title: Causes of bleeding and outcomes in patients hospitalized with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate sources of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) at an urban US hospital and compare them to sources at the same center 20 years ago, and to assess clinical outcomes related to source of UGIB.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Recent studies suggest changes in causes and outcomes of UGIB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with hematemesis, melena, and/or hematochezia undergoing upper endoscopy with an identified source at LA County+USC Medical Center from January 2005 to June 2011 were identified retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the 1929 patients was 52 years; 75% were male. A total of 1073 (55%) presented with hematemesis, 809 (42%) with melena alone, and 47 (2%) with hematochezia alone. The most common causes were ulcers in 654 patients (34%), varices in 633 (33%), and erosive esophagitis in 156 (8%), compared with 43%, 33%, and 2% in 1991. During hospitalization, 207 (10.7%) patients required repeat endoscopy for UGIB (10.6% for both ulcers and varices) and 129 (6.7%) died (5.2% for ulcers; 9.2% for varices). On multivariate analysis, hematemesis (OR=1.38; 95% CI, 1.04-1.88) and having insurance (OR=1.44; 95% CI, 1.07-1.94) were associated with repeat endoscopy for UGIB. Varices (OR=1.53; 95% CI, 1.05-2.22) and having insurance (OR=4.53; 95% CI, 2.84-7.24) were associated with mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peptic ulcers decreased modestly over 2 decades, whereas varices continue as a common cause of UGIB at an urban hospital serving lower socioeconomic patients. Inpatient mortality, but not rebleeding requiring endoscopy, was higher with variceal than nonvariceal UGIB, indicating patients with variceal UGIB remain at risk of death from decompensation of underlying illness even after successful control of bleeding.
authors.affiliation: *Division of Gastroenterology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda †Division of Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA ‡Section of Digestives Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven §VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sheibani
authors.forename: Sunhee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buxbaum
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D004941:Esophagitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006396:Hematemesis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006278:Medicare / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008551:Melena / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010437:Peptic Ulcer / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D010438:Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D019233:Retreatment; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States