title: Gastrointestinal complications in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gastrointestinal complications (GICs) such as gastroduodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, and ischemic colitis after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are rare, but are associated with high mortality and morbidity. The present study was performed to detect risk factors and to investigate outcomes following GICs after CABG.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 1992 and December 2001, 17 of 549 patients (3.1%) developed GICs after CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass, presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding due to gastroduodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, or ischemic colitis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients required emergent treatment for hemorrhage by means of blood transfusion and endoscopic ablation and/or clipping. The following possible predictors of GICs were identified by logistic multivariate analysis: age over 70, diabetes mellitus (particularly insulin-dependent diabetes), history of cerebrovascular disease or history of renal failure and postoperative low output syndrome (LOS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggested that GICs after CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass are rare but can be lethal. Early diagnosis and prompt intervention can be difficult but are potentially life saving for patients in whom GICs develop.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Tenri Hospital, Nara, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugita
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuyama
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D017091:Colitis, Ischemic / Q000209:etiology*; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004760:Enterocolitis / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology*; D010439:Peptic Ulcer Perforation / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors