Peptic Ulcer – Treatment Methods

Acute hemorrhage is a common medical emergency that ranges from minor, uncontrollable bleeding to potentially life-threatening bleeding. The site of bleeding can be located anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, which makes it difficult to determine its exact location in the gastrointestinal tract. Patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding usually have hematemesis or melena with the bleeding point proximal to the ligament of Treitz, while patients with lower gastrointestinal bleeding usually have melena or hematochezia with the bleeding point distal to the ligament of Treitz. Endoscopy is a first-line diagnostic procedure with 100% sensitivity to detect upper gastrointestinal bleeding; However, it has only 60% sensitivity for diagnosing lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Therapeutic options for treating acute GI bleeding include conservative treatment, therapeutic endoscopy, transcatheter embolization, and surgery. Transcatheter embolization and surgery are both options for recurrent GI bleeding.