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What is the value of early endoscopy in upper gastrointestinal bleeding?

Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 3, pages 534–535 (2006)Cite this article

When considering the value of early endoscopy in upper gastrointestinal bleeding, we must first examine the overall value of endoscopy in this setting.

Endoscopy is the most accurate and practical method for diagnosing the source of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.1 Subsequent, appropriate endoscopic therapy significantly reduces mortality, rebleeding, requirement for transfusion, hospital stay, and health-care costs.2 Even in the absence of specific endoscopic therapy, the prognostic information obtained from the procedure can significantly reduce the use of health resources. Yet, as accurate and useful as endoscopy might be, does early endoscopy (generally defined as within 24 h of presentation) translate into improved patient outcomes? This is where the controversy exists.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Associate Professor of Medicine, and Associate Director of the Comprehensive Digestive Disease Center, at University of California Irvine Medicine Center, Orange, CA, USA

    John G Lee

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  1. John G Lee
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Correspondence to John G Lee.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Lee, J. What is the value of early endoscopy in upper gastrointestinal bleeding?. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 3, 534–535 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpgasthep0609

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