Clinical and epidemiological aspects of the pathology of bleeding

A retrospective descriptive observational study was carried out with the objective of determining the behavior of High Digestive Bleeding in the municipality of Ciego de Avila, in the period from January 2008 to January 2009. All the Clinical Histories of all the patients older than 15 years old admitted to the Antonio Luaces Iraola Hospital were reviewed, being the Universe and the Sample conformed by 109 cases. The incidence was 95.22 per 100,000 inhabitants per year, more frequent in males and in those over 60 years old. The most associated risk factors were smoking, consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and alcohol consumption. More than half of the cases presented previous symptoms, among which epigastralgia and decay were the most frequent. The most frequent presentation was melena. Gastric ulcer and gastritis were the main causes. Almost all episodes were diagnosed by endoscopy and most were treated conservatively. Deaths occurred in 7.3% of discharges.