Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Causes and patient outcomes

BACKGROUND

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) remains a healthcare burden and is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. We aim to describe the presentation, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients presenting with UGIB as well as important patient outcomes.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study performed at a tertiary care university hospital in Riyadh. Electronic endoscopic reports of patients undergoing gastroscopies for the indication of UGIB from January 2006 to January 2015 were included. Demographic data, past medical conditions, medications used, symptoms on presentation, as well as the patients' hemodynamic status, laboratory investigations on presentations, the need for blood products, the need for admission to an intensive care unit, rebleeding, and in-hospital mortality rates were retrieved from medical records.

RESULTS

Two hundred fifty-nine patients were included with a mean age of 57.1 years and males constituted 66.8% of the study cohort. At least one comorbidity was present in 88.2%, while 20.7% had a history of prior UGIB, 12.6% had a history of peptic ulcer disease, and 9.2% had known esophageal varices. A nonvariceal source represented 80.1% of the causes (95% CI: 75.4 to 85.3%), 15.5% required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), the rebleeding rate was 8.9% (95% CI; 5.7% to 12.2%) while the in-hospital mortality was 4.4% (95% CI; 2.4% to 6.9%). The mean pre-endoscopic Rockall score was 2.6 (range: 0 to 5), while the total Rockall score was 4.4 (range: 1 to 9). There was no association between the pre-endoscopic Rockall score and rebleeding (3.0 vs. 2.5, P = 0.27) or need for ICU admission (3.2 vs. 2.4, P = 0.08), the total Rockall score and rebleeding (5.0 vs. 4.4, P = 0.58) or need for ICU admission (5.0 vs. 4.3, P = 0.36).

CONCLUSION

Causes of UGIB in this patient population were predominantly nonvariceal and the rebleeding and mortality rates resembled those of other studies.

Causes of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Among Pilgrims During the Hajj Period in the Islamic Years 1437-1439 (2016-2018)

Background

Approximately 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.

Method

We 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).

Results

A 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.

Conclusion

Medical 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.

Use of over-the-scope clip for ulcer hemostasis after failure of both surgery and interventional therapy: A case report

RATIONALE

Non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeding is a common critical disease worldwide, and according to relevant guidelines, surgery and interventional treatment are the final therapies. However, few studies have reported on therapeutic strategies to employ when the ultimate treatment fails. This report offers a reasonable option for hemostasis after surgery and interventional treatment both fail.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 47-year-old man with recurrent bleeding had undergone endoscopy, surgery, and interventional therapy; however, effective hemostasis was not achieved.

DIAGNOSIS

This patient's clinical manifestations and typical gastroscopic findings confirmed duodenal bulb ulcer with hemorrhage INTERVENTIONS:: A Billroth II + Bancroft operation, interventional treatment, and endoscopic hemostasis with an over-the-scope clip (OTSC) system were administered.

OUTCOMES

The bleeding was successfully controlled, and the patient remained well during long-term follow-up.

LESSONS

The OTSC system can represent a reasonable option for ulcer hemostasis after surgery when other interventional therapies have failed.

Restrictive versus liberal transfusion strategy in upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The study aimed at comparing restrictive and liberal transfusion strategy in reducing mortality in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB).

METHODS

This was a single-center, prospective, open-label, non-inferiority, randomized controlled trial conducted over two years. Patients presenting with UGIB were randomized into restrictive (hemoglobin (Hb) <7 g/dl) or liberal (Hb <8 g/dl) transfusion strategy groups. Transfusion was given till patients achieved target Hb of 9 g/dl in restrictive and 10 g/dl in the liberal arms. Patients with exsanguinating bleeding, transfusion within 90 days, recent history of trauma or surgery were excluded. Primary outcome was mortality rate and the secondary outcomes were morbidity, re-bleeding episodes and the need for intervention.

