[Gastroduodenal hemorrhage]

Haemorrhage is a serious complication of peptic ulcer disease. It is an indication for urgent diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, which is at present the method of first choice. All patients with gastroduodenal peptic ulcer bleeding, who underwent endoscopy in Ist Department of Surgery in Bratislava between January 1995 and December 1999, were considered for retrospective study. A total of 291 patients (195 male and 96 female) underwent urgent endoscopy with a finding in 34.7% of patients with gastric ulcer and in 65.3% patients duodenal ulcer. The finding was Forrest I in 23%, Forrest II in 25.7% and Forrest III in 51.3% patients. Endoscopic hemostasis was used in 12.37% of patients. A first haemorrhage was found in 82.9% patients, a recurrent one in 17.1% patients. 41.5% of patients had positive peptic ulcer history. Surgical treatment was indicated in cases, when bleeding was not controlled by endoscopic means, or in cases of recurrent bleeding within 48 hours in 19 patients (6.52%).