urgent endoscopy arises to provide prompt redress to acute bleeding, decrease the length of stay, and lower mortality from ongoing bleeding.ObjectiveThis study aimed to determine if endoscopy performed within 24 hours of presentation improves outcomes in terms of mortality, hospital length of stay, and rebleeding in individuals presenting with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleed with any risk.MethodologyWe performed a systematic review of two large databases (PubMed and Google Scholar) to incorporate all studies published after 2000. We included studies with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding and excluded those reporting variceal gastrointestinal hemorrhage.ResultsWe reviewed eight studies that qualified after meeting our inclusion and exclusion criteria. We divided these studies into three separate groups based on the timing of endoscopy. Only two studies found a difference in mortality that was statistically significant in patients who underwent endoscopy within 24 hours of presentation. One study showed lower mortality in a patient who underwent urgent endoscopy, but it did not reach statistical significance. Other studies did not show any statistical difference in mortality, hospital length of stay, and rebleeding rates. The studies showed conflicting evidence on the amount of blood transfusion, though urgent endoscopy was found to be difficult in few studies due to blood obscuring the lesion.ConclusionsWhile data suggest that there is a potential benefit in performing endoscopy sooner, there is no concrete evidence to point to a particular time range. Before performing endoscopy, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (2012) recommends adequate resuscitation with crystalloid solutions, blood transfusions, and antisecretory and prokinetic agent therapy. More investigational studies are needed to formulate a time-sensitive flow sheet to approach endoscopy in patients with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding. A strict criterion is also needed to delineate patients into low-risk and high-risk groups. Doing so would provide a systematic approach to help with mortality, rebleeding, and healthcare resource utilization.

Biopsy in emergency gastroscopy does not increase the risk of rebleeding in patients with Forrest I acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding combined with suspected malignant gastric ulcer: a multicenter retrospective cohort study

BackgroundFew studies have reported whether a biopsy in emergency gastroscopy (EG) increased the risk of rebleeding in patients with Forrest I acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (ANVUGIB) combined with suspected malignant gastric ulcer (SMGU). This study aims to conduct a multicenter retrospective cohort study using propensity score matching to verify whether a biopsy in EG increases the risk of rebleeding in patients diagnosed with Forrest I ANVUGIB combined with SMGU.MethodsUsing the data for propensity-matched patients, logistic regression models were fitted using rebleeding as the dependent variable. Survival time was defined as the length of time the patient experienced from visiting the emergency department to rebleeding. We used the Kaplan–Meier (KM) method to analyze the 30-day survival of the patients with and without a biopsy after matching, and the log-rank test was performed to examine the differences in survival.ResultsWith the use of propensity score matching, 308 patients who underwent a biopsy in EG were matched with 308 patients who did not. In the five logistic regression models, there were no significant group differences in the risk of rebleeding in patients with Forrest I ANVUGIB combined with SMGU between the biopsy and no-biopsy groups. The probability of survival was not significantly different between the no-biopsy and biopsy groups.ConclusionsIn this multicenter, retrospective propensity score matching cohort study, compared with patients without a biopsy, patients with a biopsy during EG had no increased risk of rebleeding, and there was no significant difference in the rate of rebleeding.