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.