Endoscopy Timing in Patients with Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Endoscopic procedures
• Gastrointestinal bleeding management

Background:

• The optimal timing for endoscopy in upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is debated.
• Very early endoscopy (≤12 hours) versus early endoscopy (12-24 hours) requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare outcomes of very early versus early endoscopy in UGIB patients.
• To analyze results based on bleeding risk (high vs. low) and etiology (nonvariceal vs. variceal).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 102 UGIB patients.
• Primary outcome: composite of death, rebleeding, surgery, or ICU admission.
• Subgroup analysis: risk stratification and bleeding type.

Main Results:

• Very early endoscopy was associated with more frequent endoscopic therapy (p=0.001).
• No significant improvement in overall clinical outcomes was observed.
• Low-risk, nonvariceal bleeding patients undergoing very early endoscopy showed increased risk of adverse outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Very early endoscopy in UGIB is not linked to better clinical outcomes.
• It may be associated with poorer outcomes in specific patient subgroups.
• The clinical utility of very early endoscopy warrants further research.