title: Changing trends in acute upper-GI bleeding: a population-based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advances in medical practice in recent decades have influenced the etiology and management of acute upper-GI bleeding (UGIB), but their impact on the incidence and mortality is unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the time trends of UGIB in 2 different management eras.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  General university-affiliated hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 587 patients who presented with UGIB during the 1983-to-1985 period were compared with 539 patient in the 2002-to-2004 period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall incidence of UGIB decreased from 112.5 to 89.8 per 100,000/y, which corresponds to a 35.5% decrease after adjustment for age (95% CI, 24.2%-46.8%). The age standardized incidence of ulcer bleeding decreased by 41.6% (95% CI, 27.2%-56%); the decrease occurred only in people younger than 70 years of age. The rate of history of peptic ulcer disease decreased from 32.7% in the 1983-to-1985 period versus 19.5% in the 2002-to-2004 period (P < .001). The mean age increased from 61.0 to 68.7 years (P < .001), and the male:female ratio decreased from 2.7 to 1.8 (P = .002). The comorbidities increased from 69% to 75% (P = .01), the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs from 40.0% to 46.4% (P = .03), and the cases of bleeding occurring during hospitalization from 10.4% to 17.1% (P < .001). In the 1983-to-1985 cohort, the endoscopy was solely diagnostic, and antisecretory therapy consisted of H2-antagonists drugs. In the second period, 39.3% of patients underwent endoscopic therapy, whereas proton pump inhibitors were administered in 47%. Rebleeding rates decreased from 32.5% to 7.4% (P < .001) and surgery from 10.2% to 2.0% (P < .001). Overall mortality decreased from 17.1 to 8.2 per 100,000/y, which corresponded to a 60.8% decrease after adjustment for age (95% CI, 46.5%-75.1%). The age standardized mortality rate for ulcer bleeding decreased by 56.5% (95% CI, 41.9%-71.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A single-center study and a potential lack of generalizability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the 1983-to-1985 period to the 2002-to-2004 period, major changes occurred in the incidence of UGIB, features of patients, management, and outcomes. The incidence and mortality of UGIB overall and ulcer bleeding decreased significantly, and the decline of incidence occurred only in patients younger than 70 years old.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Emergency Medicine Department, Regional Hospital, Treviso, Italy. sloperfido@ulss.tv.it
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loperfido
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baldo
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piovesana
authors.forename: Ludovica
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bellina
authors.forename: Katia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Marzia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Groppo
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caroli
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dal Bò
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monica
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Helena Heras
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Salvat
authors.forename: Nicolò
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bassi
authors.forename: Lajos
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Okolicsanyi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors