title: Emergency endoscopy in patients with portal hypertension having upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, MLN Medical College, Allahabad, India.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Misra
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dwivedi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004630:Emergencies; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016558:Hemostasis, Endoscopic; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged