Katrine Kauczynska Romstad

Antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy are associated with a significant risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), as is the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Concomitant treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has been shown to reduce the risk of this complication. To compare the use of risk medications and PPIs in a cohort of adult patients with bleeding peptic ulcers or erosions in the stomach or duodenum with the background population. We performed a prospective observational study including 543 patients with endoscopically verified bleeding ulcers and/or erosions at two large hospitals in Norway. Information on risk medications taken prior to study enrolment was collected prospectively through structured interviews with patients and with the review of their medical records, whereas for the background population the information was obtained from The Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD). Overall, 434 (80%) of the patients used risk medications, compared to 34% in the background population (p < 0.001). Only 39 (8.9%) of the patients received PPIs as co-medication, and 150 (34.6%) tested positive for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. Among patients with bleeding ulcers and erosions, we found a high prevalence of risk medication use and an underutilization of prophylactic PPIs. H. pylori infection appears to play a minor role. Bleeding Ulcer and Erosions Study "BLUE Study", ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03367897.

Peptic ulcers and erosions are the most common causes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The aim of this study was to investigate the management and outcomes of these patients.A total of 543 patie...

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a well-recognized complication of peptic ulcers and erosions. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence rate and identify risk factors for this comp...