A Prospective, Multicenter Study of the AIMS65 Score Compared With the Glasgow-Blatchford Score in Predicting Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The AIMS65 score and the Glasgow-Blatchford risk score (GBRS) are validated preendoscopic risk scores for upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH). GOALS: To compare the 2 scores' performance in predicting important outcomes in UGIH. STUDY: A prospective cohort study in 2 tertiary referral centers and 1 community teaching hospital. Adults with UGIH were included. The AIMS65 score and GBRS were calculated for each patient. The primary outcome was inpatient mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-day mortality, in-hospital rebleeding, 30-day rebleeding, length of stay, and a composite endpoint of in-hospital mortality, transfusions, or need for intervention (endoscopic, radiologic, or surgical treatment). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated for each score and outcome. RESULTS: A total of 298 patients were enrolled. The AIMS65 score was superior to the GBRS in predicting in-hospital mortality (AUROC, 0.85 vs. 0.66; P<0.01) and length of stay (Somer's D, 0.21 vs. 0.13; P=0.04). The scores were similar in predicting 30-day mortality (AUROC, 0.74 vs. 0.65; P=0.16), in-hospital rebleeding (AUROC, 0.69 vs. 0.62; P=0.19), 30-day rebleeding (AUROC, 0.63 vs. 0.63; P=0.90), and the composite outcome (AUROC, 0.57 vs. 0.59; P=0.49). The optimal cutoffs for predicting in-hospital mortality were an AIMS65 score of 3 and a GBRS score of 10. For predicting rebleeding, the optimal cutoffs were 2 and 10, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The AIMS65 score is superior to the GBRS for predicting in-hospital mortality and hospital length of stay for patients with UGIH. The AIMS65 score and GBRS are similar in predicting 30-day mortality, rebleeding, and a composite endpoint.

Initial Assessment and Resuscitation in Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Acute nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding remains an important cause of hospital admission with an associated mortality of 2-14%. Initial patient evaluation includes rapid hemodynamic assessment, large-bore intravenous catheter insertion and volume resuscitation. A hemoglobin transfusion threshold of 7 g/dL is recommended, and packed red blood cell transfusion may be necessary to restore intravascular volume and improve tissue perfusion. Patients should be risk stratified into low- and high-risk categories, using validated prognostic scoring systems such as the Glasgow-Blatchford, AIMS65 or Rockall scores. Effective early management of acute, nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage is critical for improving patient outcomes.

The in-hospital mortality rate for upper GI hemorrhage has decreased over 2 decades in the United States: a nationwide analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite major advances in upper GI hemorrhage (UGIH) treatment, UGIH mortality has been reported as unchanged for the past 50 years. OBJECTIVE: To measure the UGIH in-hospital mortality rate and other important outcome trends from 1989 to 2009. DESIGN: A longitudinal study of UGIH hospitalizations by using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. SETTING: Acute-care hospitals. PATIENTS: All patients admitted for UGIH. Patients who bled after admission were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: UGIH in-hospital mortality rate, incidence, in-hospital endoscopy and endoscopic therapy rates, length of hospital stay, and total in-hospital charges. RESULTS: The non-variceal UGIH mortality rate decreased from 4.5% in 1989 to 2.1% in 2009. The non-variceal UGIH incidence declined from 108 to 78 cases/100,000 persons in 1994 and 2009, respectively. In-hospital upper endoscopy and endoscopic therapy rates increased from 70% and 10% in 1989 to 85% and 27% in 2009, respectively. The early endoscopy rate increased from 36% in 1989 to 54% in 2009. The median length of hospital stay decreased from 4.5 days in 1989 to 2.8 days in 2009. Median total hospitalization charges increased from $9249 in 1989 to $20,370 in 2009. At the national level, the UGIH direct in-hospital economic burden increased from $3.3 billion in 1989 to $7.6 billion in 2009. Similar trends were found for variceal UGIH. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective data, administrative database. CONCLUSION: In-hospital mortality from UGIH has been decreasing over the past 2 decades, with a concomitant increase in rate of endoscopy and endoscopic therapy. However, despite decreasing length of stay, the total economic burden of UGIH is increasing.

Initial assessment and management of patients with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a substantial clinical and economic burden, with an estimated mortality rate between 3% and 15%. The initial management starts with hemodynamic assessment and resuscitation. Blood transfusions may be needed in patients with low hemoglobin levels or massive bleeding, and patients who are anticoagulated may require administration of fresh frozen plasma. Patients with significant bleeding should be started on a proton-pump inhibitor infusion, and if there is concern for variceal bleeding, an octreotide infusion. Patients with UGIB should be stratified into low-risk and high-risk categories using validated risk scores. The use of these risk scores can aid in separating low-risk patients who are suitable for outpatient management or early discharge following endoscopy from patients who are at increased risk for needing endoscopic intervention, rebleeding, and death. Upper endoscopy after adequate resuscitation is required for most patients and should be performed within 24 hours of presentation. Key to improving outcomes is appropriate initial management of patients presenting with UGIB.

