[Surgical intervention in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding]

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding (AGIB) requiring transfusion and surgical treatment still constitutes a life-threatening situation. The purpose of this paper was to examine the treatment outcome for this group of patients as a function of various risk factors and to present our diagnostic and therapeutic regime.

A retrospective analysis of data from 154 patients with AGIB who underwent surgical procedures and received massive transfusions in a university hospital between 1999 and 2008 was carried out.

The patients were divided into two groups. Group I include 91 patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding and group II included 63 patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding. The average age was 67 years (range 29-93 years) in group I and 70 years (39-97 years) in group II. The initial hemoglobin level was 8.4 g/dl in group I and 10.5 g/dl in group II. Univariate analysis of mortality revealed the following significant risk factors for group I: postoperative need for ventilation (p=0.007), prolonged ICU stay (p=0.004) and anticoagulants in the medical history. The risk factors in group II were blood transfusions >10 units (p=0.031), postoperative need for ventilation (p=0.004), necessary reoperations (p=0.016) and an initial hemoglobin level <8.0 g/dl (p=0.043). The complication rate was 76.9% (mortality rate 34.1%) in group I and 60.3% (mortality rate 15.9%) in group II.

Examination and stabilization of the patient is directly followed by diagnostic localization. The indication for surgery is mainly limited to peracute, uncontrollable and recurrent forms of gastrointestinal bleeding. The mortality rate for these critically ill, negatively selected patients remains high and could not be lowered in the last decade. Postoperative need of ventilation is a predictor for poor prognosis.