[Tactics in gastrointestinal hemorrhage under conditions of medical aviation]

Doctors of the medical aviation service were consulted in 774 cases of gastrointestinal bleeding of various genesis in 1985-1989. Chronic gastroduodenal ulcer (peptic ulcer of the anastomosis among others) was the source of the bleeding in 473 (64.88%) patients. In the first period of observation (1985-1986) active surgical tactics was applied in 103 patients with chronic bleeding ulcer. Fifty-one patients (49.5%) underwent operation, with a fatal outcome in 12 cases (23.5%). Active individualized tactics was accepted in the second period (1987-1989). In a group of 370 patients 185 (50%) were operated on, 20 with fatal outcomes (10.8%). Active surgical tactics was individualized by strict comparison of the amount of blood loss and the degree of activity of the bleeding. Clinico-endoscopic and laboratory interpretation of the degree of activity of the bleeding is described and the expediency of indicating this criterion along with the amount of blood loss in establishing the diagnosis in a patient with bleeding from the ulcer is pointed out.