Same-Day Upper and Lower Endoscopy in Patients with Occult Bleeding, Melena, Hematochezia, and/or Microcytic Anemia

Le résumé fourni par la source

colonic cancer, had a PBS also in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The chance of finding a potential bleeding source in patients with microcytic anemia and positive Hemoccult test is threefold higher than for the patients with microcytic anemia and negative Hemoccult test and twofold higher than in patients with normal blood hemoglobin value but positive Hemoccult test. Moreover, 22% (8 of 36) of the patients with microcytic anemia and a positive Hemoccult test had colonic carcinoma. Approximately 30% of the patients with a PBS had two or more PBSs in one or more organs. Eighteen per cent of 43 patients with a history of upper gastrointestinal symptoms had a PBS in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The corresponding figure for the patients without a history of upper gastrointestinal symptoms was 29%. We concluded that the value of same-day upper and lower endoscopy is high, particularly in patients with occult bleeding and microcytic anemia. The procedure was tolerable and free from significant complications even in the elderly. The presence or absence of upper gastrointestinal symptoms does not help in deciding what type of endoscopy should be performed.

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