Clinical and endoscopic evaluation of gastroduodenal haemorrhage.

Endoscopic evaluation of 100 consecutive cases of haematemesis and melaena attending the emergency ward of NRS Medical College, Calcutta 700014 showed that in 2/3rd of all the patients acid peptic disease was the cause of bleeding, out of which 60% was due to duodenal ulcer and 40% was due to gastric ulcer. Five per cent of all the cases were having portal hypertension where the cause of bleeding was oesophageal varices. Gastric malignancy was responsible for bleeding in 3% cases. In about 6% cases bleeding was due to acute gastric erosion caused by NSAID, steroid and other corrosive agents. In 20% patients no apparent cause for upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage could be detected endoscopically.