Clinical Features of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure / 대한소화기내시경학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) is a common complication with a high mortality. However, the cause or mechanism of this condition is unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the clinical features of GIB in patients with CRF. METHODS: The clinical features of 35 patients with CRF who were admitted to the Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital for GIB from January 1998 to August 2003 were examined retrospectively. RESULTS: Thirty-five out of 803 patients had CRF (4.4%). The mean age of those with CRF was 62+/-11 years and 16 patients were male. The treatment for CRF was hemodialysis in 22 (62.9%), pre-dialysis in 10 (28.6%) and peritoneal dialysis in 3 (8.6%). The cause of GIB in CRF patients was an ulcer (45.7%), vascular disease (37.1%), hemorrhagic gastritis (8.6%), and Mallory-Weiss laceration (2.9%), etc. Rebleeding after the first treatment occurred in 5 patients (14.3%). Three of these patients (60%) had vascular disease. Surgical treatment for rebleeding was performed in 3 patients (60%) and the mortality rate in rebleeding patients was 60%. CONCLUSIONS: The most common cause of GIB in CRF patients is an ulcer followed by vascular disease. Vascular disease in cases with rebleeding is high with a high mortality rate.