Impact of day of admission on mortality and other outcomes in upper GI hemorrhage: a nationwide analysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies have reached varying conclusions regarding the association between day of admission and outcomes in patients with upper GI hemorrhage (UGIH). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether important outcomes in UGIH, including in-hospital mortality, differ between patients admitted on weekends versus weekdays. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective cohort study by using the 2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. PATIENTS: Patients were included if they were adults with a principal diagnosis of acute UGIH. Patients admitted between midnight Friday and midnight Sunday were classified as weekend admissions. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: In-hospital mortality, in-hospital endoscopy, endoscopic therapy, length of stay, and total hospitalization charges. RESULTS: The study included 199,008 patients with nonvariceal UGIH and 3251 patients with variceal UGIH. Compared with patients admitted on weekdays, patients with nonvariceal UGIH admitted on weekends had similar adjusted in-hospital mortality rates (odds ratio [OR] 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93-1.30), endoscopic therapy rates (OR 0.98; 95% CI, 0.92-1.04), and length of stay (P = .09), but had lower early endoscopy rates (within 24 hours)(OR 0.64; 95% CI, 0.60-0.67), lower in-hospital endoscopy rates (OR 0.84; 95% CI, 0.78-0.91), and higher hospitalization charges (mean increase, $1558; P = .01). Patients with variceal UGIH admitted on weekends and weekdays did not differ in any of these outcomes. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective data, administrative database. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with patients admitted on weekdays, patients with nonvariceal UGIH admitted on weekends had similar mortality rates and lengths of stay, but lower endoscopy rates and higher hospitalization charges. Patients with variceal GI hemorrhage had similar outcomes regardless of day of admission.

The AIMS65 score compared with the Glasgow-Blatchford score in predicting outcomes in upper GI bleeding.

INTRODUCTION: We previously derived and validated the AIMS65 score, a mortality prognostic scale for upper GI bleeding (UGIB). OBJECTIVE: To validate the AIMS65 score in a different patient population and compare it with the Glasgow-Blatchford risk score (GBRS). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. PATIENTS: Adults with a primary diagnosis of UGIB. PRIMARY OUTCOME: inpatient mortality. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: composite clinical endpoint of inpatient mortality, rebleeding, and endoscopic, radiologic or surgical intervention; blood transfusion; intensive care unit admission; rebleeding; length of stay; timing of endoscopy. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated for each score. RESULTS: Of the 278 study patients, 6.5% died and 35% experienced the composite clinical endpoint. The AIMS65 score was superior in predicting inpatient mortality (AUROC, 0.93 vs 0.68; P < .001), whereas the GBRS was superior in predicting blood transfusions (AUROC, 0.85 vs 0.65; P < .01) The 2 scores were similar in predicting the composite clinical endpoint (AUROC, 0.62 vs 0.68; P = .13) as well as the secondary outcomes. A GBRS of 10 and 12 or more maximized the sum of the sensitivity and specificity for inpatient mortality and rebleeding, respectively. The cutoff was 2 or more for the AIMS65 score for both outcomes. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective, single-center study. CONCLUSION: The AIMS65 score is superior to the GBRS in predicting inpatient mortality from UGIB, whereas the GBRS is superior for predicting blood transfusion. Both scores are similar in predicting the composite clinical endpoint and other outcomes in clinical care and resource use.

Endoscopy in the elderly.

With increasing age, the incidence of both benign and malignant gastrointestinal (GI) disease rises. Endoscopic procedures are commonly performed in elderly and very elderly patients to diagnose and treat GI disorders. There are a number of issues to contemplate when considering performing an endoscopic procedure in an elderly patient, including the anticipated benefits of endoscopy as well as the increased risks associated with procedural sedation and some endoscopic procedures. This review will focus on the yield and safety of endoscopic procedures in older adults.

