[Seasonal variation of peptic ulcer hemorrhage]

Retrospectively analysis of 2015 episodes of duodenal ulcer (DU) hemorrhage, and 874 episodes of gastric ulcer (GU) hemorrhage over a 5-year period (April, 1987-March, 1992) evaluated seasonal incidence. For duodenal ulcers, the highest incidence occurred in January, or a total of 231 episodes over 5 years (4.6% of all medical admission), whereas the lowest incidence was in August, with only 101 episodes in the same period (2.1% of medical admission). There was a statistically greater incidence of DU bleeding during the relatively cool winter months, December to March (835 episodes, 4.3%) vs. the warmer summer months, June to September (500 episodes, 2.5%; p < 0.05). For gastric ulcers, the incidence of bleeding was highest in January and February (1.9%) and lowest in September (1.1%). As with DU, GU bleeding was more common in winter (332 episodes, 1.7%) than in summer (243 episodes, 1.2%; p < 0.05). Over one year of this series (DU bleeds: 390, GU bleeds: 167), there was no predilection for a particular day of the week. Of patients evaluated in that year, 87 with DU and 17 with GU had history of bleeding at least one time before. However, there was no seasonal correlation with the previous bleeding episodes. It was concluded that there is seasonal variation in the incidence of peptic ulcer hemorrhage in our country. However, it is not possible to predict when in the year patients are likely to rebleed.