Causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Experience at a major hospital in Riyadh

ABSTRACT

Over a period of 14 years, 1246 patients had emergency gastroscopy because of upper gastrointestinal tract [UGIT] bleeding. The endoscopic findings in these patients showed duodenal ulcer disease [DUD] in 364 [29.2%] was the most common followed by esophageal varices in 302 [24.2%], erosive gastritis in 198 [15.9%], gastroesophageal reflux disease [GERD] in 156 [12.5%], gastric ulcer in 69 [5.5%], and normal [negative] endoscopy in 132 [10.6%]. Only 65 [21.5%] patients with varices had active bleeding from the esophageal varices, 10 [3.3%] from the gastric varices and in 34 other patients with varices [11.3%], the bleeding was mainly from associated gastropathy. Eighty-six patients [23.6%] with DUD had active bleeding at endoscopy; 66 [80.5%] of these had ulcers showing stigmata of recent hemorrhage. Of those who had active bleeding, the source of the bleeding could not be identified in only five