Diagnostic yield of dual-phase computed tomography enterography in patients with obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and a non-diagnostic capsule endoscopy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: In patients with obscure gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, capsule endoscopy is widely used to determine the source of bleeding. However, there is currently no consensus on how to further evaluate patients with obscure GI bleeding with a non-diagnostic capsule endoscopy examination. This study aims to determine the diagnostic yield of dual-phase computed tomographic enterography (CTE) in patients with obscure GI bleeding and a non-diagnostic capsule endoscopy. METHODS: Patients with obscure GI bleeding who were referred for capsule endoscopy were prospectively enrolled. Obscure GI bleeding was defined as overt if there was obvious GI bleeding; otherwise it was defined as occult. Patients with a non-diagnostic capsule endoscopy and no contraindications underwent a CTE. RESULTS: Capsule endoscopy was performed in 52 patients; 26 patients (50%) had occult GI bleeding and 26 patients (50%) had overt GI bleeding. CTE was then performed in 25 of the 48 patients without a definitive source of bleeding seen on capsule endoscopy. The diagnostic yield of CTE was 0% (0/11) in patients with occult bleeding versus 50% (7/14) in patients with overt bleeding (P < 0.01). Using clinical follow up as the gold standard, for the 25 patients with a non-diagnostic capsule, CTE had a sensitivity of 33% (95% confidence interval 0.15, 0.56) and a specificity of 75% (95% confidence interval 0.22, 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with a non-diagnostic capsule endoscopy examination, CTE is useful for detecting a source of GI bleeding in patients with overt, but not occult, obscure GI bleeding.

A simple risk score accurately predicts in-hospital mortality, length of stay, and cost in acute upper GI bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Although the early use of a risk stratification score in upper GI bleeding is recommended, existing risk scores are not widely used in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: We sought to develop and validate an easily calculated bedside risk score, AIMS65, by using data routinely available at initial evaluation. DESIGN: Data from patients admitted from the emergency department with acute upper GI bleeding were extracted from a database containing information from 187 U.S. hospitals. Recursive partitioning was applied to derive a risk score for in-hospital mortality by using data from 2004 to 2005 in 29,222 patients. The score was validated by using data from 2006 to 2007 in 32,504 patients. Accuracy to predict mortality was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Mortality, length of stay (LOS), and cost of admission. RESULTS: The 5 factors present at admission with the best discrimination were albumin less than 3.0 g/dL, international normalized ratio greater than 1.5, altered mental status, systolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or lower, and age older than 65 years. For those with no risk factors, the mortality rate was 0.3% compared with 31.8% in patients with all 5 (P < .001). The model had a high predictive accuracy (AUROC = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.78-0.81), which was confirmed in the validation cohort (AUROC = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.75-0.79). Longer LOS and increased costs were seen with higher scores (P < .001). LIMITATIONS: Database data used does not include outcomes such as rebleeding. CONCLUSIONS: AIMS65 is a simple, accurate risk score that predicts in-hospital mortality, LOS, and cost in patients with acute upper GI bleeding.

Mentoring in gastroenterology.

The Women in Gastroenterology Committee of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) conducted a survey among physician members of the ACG to examine the influence of mentoring on career satisfaction. The survey found that the overall rates of career satisfaction and mentorship are high, and that a majority of those without mentors wish that they had had one. Having a mentor who was described as either very effective or extremely effective was associated with higher career satisfaction, but was reported by only 59% of respondents. Factors associated with effective mentoring include frequent meetings, career mentoring, and mentors who are at the rank of professor. If these mentoring rates are representative of rates in the United States, approximately 170 gastroenterology fellows lack mentorship but wish they had it, and 325 more have, at best, moderately effective mentors. We should consider instituting national programs to provide trainees with effective mentorship.

Model to predict rebleeding following endoscopic therapy for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Following endoscopic therapy, up to 20% of patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage experience rebleeding. The aim of the present study was to determine risk factors for recurrent hemorrhage in these patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital between 1 July 1999 and 30 June 2004, with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Patients were evaluated for rebleeding within 30 days of successful therapeutic endoscopy. Using the hospital's endoscopic database, 236 patients were identified. Risk factors were identified using multivariable logistic regression with backward selection. Internal validation was carried out using bootstrapping. RESULTS: Six risk factors were identified: failure to use a proton pump inhibitor post-procedure (P = 0.056), Endoscopically demonstrated bleeding (P = 0.053), peptic ulcer as the bleeding source (P = 0.018), treatment with epinephrine monotherapy (P = 0.0026), post-procedure intravenous or low molecular weight heparin use (P = 0.0014), and moderate or severe cirrhosis (P = 0.032) (PEPTIC). The risk of rebleeding increased as the number of risk factors present increased. The observed rates of rebleeding were: 7.1%, 16.4%, 37.0%, 75.0% and 100% for zero, one, two, three or four risk factors, respectively (no patients had five or six risk factors present). The bias-adjusted area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve for the number of risk factors predicting rebleeding was 0.69. CONCLUSIONS: We have identified six easily remembered risk factors, which, when summed, predict recurrent hemorrhage following endoscopic therapy for non-variceal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.