Abstract

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common and potentially serious clinical presentation resulting from disruption of mucosal integrity or vascular structures. It is classified into upper and lower GI bleeding, both of which contribute significantly to emergency department visits worldwide. This study aimed to assess demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, risk factors, and endoscopic findings among patients with GI bleeding.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Buraidah Central Hospital, Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia, from January 2019 to December 2021. Data were extracted from the medical records of patients diagnosed with GI bleeding, including demographics, presenting symptoms, predisposing factors, and endoscopic findings.
Results: Of the 187 patients, 63.1% were women and 24.1% were aged between 51 and 60 years. Hematochezia was the most prevalent presenting symptom, followed by hematemesis and melena. The most common upper endoscopy finding was gastritis (42, 22.5%), whereas hemorrhoids were the most common colonoscopy finding (39, 20.9%). There is a significant relationship between reflux esophagitis (p = 0.046) and esophageal varices (p = 0.003) and age group. Furthermore, we observed a significant relationship between patients with chronic diseases and esophageal varices (p = 0.011). Additionally, we observed a significant relationship between body mass index and colonoscopy findings (p = 0.017).
Conclusion: Various factors influence GI bleeding, highlighting the need for targeted education to improve disease awareness and control. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of considering these factors in patient treatment and calls for further research into additional contributing elements to improve disease prevention measures in the general population.

Key words: Colonoscopy, Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal hemorrhage, Lower gastrointestinal bleeding, Upper gastrointestinal bleeding