Special Issue "Clinical Advances in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding"

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Gastroenterology & Hepatopancreatobiliary Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2023) | Viewed by 6002

Special Issue Editor

1. Department of Medical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
2. Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
Interests: upper gastrointestinal bleeding; upper GI endoscopy; ERCP; EUS

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding continues to be a common reason for admission to hospital worldwide, with annual incidences of 48–172 per 100,000 adults and mortality rates ranging from 2% to 10%. In the last decade, clinical research has led to significant improvements in patient risk stratification using risk scores, improved endotherapy including use of over-the-scope clips, hemospray, and in selected cases Doppler-guided treatment, as well as more widespread use of interventional radiology. Although current practice is associated with great results in the majority of patients, further studies are needed to improve future practice, including ways to further improve endoscopic hemostasis, reduce risk of rebleeding, and most importantly reduce mortality.

In this Special Issue, we focus on clinical advances in upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We would like to invite researchers to submit high-quality original clinical and basic research, meta-analyses, and state-of-the-art reviews.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Best wishes

Dr. Stig Borbjerg Laursen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • upper gastrointestinal bleeding
  • peptic ulcer bleeding
  • endoscopy

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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Article
Evaluation of a New Animal Tissue-Free Bleeding Model for Training of Endoscopic Hemostasis
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(9), 3230; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12093230 - 30 Apr 2023
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Abstract
Background: For endoscopists, knowledge of the available hemotherapeutic devices and materials as well as competence in using them is a life-saving expertise in the treatment of patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding. These competences can be acquired in training on live animals, animal organs, [...] Read more.
Background: For endoscopists, knowledge of the available hemotherapeutic devices and materials as well as competence in using them is a life-saving expertise in the treatment of patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding. These competences can be acquired in training on live animals, animal organs, or simulators. We present an animal tissue-free training model of the upper gastrointestinal tract for bleeding therapy. Methods: An artificial, animal tissue-free mucosa and submucosa with the opportunity of injection and clipping therapy were created first. Patches with this artificial mucosa and submucosa were placed into silicone and latex organs with human-like anatomy. Esophageal bleeding situations were imitated as variceal bleeding and bleeding of a reflux esophagitis in latex organs. Finally, a modular training model with human anatomy and replaceable bleeding sources was created. Evaluation of the novel model for gastroscopic training was performed in a multicentric setting with endoscopic beginners and experts. Results: Evaluation was carried out by 38 physicians with different levels of education in endoscopy. Evaluation of the model was made with grades from one (excellent) to six (bad): suitability for endoscopic training was 1.4, relevance of the endoscopic training was 1.6, and grading for haptic and optic impression of the model was 1.7. Conclusions: The creation of a gastroscopic model for the training of hemostatic techniques without animal tissues was possible and multiple endoscopic bleeding skills could be trained in it. Evaluation showed good results for this new training option, which could be used in every endoscopic unit or other places without hygienic doubts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding)
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Article
Comparison of Lactate Clearance with Established Risk Assessment Tools in Predicting Outcomes in Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(7), 2716; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072716 - 05 Apr 2023
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Abstract
Early risk stratification is mandatory in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) to guide optimal treatment. Numerous risk scores were introduced, but lack of practicability led to limited use in daily clinical practice. Lactate clearance is an established risk assessment tool in a variety [...] Read more.
