salicylates and Esophageal-Diseases

Topics: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Aged; Aminopyrine; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Aspirin; Dogs; Drug Hypersensitivity; Duodenal Ulcer; Esophageal Diseases; Female; Gastric Mucosa; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Indomethacin; Intestinal Mucosa; Osteoarthritis; Penicillins; Phenylbutazone; Prednisolone; Rats; Rheumatic Diseases; Salicylates; Sodium Salicylate; Stomach Diseases; Stomach Ulcer; Streptomycin

One hundred and eighty four patients aged over 65 years and hospitalised for gastrointestinal haemorrhage of high origin underwent emergency oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy. It was thereby possible to make an aetiological diagnosis in 94.5% of cases. The study demonstrated certain special features: the preponderance of acute gastro-duodenal lesions, possibly explained by the high consumption of gastrotoxic drugs in the elderly subject; the relative frequency of oesophagitis (11%), one out of two cases being responsible for the bleeding; the discovery of a hiatal hernia in 59 patients (1/3 of cases), 25% of them bleeding from a lesion directly related to the latter. Bleeding was in large quantity in 57% of cases. Mortality, which was quite high (17%) appeared to be more related to the underlying general condition than to the haemorrhage itself. Endoscopy gave rise to complications in 8 patients, including 3 who died.

Topics: Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Duodenum; Endoscopy; Esophageal Diseases; Esophagitis; Esophagoscopy; Female; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage; Gastroscopy; Hematemesis; Hernia, Hiatal; Humans; Male; Melena; Peptic Ulcer Hemorrhage; Salicylates