The gastrointestinal bleeding registry at the University Hospital St. Pölten, Austria-A prospective evaluation

Introduction In 2018 we started to register every patient with any kind of GI bleeding in a database. In the context of data evaluation, we obtained findings on incidence, prevalence, mortality and morbidity. In addition, this registry serves to evaluate predictive (both clinical and laboratory) parameters for the survival of patients with GI bleeding.

Methods All patients over the age of 18 years, who present with melena, hematochezia, hematemesis, or positive fecal occult blood test (FOBT) and who have been excluded from variceal bleeding were included into the registry after giving a declaration of informed consent. The majority obtained an endoscopy to conduct research regarding the bleeding cause.

Results Up to now data of 540 patients were analyzed of whom 57.4 % were male (n = 310). The mean age was 71.0 (CI95 % 69.7-72.4 [range: 19.1-97.8]). 528 (97.8 %) patients underwent endoscopy and 202 (38.3 %) of them received any endoscopic intervention for hemostasis. Despite endoscopic examination bleeding source could not be detected in 92 patients (17.0 %). Bleeding was most frequently located in the upper gastrointestinal tract (n = 273 [50.6 %]). Overall, 247 (45.7 %) patients received a blood transfusion with a mean hemoglobin nadir of 8.8 g/dl (CI95 % 8.6-9.1. In 121 (49.0 %) cases a cardiovascular disease was known. Forty-two (7.8 %) patients died within the observation period and in twelve (28.6 %) patients’ death was directly related to GI bleeding. Only one of the deceased received a blood transfusion, although the hemoglobin nadir was  >  7 mg/dl and no cardiovascular disease was known.

Conclusion Non-variceal GI bleeding is a common cause for hospital admission and often leads to the necessity of blood transfusions. Nevertheless, in many cases transfusion policy should be critically questioned as the patients’ outcome may be declined. Further analyses are in progress.

Publication History

Article published online:
26 May 2020