Characteristics of Patients with Bleeding Peptic Ulcer Requiring Emergency Endoscopy and Aggressive Treatment

Objectives: Patients with an ulcer and active bleeding or a nonbleeding, visible vessel are high‐risk for further bleeding and should receive aggressive therapy. In this study, we tried to identify clinical parameters that predict these high‐risk groups. Methods: Over a 7‐nionth period, 16 clinical parameters were analyzed prospectively in 316 patients with bleeding peptic ulcer. A multivariate analysis was used to find the independent predictors for the high‐risk patients. Resutts: A total of 114 patients (36%) was found to have a spurting hemorrhage (eight patients), oozing hemorrhage (27 patients), or a nonbleeding visible vessel (79 patients). Using an univariate analysis, a statistically signiHcant predictor was the appearance of coffee ground fluid or blood from the nasogastric tube. This predictor also emerged as an independent factor (odds ratio, 0.4333; 95% confidence interval, 0.263–0.714). Conctusions: Patients with bleeding peptic ulcer who have coffee ground fluid or blood from the nasogastric tube should receive an emergency endoscopy and aggressive treatment.