RESULTS

A total of 224 patients were randomized to 112 patients in each group. Demographic characteristics were comparable. 45-day mortality was similar between the two groups (restrictive vs. liberal; 10/112 vs. 12/112; P = 0.65). The number of in-hospital bleeding episodes (12 vs. 9; P = 0.25), incidence of re-bleeding during the 45-day follow-up (13 vs. 14; P = 0.84), need for endoscopic banding for varices (37/112 vs. 39/112, P = 0.99), mean hospital stay (days) (3.21 ± 2.78 vs. 2.73 ± 1.29; P = 0.10) were similar between the two groups.

CONCLUSION

Restrictive transfusion strategy is non-inferior to liberal transfusion strategy in patients with UGIB.

Demographic profile and endoscopic findings among patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, North-Western Nigeria

Background

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common medical emergency that can result in significant morbidity and mortality.

Aim

The aim of this study was to determine the demographic profile and etiology of UGIB in patients seen at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, North-Western Nigeria.

Subjects and Methods

This descriptive retrospective study was carried out at the Gastroenterology Unit of ABUTH Zaria. Data of patients referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with UGIB from June 2017 to December 2019 were extracted from the endoscopy register and analyzed.

Results

One hundred and forty-four patients had upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy done for UGIB during the period under review. Of these, 105 (72.9%) were males while 39 (27.1%) were females with male-to-female ratio of 2.7:1. The mean age of the patients was 43.5 ± 17.3 and their age ranges from 11 to 89 years. The modal age group was 40-49 years. The most common cause of UGIB was esophageal varices (67 [46.5%]) followed by erosive mucosal diseases: gastritis/duodenitis 43 (29.9%), esophagitis 12 (8.3%). Less common causes were peptic ulcer disease (PUD) in five (3.5%) patients, gastric tumor in two (1.4%), hiatus hernia in one (0.7%), and portal hypertensive gastropathy in one (0.7%). Thirteen patients (9.0%) had normal findings.

Conclusion

Esophageal varices are the most common cause of UGIB among our patients and middle-aged male patients were the most commonly affected group.

Prediction of Adverse Events in Stable Non-Variceal Gastrointestinal Bleeding Using Machine Learning

Clinical risk-scoring systems are important for identifying patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) who are at a high risk of hemodynamic instability. We developed an algorithm that predicts adverse events in patients with initially stable non-variceal UGIB using machine learning (ML). Using prospective observational registry, 1439 out of 3363 consecutive patients were enrolled. Primary outcomes included adverse events such as mortality, hypotension, and rebleeding within 7 days. Four machine learning algorithms, namely, logistic regression with regularization (LR), random forest classifier (RF), gradient boosting classifier (GB), and voting classifier (VC), were compared with the Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS) and Rockall scores. The RF model showed the highest accuracies and significant improvement over conventional methods for predicting mortality (area under the curve: RF 0.917 vs. GBS 0.710), but the performance of the VC model was best in hypotension (VC 0.757 vs. GBS 0.668) and rebleeding within 7 days (VC 0.733 vs. GBS 0.694). Clinically significant variables including blood urea nitrogen, albumin, hemoglobin, platelet, prothrombin time, age, and lactate were identified by the global feature importance analysis. These results suggest that ML models will be useful early predictive tools for identifying high-risk patients with initially stable non-variceal UGIB admitted at an emergency department.

Risk stratification in acute variceal bleeding: Comparison of the AIMS65 score to established upper gastrointestinal bleeding and liver disease severity risk stratification scoring systems in predicting mortality and rebleeding

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Risk stratification is recommended in all patients with acute variceal bleeding (AVB). It remains unclear whether liver disease severity or upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) scoring algorithms offer superior predictive ability. We aimed to validate the AIMS65 score as a predictor of mortality in AVB, and to compare AIMS65 with established UGIB and liver disease severity risk stratification scores.

