Emergency endoscopy in patients with portal hypertension having upper gastrointestinal bleeding

During the last 4 years, 147 patients suffering from portal hypertension with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding were subjected to emergency endoscopy soon after they were resuscitated. Seventeen (11.5%) patients were referred to us with a clinical diagnosis other than portal hypertension. The causes of bleeding as seen during endoscopy were: oesophageal varices (n = 130; 88%), gastric varices (n = 11), gastric ulcer (n = 2) portal hypertensive gastropathy (n = 2) and erosive gastritis and duodenal ulcer in one patient each. All patient bleeding from oesophageal varices except one underwent emergency endoscopic sclerotherapy. One hundred and twenty-one (94%) stopped bleeding immediately. Rebleeding was seen in 11% and was effectively controlled by a second session of sclerotherapy in all but one patient. Twenty (14%) patients died. It is concluded that emergency endoscopy has a definite role in the management of patients with portal hypertension complicated by gastrointestinal bleeding.