Frequency of peptic ulcer disease in patients of dyspepsia an analysis of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy

To evaluate the frequency of peptic ulcer disease in patients of dyspepsia on upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Descriptive study. The study was conducted at Combined Military Hospital, Multan between 20th Feb, 2006 to 26th May, 2006. A convenient non probability sampling was done and one hundred patients were selected from out patient department presenting within six months of dyspeptic symptoms. They were all subjected to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Of all patients 61% [n=61] were males and 39% [n=39] were females with age ranging between 20 - 45 years. Study revealed functional dyspepsia [76%], duodenal ulcer [11%], gastric ulcer [4%] and esophagitis including gastoesophageal reflux disease [9%]. This showed an overall frequency of peptic ulcer disease to be 15% in the studied population. Peptic ulcer disease is a common structural cause of dyspepsia and was responsible for 15% of dyspepsia

diagnostic yield of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in patients with iron deficiency anaemia

The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in patients with iron deficiency anaemia. This was a descriptive study. The study was carried out at Military Hospital Rawalpindi from Sept 2003 to Feb 2004. Study was performed on 50 patients of iron deficiency anaemia of both sexes more than 18 years of age. Major upper gastrointestinal symptoms were asked. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed on all the patients. Endoscopic biopsies of 2nd and 3rd part of duodenum were taken from the patients with insignificant endoscopic findings for histopathological examination. Endoscopic examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract showed a causative lesion in 33 [66%] patients. The most common abnormality in the upper gastrointestinal tract was peptic ulceration [duodenal ulcer in 11 patients, gastric ulcer in 4]. Seventeen [34%] patients with negative endoscopic studies underwent 4 to 5 duodenal biopsies. Histopathological examinations of biopsies from 2 patients were consistent with Coeliac disease. Symptoms as dyspepsia and epigastric pain were predictive of disease in the corresponding portion of the bowel. Upper gastrointestinal lesions are frequently found in patients with iron-deficiency anaemia particularly in patients with upper abdominal pain and dyspepsia

Determination of factors precipitating encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis

Hepatic encephalopathy is one of the potentially fatal complications seen in patients with advanced hepatic cirrhosis heralding a poor prognosis. Various clinical conditions have been implicated to precipitate encephalopathy with decompensated cirrhosis. To determine the frequency of various factors precipitating hepatic encephalopathy in our setup. It is a single centre, descriptive study. In Combined Military Okara from January to December 2005. Forty three patients admitted in the calendar year 2005 with the diagnosis of chronic liver disease / cirrhosis that were found to be in different grades of encephalopathy were included in the study. A careful clinical and laboratory assessment of all the cases was made and the search for the presence of various already identified precipitating factors was carried out. Fifty six percent of the patients included in the study were males and 41.9% were females. Mean age of patients was 56.46 years. Evidence of HCV infection was found in 83% and that of HBV in 17%. Upper gastrointestinal bleed was present in 37.2%, constipation in 20.9% and hypokalemia in 14% of the total patients. No cause was identifiable in 9.3% of the patients. Upper gastrointestinal bleed is the most common factor followed by constipation and electrolyte imbalance