METHODS

International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes identified patients presenting with AVB to three tertiary centers over a 48-month period. Patients were risk-stratified using AIMS65, Rockall, pre-endoscopy Rockall, Child-Pugh, Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) and United Kingdom MELD (UKELD) scores. Primary outcomes were inpatient and 6-week mortality and inpatient rebleeding.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty-three patients were included. Inpatient and 6-week mortality were 13.9% and 15.5% respectively. Prediction of inpatient mortality by AIMS65 (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve [AUROC: 0.84]) was equivalent to UGIB (Rockall: 0.79, pre-Rockall: 0.78) and liver risk scores (MELD: 0.81, UKELD: 0.79, Child-Pugh: 0.78). AIMS65 score ≥3 best defined high- and low-risk groups for inpatient mortality (mortality 37.7% vs 4.9%). AIMS65 (AUROC: 0.62) was equivalent to UGIB risk scores (pre-Rockall: 0.64, Rockall: 0.70) in predicting inpatient rebleeding and superior to liver risk scores (MELD: 0.56, UKELD: 0.57, Child-Pugh: 0.60).

CONCLUSIONS

AIMS65 is equivalent to established UGIB and liver disease severity risk stratification scores in predicting mortality, and superior to liver scores in predicting rebleeding.

Hyperplastic Gastric Polyp Causing Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage and Acute Blood Loss Anemia

Hyperplastic polyps are the second most common type of gastric polyp in the United States with equal incidence in both genders, usually found incidentally during endoscopic examinations. It is a well-known fact that they are associated with iron-deficiency anemia due to chronic blood loss. We present a case of a 69-year-old man with a relatively small hyperplastic gastric polyp with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, presenting with melena and acute blood loss anemia requiring admission to intensive care unit and urgent endoscopic intervention with hot snare removal of the polyp and cautery of surrounding area with excellent hemostasis. The pathology revealed focal intestinal metaplasia and low-grade dysplasia with no evidence of malignancy. He was subsequently discharged with outpatient follow-up with gastroenterology.

Skipping the Drip: Intravenous Proton Pump Inhibitor Bolus Therapy Leads to Poor Outcomes in High-Risk Bleeding

Background and Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a change in our institute's protocol from continuous intravenous (IV) proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy to bolus IV PPI therapy for the treatment of peptic ulcer-related bleeding on patient outcomes. Current guidelines recommend PPI therapy through high-dose IV bolus followed by continuous infusion for bleeding ulcers. Conflicting data have been reported regarding the practice shift to intermittent IV PPI therapy. Methods A retrospective record review was conducted of patients treated at West Virginia University between 2017 and 2018 for peptic ulcer related bleeding who underwent endoscopy and had high-risk stigmata. Relevant variables were identified. Outcomes were compared between groups based on PPI strategy. The primary endpoint was any poor outcome defined as rebleeding, need for embolization or surgery, or mortality during hospital stay. Results A total of 130 patients were included, with a mean age of 62.18 years. Continuous PPI infusion was used in 39.23%, whereas bolus IV PPI was used 60.76%. Poor outcome was encountered in 11 (21.57%) patients in the continuous and 33 (41.77%) patients in the bolus group (p = 0.028). On multivariable analyses, bolus PPI strategy was independently linked to poor outcome (Wald's odds ratio: 2.8; 95% CI: 1.21-6.84; p = 0.019) and an increased need for embolization/surgery (OR: 4.12, 95% CI: 1.14-19.99; p = 0.046). Conclusions IV bolus therapy showed worse outcomes compared with continuous IV PPI therapy for patients with peptic ulcer bleeding with high-risk features. More robust data are needed before a practice shift to bolus PPI may be appropriate.

The role of antibiotics in upper gastrointestinal bleeding among cirrhotic patients without major complications after endoscopic hemostasis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Antibiotic prophylaxis should be instituted for cirrhotic patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), but the benefit on compensated patients remains undetermined. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between cirrhotic patients without major complications with UGIB with and without antibiotic prophylaxis.

METHODS

We conducted this population-based cohort study by using Taiwanese Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000, between 1997 to 2013), aged 18 years or older with a hospital discharge diagnosis of cirrhosis (n = 64,506), UGIB (n = 7,784), and endoscopic therapy (n = 2,292). After strict exclusions, 1205 patients were enrolled and were divided into antibiotic exposure (n = 558) and non-exposure (n = 647) groups. The outcomes were rebleeding and mortality.

