title: Upper GI endoscopy in elderly patients: predictive factors of relevant endoscopic findings.
abstract: Elderly patients are at increased risk for peptic ulcer and cancer. Predictive factors of relevant endoscopic findings at upper endoscopy in the elderly are unknown. This was a post hoc analysis of a nationwide, endoscopic study. A total of 3,147 elderly patients were selected. Demographic, clinical, and endoscopic data were systematically collected. Relevant findings and new diagnoses of peptic ulcer and malignancy were computed. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. A total of 1,559 (49.5%), 213 (6.8%), 93 (3%) relevant findings, peptic ulcers, and malignancies were detected. Peptic ulcers and malignancies were more frequent in >85-year-old patients (OR 3.1, 95% CI = 2.0-4.7, p = 0.001). The presence of dysphagia (OR = 5.15), weight loss (OR = 4.77), persistent vomiting (OR = 3.68), anaemia (OR = 1.83), and male gender (OR = 1.9) were significantly associated with a malignancy, whilst overt bleeding (OR = 6.66), NSAIDs use (OR = 2.23), and epigastric pain (OR = 1.90) were associated with the presence of peptic ulcer. Peptic ulcer or malignancies were detected in 10% of elderly patients, supporting the use of endoscopy in this age group. Very elderly patients appear to be at higher risk of such lesions.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Cattinara Hospital, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buri
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bersani
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anti
authors.forename: Maria A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.forename: Livio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cipolletta
authors.forename: Emilio Di
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Giulio
authors.forename: Giovanni Di
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Matteo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Familiari
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ficano
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Loriga
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morini
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pietropaolo
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zambelli
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grossi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tessari
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Intraligi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buscema
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies