Diagnostic yield of gastroscopy in a general surgical unit

Gastroscopy is the gold standard for investigating upper gastrointestinal complaints. Open access gastroscopy has advantages, but may not always be feasible in a small unit. Our 2-consultant general surgical unit provides gastroscopy on demand for medical and surgical patients. We audited the 499 gastroscopies carried out in our unit in 1997 to assess yield and diagnostic trends. The overall diagnostic yield of 69 per cent was comparable with published data from centres in Ireland and overseas. Diagnostic yield in our series was significantly lower for medical patients (59 per cent) than for surgical patients (72 per cent) (p < 0.05). Yield also varied considerably according to indication for referral. Patients referred with anaemia had a low yield (41 per cent). The indications associated with high yields were haematemesis (95 per cent), dysphagia (91 per cent), and persistent vomiting (85 per cent).