Therapy for Bleeding Peptic Ulcers

During the past 50 years, mortality from acute bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract has remained at 6 to 10 percent, despite improved medical and surgical treatments, the development of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy, and the availability of intensive care units.1 One contributing factor is that patients tend to be older and to have more coexisting illnesses than ever before.2 The widespread use of aspirin and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents, even at low doses taken to prevent cardiovascular disease, has also substantially increased the risk of bleeding.3 Fortunately, in 70 to 80 percent of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, the . . .