Etiology of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Jordanian Patients: A Prospective Study

Endoscopy within 24 hours from the onset of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding was carried out on 853 Jordanian patients. Lesions as a bleeding source were identified in 799 (93.7%) patients. Radioactively tagged red blood cell (RBC) scan, angiography and upper gastrointestinal follow-through radiography were complementary studies in endoscopy negative patients. Etiology remained unidentified in 16 patients. The six most common causes of UGI bleeding in this study were duodenal ulcer, gastric erosions, duodenal erosions, esophagitis, gastric ulcer and esophageal varices. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were a significant predisposing factor for UGI bleeding (28.6%). Mortality at the first admission was 3.4% and increased during 12 month follow-up to 6.9%. To our knowledge, this is the first study from Jordan concerning the causes of upper GI bleeding of all clinical types.