RESULTS OF ENDOSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS FOR HEMORRHAGE OF THE UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL-TRACT

An account is given in this paper of 8,206 oesophago-gastrobulboscopies that had been performed between 1974 and 1986 at the Endoscopy Section in the Clinic and Outpatient Department of Surgery at the Medical Academy of Erfurt in the East German Federal State of Thuringia. The diagnostic procedure had become necessary for acute haemorrhage in 750 patients (9.1 percent). Endoscopic accuracy amounted to 96.4 percent. A definite source of bleeding was recorded from 287 patients (38.7 percent), while a poten9tial source was detected in 254 (34.0 percent). Multiple findings were obtained from 66 cases (8.8 percent). The most common sources of haemorrhage included ulcers (55.2 percent), erosions (15.2 percent), and varices (10.3 percent). Shock had occurred to 282 patients (37.6 percent). Abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other noxae as well as intake of medicines were factors conductive to haemorrhage, which was positively confirmed by these investigations. Occurrence of obscure sources of bleeding was found to have declined by 21 percent against findings in the pre-endoscopy era.