[A prospective study of post-operative bleeding from stress lesions. I. Epidemiology (author's transl)]

Among 5776 patients operated on under general anaesthesia there was an increased risk of postoperative gastro-intestinal bleeding from stress lesions among those aged over 70 years, after major surgery, or with complications such as hypovolaemia, septicaemia or respiratory failure (n = 551). In this group of patients the incidence of fatal haemorrhage was 0.5%. Stress lesions were a certain cause of bleeding from the gastro-intestinal tract in 5.1% and a probable one in 5.1%. Time of year, sex, past history of peptic ulcer, or anticoagulation did not increase the risk of bleeding.