Clinical observations were done on 192 cases of upper gastrointestinal bleeding treated as in-patients
at the Daegu Fatima Hospitlal over a period of 8 years, from July 1967 to December 1974, and the
following results were obtained.
1. The ratio of the number of the upper gastro intestinal bleeding to the total number of patients
admitted to internal medicine during the same period was 1.6% as a whole and the yearly ratio has increased since 1972.
2. Of 192 cases of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, gastric ulcer was presented in 26.6%, esophageal varices in 24.0%, duodenal ulcer in 15.1%, gastric cancer in 10.4%, gastritis in 6.3%, cancer of ampulla of Vater in 0.5% and unknown origin in 17.2%.
3. The ratio between male and female, was 3.2 I in the total group and peak age incidence was in the fifth decade.
4. Hematemesis only was noted in 21.9% and melena only in 24.5% while hemetemesis and melena were seen in 53.6%.
5. Among 192 cases, 69.3% was belonged to massive bleeding group by Hamilton´s criteria.
6. The frequency of bleeding was observed that first bleeding accounted for 75.0%, second bleeding for 11.5% and bleeding more than three times for 13.5%.
7. Sixty one percents of patients were improved with conservative treatment, whereas 24.5% of patients required surgical treatment, 80.1% of the operated cases were improved.
8. The mortality rate during the hospitalization was in 5.2% and the main causes of death were due to hepatic failure and acute blood loss.
|