RESULTS

After completing the analysis adjusted by death, the rebleeding rates within 4 weeks were significantly lower in patients with antibiotic prophylaxis (3.05% versus 6.03%, P = 0.0142) and those with endoscopic therapy (0.72% vs 3.09%, P = 0.0033) but not significant after 3 months and onwards. Male patients aged > 55, high CCI score ≧ 4, and UGIB of variceal etiologies were benefited from rebleeding. The use of antibiotics did not significantly impact 6-week mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.07, 95%CI: 0.41~2.75; P = 0.8943). Old age, multiple comorbidities, and UGIB of variceal etiologies were risk factors of all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study suggested that cirrhotic patients without major complications who suffered from UGIB were benefited by the use of antibiotics to prevent rebleeding within 4 weeks after endoscopic treatment of UGIB especially for those with age > 55, high CCI score ≧ 4, and UGIB of variceal etiologies.

Comparison of three risk scores to predict outcomes in upper gastrointestinal bleeding; modifying Glasgow-Blatchford with albumin

INTRODUCTION

Management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is of great importance. In this way, we aimed to evaluate the performance of three well known scoring systems of AIMS65, Glasgow-Blatchford Score (GBS) and Full Rockall Score (FRS) in predicting adverse outcomes in patients with UGIB as well as their ability in identifying low risk patients for outpatient management. We also aimed to assess whether changing albumin cutoff in AIMS65 and addition of albumin to GBS add predictive value to these scores.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study on adult patients who were admitted to Razi hospital (Rasht, Iran) with diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding between March 21, 2013 and March 21, 2017. Patients who didn't undergo endoscopy or had incomplete medical data were excluded. Initially, we calculated three score systems of AIMS65, GBS and FRS for each patient by using initial Vital signs and lab data. Secondary, we modified AIMS65 and GBS by changing albumin threshold from <3.5 to <3.0 in AIMS65 and addition of albumin to GBS, respectively. Primary outcomes were defined as in hospital mortality, 30-day rebleeding, need for blood transfusion and endoscopic therapy. Secondary outcome was defined as composition of primary outcomes excluding need for blood transfusion. We used AUROC to assess predictive accuracy of risk scores in primary and secondary outcomes. For albumin-GBS model, the AUROC was only calculated for predicting mortality and secondary outcome. The negative predictive value for AIMS65, GBS and modified AIMS65 was then calculated.

RESULT

Of 563 patients, 3% died in hospital, 69.4% needed blood transfusion, 13.1% needed endoscopic therapy and 3% had 30-day rebleeding. The leading cause of UGIB was erosive disease. In predicting composite of adverse outcomes all scores had statistically significant accuracy with highest AUROC for albumin-GBS. However, in predicting in hospital mortality, only albumin-GBS, modified AIMS65 and AIMS65 had acceptable accuracy. Interestingly, albumin, alone, had higher predictive accuracy than other original risk scores. None of the four scores could predict 30-day rebleeding accurately; on the contrary, their accuracy in predicting need for blood transfusion was high enough. The negative predictive value for GBS was 96.6% in score of ≤2 and 85.7% and 90.2% in score of zero in AIMS65 and modified AIMS65, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Neither of risk scores was highly accurate as a prognostic factor in our population; however, modified AIMS65 and albumin-GBS may be optimal choice in evaluating risk of mortality and general assessment. In identifying patient for safe discharge, GBS ≤ 2 seemed to be advisable choice.

Congenital dysfibrinogenemia as a rare cause of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding

&lt;b&gt;Introduction: &lt;/b&gt;Gastrointestinal bleeding is a common disease that surgeons encounter in everyday clinical practice. It is most often easy to diagnose and treat. However, rare causes of bleeding can lead to delayed diagnosis and ineffective treatment. Dysfibrinogenemia is a qualitative fibrinogen disorder in which functional fibrinogen level is reduced with normal antigenic level. &lt;br&gt;&lt;b&gt; Case report:&lt;/b&gt; Herein we present the case of a 59-year-old female with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeds, that turned out to be an unusual manifestation of congenital dysfibrinogenemia. Detailed imaging and endoscopic diagnostics revealed portal hypertension with a non-bleeding 1-cm gastrointestinal stromal tumor and multiple angiodysplastic lesions in close proximity.

