Clinical epidemiological characteristics of older adults admitted for upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the General Hospital of Ciego de Ávila

Abstract

Introduction: upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a medical and surgical emergency that continues having high morbidity despite the therapeutic advances of the last years.

Objective: to describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in adults over 60 years admitted during the triennium 2012-2014.

Method: an observational, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the General Provincial Teaching Hospital of Ciego de Ávila.

Results: the age group of 60 to 74 years and the male sex predominated. The most frequent causes of hemorrhage were: gastric ulcer, erosive gastritis and duodenal peptic ulcer, and medical treatment was the most used. Mortality was higher in patients who received surgical treatment, hypovolemia and multiorgan failure were the main causes of death. The highest mortality occurred in the group over 75 years old and in the female sex.

Conclusions: the upper digestive hemorrhage constitutes a health problem in the adult over 60 years of age and older, especially before 74 years of age and in the male sex. Gastric and duodenal ulcers, and erosive gastritis were the most frequent causes. Medical treatment resolved bleeding in most cases and mortality was higher in the surgically treated elderly