Safety of endoscopic procedures after acute myocardial infarction: a systematic review
Marek Cena1, Javier Gomez, Tareq Alyousef
1Department of Medicine, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Insights
Endoscopic procedures like EGD and colonoscopy are safe for gastrointestinal bleeding patients post-myocardial infarction (MI). Perform these procedures promptly in stable patients to avoid delays.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Cardiology
- Interventional Endoscopy
Background:
- Managing gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding post-acute myocardial infarction (MI) is challenging.
- Clinicians hesitate to perform endoscopic procedures due to cardiovascular concerns.
- This systematic review assesses the safety of endoscopic procedures after MI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the safety and efficacy of endoscopic procedures in patients with GI bleeding after MI.
- To evaluate the risks associated with esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), colonoscopy, and flexible sigmoidoscopy post-MI.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of controlled trials and case series.
- Searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register.
- Included studies on diagnostic efficacy and complications of EGD, colonoscopy, and flexible sigmoidoscopy after MI.
Main Results:
- Seven studies met inclusion criteria; four evaluated EGD safety (1-8% complication rate, mostly minor).
- One study on flexible sigmoidoscopy reported minor complications in two patients.
- One study on colonoscopy showed a 9% complication rate, predominantly minor.
Conclusions:
- Endoscopic procedures are safe and beneficial for stable GI bleeding patients post-MI.
- Procedures should be performed without delay in stable patients.
- Unstable patients require intensive care, stabilization, and close monitoring for endoscopic procedures.
Background:
The management of patients who develop gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding after acute myocardial infarction (MI) is difficult due to concerns about possible cardiovascular complications. Gastroenterologists are often reluctant to perform endoscopic procedures despite urgent indications. We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine the safety of endoscopic procedures after MI.
Methods:
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials for controlled clinical trials or case series examining the diagnostic efficacy and complications of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy after MI. Title and abstract screening was followed by full-text review with subsequent data extraction of included studies.
Results:
A total of seven studies met inclusion criteria. Four studies evaluated safety and efficacy of EGD after MI. The reported complication rate ranged between 1-8%, with a large predominance of minor complications. We found one study addressing safety of flexible sigmoidoscopy that reported minor complications in two patients. We also identified one study addressing the safety of colonoscopy after MI, which showed a complication rate of 9%. Most of these complications were minor. A decision analysis was also included in this review.
Conclusions:
Our review demonstrated that endoscopic procedures are safe and beneficial in stable patients with GI bleeding after recent MI and should be performed without a requisite delay. Unstable patients should undergo endoscopic procedures only in the intensive care setting, after stabilization and with close monitoring.
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