Logistic regression analysis of risk factors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding induced by PCI in combination with double antiplatelet therapy for STEMI patients

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the risk factors for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) during double antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

A total of 388 patients treated from January 2015 to September 2017 due to STEMI were selected. Thirty-two cases of UGIB occurring during DAPT after PCI were included as a UGIB group, and another 356 cases without UGIB were set as a control group. Age, gender, body mass index, smoking, drinking, history of previous diseases (hypertension, diabetes and digestive tract diseases), infection of Helicobacter pylori (Hp), combined use of other drugs (statins, NSAIDs, β receptor blockers, PPI, H2RA and dabigatran etexilate), as well as serum levels of creatinine (Cr), alanine transaminase (ALT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were compared. The risk factors for UGIB were subjected to univariate and logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the UGIB group had significantly longer hospital stay, and higher proportion of discontinuation of antithrombotic drugs and mortality rate (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age (P=0.002), smoking (P=0.000), Hp infection (P=0.020), history of digestive tract diseases (P=0.030) and renal insufficiency (P=0.041) were independent risk factors for UGIB, and use of PPI (P=0.028) was a protective factor for UGIB.

CONCLUSIONS

Old age, smoking, Hp infection, history of digestive tract diseases and renal insufficiency are risk factors for UGIB caused by PCI combined with DAPT in patients with STEMI. Proper use of PPI thereafter can reduce the incidence rate of UGIB.

Predictors of mortality and endoscopic intervention in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the intensive care unit

Background

The outcomes of patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in the intensive care unit (ICU) for upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) are not well described. Our aims were to determine predictors of 30-day mortality and endoscopic intervention, and assess the utility of existing clinical-prediction tools for UGIB in this population.

Methods

Patients hospitalized in an ICU between 2008 and 2015 who underwent EGD were identified using a validated, machine-learning algorithm. Logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with 30-day mortality and endoscopic intervention. Area under receiver-operating characteristics (AUROC) analysis was used to evaluate established UGIB scoring systems in predicting mortality and endoscopic intervention in patients who presented to the hospital with UGIB.

Results

A total of 606 patients underwent EGD for UGIB while admitted to an ICU. The median age of the cohort was 62 years and 55.9% were male. Multivariate analysis revealed that predictors associated with 30-day mortality included American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class (odds ratio [OR] 4.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-7.9), Charlson score (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.3), and duration from hospital admission to EGD (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07). Rockall, Glasgow-Blatchford, and AIMS65 scores were poorly predictive of endoscopic intervention (AUROC: 0.521, 0.514, and 0.540, respectively) and in-hospital mortality (AUROC: 0.510, 0.568, and 0.506, respectively).

Conclusions

Predictors associated with 30-day mortality include ASA classification, Charlson score, and duration in the hospital prior to EGD. Existing risk tools are poorly predictive of clinical outcomes, which highlights the need for a more accurate risk-stratification tool to predict the benefit of intervention within the ICU population.

Effect of Proton Pump Inhibitors on Risks of Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding among Users of Low-Dose Aspirin: A Population-Based Observational Study

Estimates of the effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on risks of upper and lower gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB and LGIB) among low-dose aspirin users in routine clinical practice are variable (UGIB) or lacking (LGIB). We aimed to establish these risks in the same observational study population. Using UK primary care data, we followed 199,049 new users of low-dose aspirin (75–300 mg/day) and matched non-users at start of follow-up to identify incident UGIB/LGIB cases. In nested case–control analyses, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for concomitant PPI use vs. past (discontinued) PPI use among current low-dose aspirin users. For UGIB (n = 987), ORs (95% CIs) were 0.69 (0.54–0.88) for >1 month PPI use and 2.65 (1.62–4.3) for ≤1 month PPI use. Among the latter group, ORs (95% CIs) were 3.05 (1.75–5.33) for PPI initiation after start of aspirin therapy, and 1.66 (0.63–4.36) for PPI initiation on/before start of aspirin therapy. For LGIB (n = 1428), ORs (95% CIs) were 0.98 (0.81–1.17) for >1 month PPI use and 1.12 (0.73–1.71) for ≤1 month PPI use. Among low-dose aspirin users, maintaining PPI use (>1 month) was associated with a significantly reduced UGIB risk. Neither short nor long-term PPI use affected LGIB risk.

