Upper GI-bleeding--value and consequences of emergency endoscopy and endoscopic treatment

Emergency endoscopy permits the early detection and prognostic evaluation of a source of hemorrhage. It serves as a "baseline" for decision-taking with regard to subsequent therapeutic measures. Today, modern endoscopic hemostatic procedures provide us with effective means of achieving primary control of the bleeding. Endoscopic emergency treatment can reduce the rebleed rate and help reduce the number of emergency surgical operations that need to be performed. A significant reduction in mortality rate has, so far, been observed in only a few comparative studies. When hemostasis has been accomplished, interdisciplinary discussions with the surgeon are needed in order to determine how to proceed in the individual case.