title: Acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Experience with early panendoscopy and tranexamic acid in a rural hospital.
abstract: One hundred and fifty-nine consecutive patients admitted to a small rural hospital because of acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage were studied. Patients with haematemesis and/or melaena were treated with antacids and tranexamic acid from the very beginning and were examined by means of early panendoscopy. All patients were closely observed on a general medical ward by a staff especially trained to deal with acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Eight patients required acute surgery. The overall mortality rate was 4.4%. It is concluded that acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage can be successfully handled with modern diagnosis and treatment even in a small hospital.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004724:Endoscopy; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006396:Hematemesis / Q000209:etiology; D006766:Hospitals, County; D006801:Humans; D008551:Melena / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012007:Rectum; D013997:Time Factors; D014148:Tranexamic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D014148:Tranexamic Acid