Incidence of digestive bleeding in ICU patients of San Ignacio University Hospital

Abstract

Aim: to estimate the incidence of significant and non-significant gastrointestinal bleeding in patients of the Intensive Care Unit at Hospital San Ignacio, admitted between August and November of 2007 as well as the related mortality.

Study design: descriptive study of incidence.

Place of the Study: University Hospital San Ignacio.

Patients: patients older than 16 years admitted to the Intensive Care Unit due to a condition different from digestive hemorrhage, with a minimum stay of 24 hours and who had not received previous treatment or prophylaxis for acid peptic disease.

Interventions: none.

Measurements: significant gastrointestinal bleeding, Non-significant gastrointestinal bleeding, Death caused by gastrointestinal bleeding.

Results: collected sample: 524 subjects with an age range of 17 to 94 years, a mean of 57 years, 236 women and 285 men. Accumulated incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding: 3.44%. Incidence of significant bleeding 2, 6%. Incidence of non-significant bleeding 0.76%. Global mortality 9.34%. Mortality caused by bleeding 0%.

Conclusions: the incidence of significant gastrointestinal bleeding in this setting was similar to most of the studies we reviewed and inferior to one of the studies, which can be related to the high percentage of handled prophylaxis. The incidence of non-significant gastrointestinal bleeding was low in comparison to other studies. We found deficiencies in the registries and many patients received prophylaxis or treatment without having high risk or etiological diagnosis. The global mortality of the sample was 9.35% not attributable to gastrointestinal bleeding.