ABSTRACT
Gastrointestinal bleeding (GB) is still a common medical emergency and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. There is clear evidence that early endoscopic intervention is effective in reducing mortality, length of stay and surgery procedures utilization in high-risk patients. In the last decades advances in medical practice and in endoscopic technology have influenced the management of GB, but their impact on the incidence and mortality is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively time trends (2000-2007) in GB hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality, and describe the organization of endoscopic services of Veneto region, Italy. Data were collected from regional database of hospital discharge from 2000 to 2007 and all patients with an ICD 9-CM discharge diagnosis of GB were included. Overall hospitalization and in-hospital mortality rates were respectively 99.3 and 4.5 per 100.000 inh./year, the last being related to older age. Surgery procedures utilization was 5%. Hospitalization and mortality rates decreased significantly over years, probably owing to advances in the acute management of GB, principally represented by endoscopic procedures.
