Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in octogenarians

A retrospective study of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) in 217 octogenarians performed over a two-year period in a district general hospital was carried out. It showed that upper GIE in octogenarians is a safe and easy as in other age groups, and provides more useful information. Patients were referred mainly by the geriatricians for elective endoscopy, reflecting the growing recognition of the value of elective upper GIE in the very elderly. The incidence of peptic ulcer disease as a cause of upper GI bleeding was much less than previously reported. Thirty-nine patients with upper GI haemorrhage had an endoscopy within 24 hours. We believe that this helps to identify patients with a high risk of mortality and those who might benefit from early surgery. Eighty per cent of the patients had one or more associated diseases, but there were no complications from endoscopy. We would like to emphasise that there is no contraindication for upper GIE in very elderly patients.