Timing of Upper Endoscopy in Cirrhotic Patients With Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Urgent vs. Elective Endoscopy

In the case of UGIB in patients with liver cirrhosis, acute peripheral circulatory failure may suddenly occur, resulting in decreased blood perfusion in liver tissues, often accompanied by clinical manifestations such as blood volume decline, melena, and haematemesis. This disease progresses rapidly, with a mortality rate of above 10% if not treated promptly

Timing of endoscopy in the management of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) has been a subject of perennial debate. Despite remarkable advancements in endoscopic treatments and substantial efforts in reducing mortality, the overall in-hospital mortality rate associated with UGIB is still estimated to be 10%.

Several studies have investigated the clinical impact of urgent (within 6 h of presentation) or early (within 12 h) endoscopy on mortality in patients with UGIB. Some studies showed no significant difference in mortality rate between urgent and elective endoscopy groups among high-risk patients with acute UGIB

In contrast, others found that urgent endoscopy was associated with a lower mortality rate in high-risk patients with acute non-variceal UGIB. Most of the previous studies included highly selected patients with non-variceal UGIB or those at a high risk. However, given that the definitive diagnosis is made after endoscopic examination, these studies may not reflect real-world clinical practice. Furthermore, it is often challenging to predict the cause of bleeding and to identify patients at high risk who require intensive care based on their symptoms and the information obtained in the emergency room