title: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in an urban hospital.
abstract: Aspirin and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs have been implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. To evaluate their impact on inpatients, charts from Temple University Hospital with a discharge ICD-9 code which included upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage during a one-year period were reviewed. Aspirin and/or nonaspirin nonsteroid antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) use was identified in 34 patients (19 daily users and 15 intermittent users). Sixty-seven patients who bled, but did not use these agents, served as controls. Daily NSAID users were older than intermittent users and controls (P < 0.05). A higher frequency of bleeding ulcers was associated with NSAID use. Patients using NSAIDs spent more time in intensive care than controls (median 1 day vs 0 days). Daily users had a higher transfusion requirement (4 units) than non-users (0 units; P < 0.05). This study suggests that NSAID use has a substantial impact on health care resource utilization in patients admitted to an urban hospital for upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krevsky
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Klepper
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ljubich
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Niewiarowski
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Rothstein
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dabezies
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D015143:Philadelphia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D001241:Aspirin