[Emergency endoscopy in upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage]

The paper reports a series of 236 patients who underwent emergency esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGDS) (within 48 hours of hospitalisation) due to hemorrhage of the upper digestive tract. A definitive diagnosis of the of bleeding was made in 233 (98.7%) cases. In 1.3% of cases, endoscopic tests proved negative. The most frequent cause of bleeding was duodenal ulcer, followed by esophageal varices. Hemorrhage was caused in only 46.2% of 80 cirrhotic patients by the rupture of esophageal varices, whereas in the remaining 53.8% of cases the source of hemorrhage was a lesion associated to esophageal varices. Surgery was necessary in 15 patients (6.4%). The death rate within 30 days was 5.5%. In conclusion, emergency EGDS performed within 24 hours of hospitalisation is the most precise diagnostic technique for upper gastrointestinal bleeding.