Clinical Audit of GI Endoscopic Complications in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract using fiberoptic endoscopes was introduced in the late 1950s and provided the first opportunity for direct visualization of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum and colon in vivo. GI Endoscopy is usually considered a safe and effective procedure. However complications do exist and procedure related costs are significant. There is a lack of prospective studies on complications of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures.There is a lack of prospective studies on complications of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures. Knowledge of potential endoscopic adverse events, their expected frequency, and the risk factors for their occurrence may help to minimize the incidence of adverse events. Review of adverse events as part of a continuing quality improvement process may serve to educate endoscopists, help to reduce the risk of future adverse events, and improve the overall quality of endoscopy.