Outcomes of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Based on Time to Endoscopy: A Retrospective Study

Introduction Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a major burden on the health care system. The timing of endoscopy has been an ongoing debate and data on the association of early endoscopy with a better or worse clinical outcome are conflicting. In our study, we aimed to identify the benefits versus the risks of performing an urgent endoscopy in regards to the number of endoscopic interventions, length of hospital stay, number of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) transfused, and mortality.  Methodology This is a retrospective record-based study. A total of 806 charts were reviewed and 251 patients with the signs and symptoms of UGIB on presentation were included in the study. Patients with variceal bleeding, lower gastrointestinal bleeding, insignificant bleeds with no drop in H/H, GI bleed not being the presenting complaint on admission, and patients on anticoagulation were excluded. Results Out of the patients who underwent an urgent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), 26.2% needed a second-look EGD 48 hours after the first EGD when compared to 4% and 2% in the early (12-24 hours) and late (>24 hours) endoscopy groups, respectively. In patients who underwent urgent EGD, 23% had active bleeding and it was statistically significant when compared to the other groups. The active bleeding limited the visualization during the endoscopy, which led to a repeat EGD in the urgent EGD group. If an endoscopic intervention was received, patients having EGD >24 hours received a smaller number of interventions. There was no statistical difference in the Blatchford scores between the three groups, indicating that the groups were similar in morbidity. No difference in mortality, hospital length of stay, or number of blood transfusions received, surgical or interventional radiology-guided interventions was found between the three groups. Conclusion Patients who underwent urgent endoscopy had more procedures, with no difference in mortality, number of units of blood transfused, or length of hospitalization when compared to the early or late endoscopy groups.

Efficacy of Hemospray in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Background

Recently, amongst other hemostatic modalities, Hemospray (TC-325) has emerged as an effective method for managing patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB). We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of Hemospray in patients with non-variceal upper GIB.

Methods

Our primary outcomes were clinical and technical success; secondary outcomes were aggregate rebleeding, early rebleeding, delayed rebleeding, refractory bleeding, mortality, and treatment failure. A meta-analysis of proportions was conducted for all reported primary and secondary outcomes. A relative risk meta-analysis was conducted for studies reporting direct comparisons between Hemospray and other hemostatic measures.

Results

A total of 20 studies with 1280 patients were included in the final analysis. Technical success of Hemospray was seen in 97% of cases (95% confidence interval [CI] 94-98%, I²=52.89%) and a significant trend towards increasing technical success was seen during publication years 2011-2019. Clinical success of Hemospray was seen in 91% of cases (95%CI 88-94%, I²=47.72%), compared to 87% (95%CI 75-94%, I²=0.00%) for other hemostatic measures. The secondary outcomes of aggregate rebleeding, early rebleeding, delayed rebleeding, refractory rebleeding, mortality and treatment failure following the use of Hemospray were seen in 27%, 20%, 9%, 8%, 8%, and 31% of cases, respectively.

Conclusion

Hemospray is safe, effective and non-inferior to traditional hemostatic measures for the management of non-variceal upper GIB, and can thus be used as an alternative option.

Second urgent endoscopy within 48-hour benefits cirrhosis patients with acute esophageal variceal bleeding