Early risk stratification is mandatory in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) to guide optimal treatment. Numerous risk scores were introduced, but lack of practicability led to limited use in daily clinical practice. Lactate clearance is an established risk assessment tool in a variety of diseases, such as trauma and sepsis. Therefore, this study compares the predictive ability of pre-endoscopic lactate clearance and established risk scores in patients with AUGIB at the University Hospital of Cologne. Active bleeding was detected in 27 (25.2%) patients, and hemostatic intervention was performed in 35 (32.7%). In total, 16 patients (15%) experienced rebleeding and 12 (11.2%) died. Initially, lactate levels were elevated in 64 cases (59.8%), and the median lactate clearance was 18.7% (2.7–48.2%). Regarding the need for endoscopic intervention, the predictive ability of Glasgow Blatchford Score, pre-endoscopic Rockall score, initial lactate and lactate clearance did not differ significantly, and their area under the receiver operating characteristic curves were 0.658 (0.560–0.747), 0.572 (0.473–0.667), 0.572 (0.473–0.667) and 0.583 (0.483–0.677), respectively. Similar results were observed in relation to rebleeding and mortality. In conclusion, lactate clearance had comparable predictive ability compared to established risk scores. Further prospective research is necessary to clarify the potential role of lactate clearance as a reliable risk assessment tool in AUGIB. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding)
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Article
Defining Time in Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: When Should We Start the Clock?
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(7), 2542; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072542 - 28 Mar 2023
Viewed by 983
Abstract
Introduction: The execution of upper endoscopy at the proper time is key to correctly managing patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Nonetheless, the definition of “time” for endoscopic examinations in UGIB patients is imprecise. The primary aim of this study was to verify [...] Read more.
Introduction: The execution of upper endoscopy at the proper time is key to correctly managing patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Nonetheless, the definition of “time” for endoscopic examinations in UGIB patients is imprecise. The primary aim of this study was to verify whether the different definitions of “time” (i.e., the symptoms-to-endoscopy and presentation-to-endoscopy timeframes) impact mortality. The secondary purpose of this study was to evaluate the similarity between the two timeframes. Methods: A post-hoc analysis was performed on a prospective multicenter cohort study, which included UGIB patients admitted to 50 Italian hospitals. We collected the timings from symptoms and presentation to endoscopy, together with other demographic, organizational and clinical data and outcomes. Results: Out of the 3324 patients in the cohort, complete time data were available for 3166 patients. A significant difference of 9.2 h (p < 0.001) was found between the symptoms-to-endoscopy vs. presentation-to-endoscopy timeframes. The symptoms-to-endoscopy timeframe demonstrated (1) a different death risk profile and (2) a statistically significant improvement in the prediction of mortality risk compared to the presentation-to-endoscopy timeframe (p < 0.0002). The similarity between the two different timeframes was moderate (K = 0.42 ± 0.01; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The symptoms-to-endoscopy and presentation-to-endoscopy timeframes referred to different timings during the management of upper endoscopy in bleeding patients, with the former being more accurate in correctly identifying the mortality risk of these patients. We suggest that further studies be conducted to validate our observations, and, if confirmed, a different definition of time should be adopted in endoscopy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding)
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Article
Performance of the New ABC and MAP(ASH) Scores in the Prediction of Relevant Outcomes in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(3), 1085; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12031085 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1185
Abstract
Background & Aims: Several risk scores have been proposed for risk-stratification of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. ABC score was found more accurate predicting mortality than AIMS65. MAP(ASH) is a simple, pre-endoscopy score with a great ability to predict intervention and mortality. [...] Read more.
Background & Aims: Several risk scores have been proposed for risk-stratification of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. ABC score was found more accurate predicting mortality than AIMS65. MAP(ASH) is a simple, pre-endoscopy score with a great ability to predict intervention and mortality. The aim of this study was to compare ABC and MAP(ASH) discriminative ability for the prediction of mortality and intervention in UGIB. As a secondary aim we compared both scores with Glasgow-Blatchford score and AIMS65. Methods: Our study included patients admitted to the emergency room of Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital with UGIB (2017–2020). Information regarding clinical, biochemical tests and procedures was collected. Main outcomes were in-hospital mortality and a composite endpoint for intervention. Results: MAP(ASH) and ABC had similar AUROCs for mortality (0.79 vs. 0.80). For intervention, MAP(ASH) (AUROC = 0.75) and ABC (AUROC = 0.72) were also similar. Regarding rebleeding, AUROCs of MAP(ASH) and ABC were 0.67 and 0.61 respectively. No statistically differences were found in these outcomes. With a low threshold for MAP(ASH) ≤ 2, ABC and MAP(ASH) classified a similar proportion of patients as being at low risk of death (42% vs. 45.2%), with virtually no mortality under these thresholds. Conclusions: MAP(ASH) and ABC were similar for the prediction of relevant outcomes for UGIB, such as intervention, rebleeding and in-hospital mortality, with an accurate selection of low-risk patients. MAP(ASH) has the advantage of being easier to calculate even without the aid of electronic tools. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding)
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Review

