Gastrointestinal Disease and Dysfunction Chapter 152 ■ Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a common indication for admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) in the United States, with over 300,000 admissions per year (1). Most (75%) of these arise from the upper GI tract. Despite advances in critical care medicine, the mortality associated with upper GI bleeding has not changed and remains about 10%, likely due to aging of the population and increasing comorbidities (2,3). In this chapter, we will summarize the causes of upper GI bleeding, review the principles of a diagnostic approach, and outline the therapeutic modalities available for management of these patients. Last, we will provide an overview of stress-related mucosal damage.