Urgent endoscopy (UE) is important to the diagnosis and treatment of liver cirrhosis patients with esophageal variceal bleeding (EVB). It was reported that a second-look endoscopy may benefit acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) caused by peptic ulcer, while whether it could improve UGIB caused by liver cirrhosis associated EVB remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of second UE for liver cirrhosis with EVB and further examined the potential prognostic factors.Patients aged ≥18 years who underwent UE for EVB within 2 hours after the admission were included and divided into scheduled second-look group (n = 245) and uncontrolled bleeding group (n = 352) based on the indications for second UE within 48 hours after initial endoscopy. Demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify the risk factors for prognosis. The value of different scoring system was compared.Statistical differences were found on history of bleeding and hepatocellular carcinoma, ascites, endoscopic type of bleeding, between scheduled second-look group and uncontrolled bleeding group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that ascites, hemoglobin <60 g/L, AIMS65 score and failure to identify in initial UE were independent risk factors for bleeding uncontrolled after initial UE, and age, bilirubin level, initial unsatisfactory UE hemostasis, failure to identify bleeding on initial UE and tube/urgent TIPS suggested in initial UE were independent risk factors for 42-day mortality.A second-look UE could bring benefit for liver cirrhosis patients with EVB without increasing the complication rate.

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia with spontaneous upper gastrointestinal bleeding: a case report

Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare bleeding disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. The pathogenesis of GT mainly involves structural abnormalities and dysfunction of platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (integrin αIIbβ3). The most common symptoms of GT are various types of bleeding, including recurrent nasal bleeding, mucocutaneous bleeding, unremitting bleeding after injury or operation, and menorrhea in women. Such hemorrhage may be fatal in some patients. GT with spontaneous upper gastrointestinal bleeding is relatively rare. In the present report, we describe a middle-aged man who was hospitalized with spontaneous upper gastrointestinal bleeding. His main symptom was recurrent chronic and intermittent melena. Gastroscopy revealed oozing of blood in the gastric antrum wall. However, no obvious lesions such as erosion or ulceration were found. Upon further inspection, we found that the patient’s platelet aggregation was poor, and flow cytometry assay revealed low expression of platelet membrane integrin αIIbβ3. The patient was eventually diagnosed with GT and exhibited clinical improvement after active treatment.

Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Although its incidence is decreasing, upper gastrointestinal bleeding represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. We present the most common sources of upper gastrointestinal bleeding and treatments.

Comparison of Argon Plasma Coagulation and Injection Therapy with Adrenalin and Polidocanol in the Management of Bleeding Angiodysplasia in Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

INTRODUCTION

The term angiodysplasia (AD) refers to acquired malformation of the blood vessels (communications between veins and capillaries), frequently found within the gastrointestinal mucosa and submucosa. AD of stomach and duodenum are cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in 4%-7% of patients. The means of treatment are usually endoscopic, including argon plasma coagulation (APC), electrocoagulation, mechanical hemostasis by clippsing, laser photo-coagulation and injection therapy.

AIM

To compare the success rate, and adverse events (ulcer lesions, perforations) of APC and injection therapy in the treatment of bleeding angiodysplasia in the upper gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In a prospective study including 50 patients with bleeding angiodysplasia of the upper GIT, 35 patients were treated with APC, and remaining 15 with injection therapy using adrenaline and 1.5% solution of polidocanol. Follow-up period was 6 months.

RESULTS

A total of 50 patients aged 18 to 64 years, 64% male and 36% female, have been treated during 2 years period. The rate of recurrent bleeding and side effects was significantly higher in the adrenaline group (p <0.01). Blood transfusion was required in 68% during the first hospital admission. Angiodysplasia of the stomach was present in 66%, versus 34% in duodenum.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopy is "gold standard" for diagnosis and treatment of AD in the gastrointestinal tract. The study unveiled APC as more effective treatment option with lower degree of complications and adverse events in comparison to injection therapy in patients with bleeding AD.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding in Egyptian patients with cirrhosis: Post-therapeutic outcome and prognostic indicators

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a serious complication of portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients. The objective of this study is to identify the risk factors for morbidity and mortality occurring after an UGIB attack.

METHODS

A total of 1097 UGIB attacks in 690 patients with liver cirrhosis were studied. Their clinical, laboratory, and endoscopic data were reviewed.