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Review
A Review of Risk Scores within Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(11), 3678; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12113678 - 26 May 2023
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Abstract
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency. Thorough initial assessment and appropriate resuscitation are essential to stabilise the patient. Risk scores provide an important tool to discriminate between lower- and higher-risk patients. Very low-risk patients can be safely discharged for out-patient management, [...] Read more.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency. Thorough initial assessment and appropriate resuscitation are essential to stabilise the patient. Risk scores provide an important tool to discriminate between lower- and higher-risk patients. Very low-risk patients can be safely discharged for out-patient management, while higher-risk patients can receive appropriate in-patient care. The Glasgow Blatchford Score, with a score of 0–1, performs best in the identification of very low-risk patients who will not require hospital based intervention or die, and is recommended by most guidelines to facilitate safe out-patient management. The performance of risk scores in the identification of specific adverse events to define high-risk patients is less accurate, with no individual score performing consistently well. Ongoing developments in the use of machine learning models and artificial intelligence in predicting poor outcomes in UGIB appear promising and will likely form the basis of dynamic risk assessment in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding)
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Other

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Systematic Review
Pre-Endoscopic Scores Predicting Low-Risk Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(16), 5194; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12165194 - 09 Aug 2023
Viewed by 515
Abstract
Background: Several risk scores have attempted to risk stratify patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) who are at a lower risk of requiring hospital-based interventions or negative outcomes including death. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare predictive abilities of pre-endoscopic [...] Read more.
Background: Several risk scores have attempted to risk stratify patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) who are at a lower risk of requiring hospital-based interventions or negative outcomes including death. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare predictive abilities of pre-endoscopic scores in prognosticating the absence of adverse events in patients with UGIB. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Central, and ISI Web of knowledge from inception to February 2023. All fully published studies assessing a pre-endoscopic score in patients with UGIB were included. The primary outcome was a composite score for the need of a hospital-based intervention (endoscopic therapy, surgery, angiography, or blood transfusion). Secondary outcomes included: mortality, rebleeding, or the individual endpoints of the composite outcome. Both proportional and comparative analyses were performed. Results: Thirty-eight studies were included from 2153 citations, (n = 36,215 patients). Few patients with a low Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS) cutoff (0, ≤1 and ≤2) required hospital-based interventions (0.02 (0.01, 0.05), 0.04 (0.02, 0.09) and 0.03 (0.02, 0.07), respectively). The proportions of patients with clinical Rockall (CRS = 0) and ABC (≤3) scores requiring hospital-based intervention were 0.19 (0.15, 0.24) and 0.69 (0.62, 0.75), respectively. GBS (cutoffs 0, ≤1 and ≤2), CRS (cutoffs 0, ≤1 and ≤2), AIMS65 (cutoffs 0 and ≤1) and ABC (cutoffs ≤1 and ≤3) scores all were associated with few patients (0.01–0.04) dying. The proportion of patients suffering other secondary outcomes varied between scoring systems but, in general, was lowest for the GBS. GBS (using cutoffs 0, ≤1 and ≤2) showed excellent discriminative ability in predicting the need for hospital-based interventions (OR 0.02, (0.00, 0.16), 0.00 (0.00, 0.02) and 0.01 (0.00, 0.01), respectively). A CRS cutoff of 0 was less discriminative. For the other secondary outcomes, discriminative abilities varied between scores but, in general, the GBS (using cutoffs up to 2) was clinically useful for most outcomes. Conclusions: A GBS cut-off of one or less prognosticated low-risk patients the best. Expanding the GBS cut-off to 2 maintains prognostic accuracy while allowing more patients to be managed safely as outpatients. The evidence is limited by the number, homogeneity, quality, and generalizability of available data and subjectivity of deciding on clinical impact. Additional, comparative and, ideally, interventional studies are needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding)
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