This is a report of a study of 39 cases with upper gastrointestinal bleeding entered to emergency room in St. Vincent Hospital for 1 year from June 1988 to May 1989. The following resulst were obtained.
1. The male-female ratio was 3:1
2. The age incidence revealed a greater prevalance on 5th to 6th decade(64.2%) : 5th decade in 14 cases(36.0%), 6th decade 11 cases(28.2%)
3. The causative desease was gastric ulcer in 19 cases(48.7%), esophageal varix in 16 cases(41.0%), Mallory-Weiss syndrome in 2 cases(5.1%), stomach cancer in 1 case(2.6%) and duodenal ulcer in 1 case(2.6%)
The mortality rate was increased relatively in the esophageal varix.
4. There was ascites in 13 cases(33.3%).
The increased mortality rate was related to a presence of a ascites.
5. The frequencies of previous bleeding were : no previous bleeding history in 22 cases(56.4%), one previous bleeding history in 11 cases(28.2%) and two and more previous bleeding history in 6 cases(15.4%).
Increased mortility rate was related to frequency of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
6. A combined disease was found in 13 cases(33.3%).
The increased mortality rate was related to the presence of a combined disease.
7. On admission, hematemesis combined with melena was most frequently observed in 25 cases(64.1%) moderate and massive bleeding 9 cases(23.1%) and mild bleeding 30 cases(76.9%). The mortality rate increased associated with the amount of blood loss.
