SONIHA ASLAM, ASLAM GHOURI, FARHAJ MUGHAL, MOHAMMAD HANIF GHANI, SOHAIL AHMED

148-152

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ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients of non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding for clinical intervention on the basis of Blatchford scoring system.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross sectional observational study.

PLACE AND DURATION: At Medical Unit III, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro from 1st Sep'2014 – 28th Feb '2015.

METHODOLOGY: Study population included 50 patients of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Blatchford score was calculated for each patient. Patients needing clinical intervention to control bleeding were defined as high risk having a Blatchford score of ≥5.

RESULTS: A total of 50 patients took part in this study with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. The age range was 20-85 years, with mean age of 39.24 ± 13.37 years (SD). The Blatchford score identified 20 of 50 patients as high risk for clinical intervention. These patients presented with 2-3 episodes of hemetemesis and vitally un- stable and referred for endoscopy. Two third of our patients presented with one episode of bleeding and vitally stable & were categorized as low risk. Peptic ulcer disease came out to be the main cause of non variceal bleeding on endoscopy.

CONCLUSION: Decision for endoscopy depends upon Blatchford score and general health of patients. We observed Blatchford score to be helpful for differentiating among high and low risk groups and to evaluate the need for clinical intervention in patients of upper gastrointestinal bleeding admitted in the hospital.

KEY WORDS: Upper Gastrointestinal bleeding, Nonvariceal, Blatchford scoring system.