ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Rockall risk assessment score was developed to predict the risk of rebleeding and death in patients with upper GI hemorrhage. The validity of this score, however, was not established in Korea. We tried to assess the reliability of the Rockall score to predict outcomes in patients with bleeding peptic ulcer. METHODS: Medical records of 175 patients with benign peptic ulcer bleeding treated in Samsung Medical Center from January 2000 to May 2003 were retrospectively analyzed. They were classified into three groups: no rebleeding rebleeding, and death and mean Rockall score was compared. Forrest classification was also compared with the Rockall score regarding the clinical usefulness of predicting poor outcomes in patients with bleeding peptic ulcer. RESUTLS: One hundred forty five patients did not show rebleeding, with mean Rockall score of 3.5 (SD=1.5). On the other hand, rebleeding occurred in 25 patients and the mean score was 6.4 (SD=1.44). There were 13 deaths with mean score of 7.0 (SD=1.08). The differences between the three groups were significant (p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, Rockall score was a independent risk factor of rebleeding and mortality (odds ratio, OR=2.73 and OR=8.74). CONCLUSIONS: The Rockall scoring system is useful to predict poor outcome such as rebleeding and death in patients with bleeding peptic ulcer.