INTRODUCTION
Acute gastrointestinal (AGI) bleedings are frequent in gastroenterology
emergency practice. AGI bleedings are divided into 3 groups regarding
bleeding site; bleedings in the GIS tract until ampulla Vateri are
upper, those between ampulla Vateri and ileocecal valve are middle and
those in the distal of ileocecal valve are lower AGI bleedings.
Guidelines are available regarding endoscopic approach to AGI bleedings1-4.
Anemia and particularly iron deficiency anemia are very frequent in
patients with AGI bleedings (5). Although available studies on this
subject are limited and old, anemia was found in more than two thirds of
patients presenting with non-variceal upper GI bleeding, and anemia
improved in the patients after approximately a 2-144-month follow up6-9.
It is important to identify and correct anemia in patients presenting
with AGI bleeding, because iron deficiency (ID) and ID anemia (IDA) have
negative effects on the patient’s quality of life and work environment.
They cause frequent hospital admissions, delays in discharge and
increased healthcare costs 5. In a recent local,
retrospective study, anemia was noted during hospital discharge in more
than 80% of patients presenting with upper AGI bleeding and only 16%
of these patients received oral iron supplements10. In
recent randomized controlled studies, significant improvements were
noted in hemoglobin levels in patients treated with intravenous (IV)
iron therapy compared with placebo among patients presenting with GI
bleeding and found to have anemia 11.
Follow up studies of patients with AGI bleeding are limited and there
are not sufficient studies about rates of anemia, status of iron
reserves and information regarding presence or absence of sufficient
iron therapy in patients presenting and discharged with AGI bleeding
mainly in our country.
In this study, it was aimed to evaluate anemia prevalence, approach to
anemia and factors affecting changes in approach, if present, during
discharge from hospital and the following 3 months in patients who had
upper, middle and lower AGI bleeding.