RESULTS

Mean age 53.2 ± 10.6 (20-90) years, 78% men and the main cause of liver disease was hepatitis C (94.9%). Complications occurred after 467 attacks (42.6%): hepatic encephalopathy 31.4%, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis 18%, renal impairment 13.2%, and re-bleeding in 7.8%, while 199 patients (18.1%) died. Complications followed 78.4% of bleeding from gastric varices, 75% of post-interventional ulcers, 10.8% of peptic ulcers, and 5.9% of telangiectasias. By univariate analysis: packed red blood cells units transfused, transaminases, Child-Pugh (CP), model of end-stage liver disease (MELD), and albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) scores, beside the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), previous hemorrhage in the previous 6 months, and the source of bleeding, were associated with occurrence of complications. By multivariate analysis, independent predictors of complications were CP, MELD, and ALBI scores (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval: 5.63, 3.55-8.93; 1.15, 1.11-1.19; and 2.11, 1.4-3.19, respectively) beside the presence of HCC (4.89, 2.48-9.64). Mortality predictors were packed red blood cells units transfused (1.11, 1.01-1.24), CP (5.1, 1.42-18.25) MELD (1.27, 1.21-1.32) scores, and presence of HCC (6.62, 2.93-14.95).

CONCLUSION

High CP, MELD, and ALBI scores beside the presence of HCC could predict poor outcome of UGIB. In the absence of these risk factors, early discharge could be considered if the source of bleeding is peptic ulcer or telangiectasia.

A Case of Acute Esophageal Necrosis

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN) is a rare condition that impacts the distal esophagus after a vascular insult. In this case report, we describe a patient with multiple comorbid conditions presenting with shock from gastroenteritis who subsequently developed AEN complicated by refractory strictures.

Management of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: an update for the general physician

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleed (AUGIB) is one of the most common medical emergencies in the UK, with roughly one presentation every 6 min. Despite advances in therapeutics and endoscopy provision, mortality following AUGIB over the last two decades has remained high, with over 9,000 deaths annually in the UK; consequently, several national bodies have published UK-relevant guidelines. Despite this, the 2015 UK National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death in AUGIB highlighted variations in practice, raised concerns regarding suboptimal patient care and released a series of recommendations. This review paper incorporates the latest available evidence and UK-relevant guidelines to summarise the optimal pre-endoscopic, endoscopic, and post-endoscopic approach to and management of non-variceal and variceal AUGIB that will be of practical value to both general physicians and gastroenterologists.

Massive esophageal bleeding in long-standing achalasia complicated by esophageal carcinoma and aspirin-induced stasis ulcer: Case report

RATIONALE

Esophageal hemorrhage may occasionally develop subsequent to esophagitis and stasis ulcer, but potentially fatal esophageal bleeding is very uncommon in primary achalasia.

PATIENT CONCERNS

We describe a case of a 64-year-old man with long-standing achalasia and megaesophagus who presented acute episodes of life-threatening upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

DIAGNOSES AND INTERVENTIONS

Five esophagogastroduodenoscopies (EGD) were conducted and during each large amount of static food, bloody material, and clots should be removed from the esophagus because of impaired esophageal transit. Eventually, diffuse multiple irregular ulcers were observed in the middle and lower portions of the esophagus that were presumed to have been caused by aspirin stasis based on considerations of previous drug use. EGD also revealed a 2.0 × 2.5 cm flat nodular lesion with central ulceration at the mid-to-lower esophagus and adherent blood clots suggestive of bleeding stigma. The biopsy specimen demonstrated esophageal cancer. Accordingly, a diagnosis of massive esophageal hemorrhage in long-standing achalasia complicated by squamous cell carcinoma, possibly triggered by acute mucosal irritation and ulcer caused by aspirin stasis, was made. The patient then successfully underwent the Ivor-Lewis operation. Resultantly, the tumor was diagnosed as moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma stage IIA (T2N0M0).

OUTCOMES

The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and no evidence of tumor recurrence or metastasis has been found during the 6 months of follow-up examination. He was tolerating normal food with only minimal reflux symptoms.

LESSONS

Although, fortunately in the described case, esophageal cancer was diagnosed at a relatively early stage because it is the acute presentation of life-threatening upper gastrointestinal bleeding, this report cautions that when symptoms of dysphagia are aggravated, taking drugs capable of acting as local irritants, such as aspirin, could cause fatal esophageal hemorrhage in achalasia.