Acute upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage : A review of 71 cases

Seventy-one patients with acute upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage were studied with particular reference to investigations, diagnosis, and history of ingestion of gastro-intestinal irritants. A high incidence of superficial mucosal lesions was found, and the importance of early investigation in the diagnosis of these lesions is stressed. Endoscopy was found to be superior to barium meal in the diagnosis of all sources of haemorrhage except duodenal ulcer. The incidence of multiple lesions was found to be 12.7%, and the value of direct visualisation of bleeding points by endoscopy is emphasised. Almost 16% of the patients underwent urgent surgery, but the mortality rate for the series as a whole was only 2.8%.