[Emergency endoscopy in the diagnosis of hemorrhage from the upper part of the digestive tract].

Abstract

Within a two-year period urgent endoscopy due to bleeding from the upper digestive tract was performed in 209 patients, that is, 4,6% of all endoscopies. The cause of bleeding was detected in 84% of the examined patients. The most common cause of bleeding was: gastroduodenal ulcer, erosive esophagogastroduodenitis, malignant gastric neoplasm, and, in a smaller percentage, peptic postresection ulcer and esophageal varices. Analysing causes of a relatively high percentage of nonidentified bleedings the authors insist on detection of small lesions as well as indirect signs of mucosal alterations as possible causes of bleeding.