these episodes 16 were serious. Hazard et al (1967) reported ten cases of intracranial haemorrhage during a two and a half year pertiod. iSeventy-six haemorrhagic episodes were reported duning the treatment of 507 patients during a five year period (Serradiim'igni, 1969) while Straub (1970) recorded 13 deaths from haemorrhage in 70 patients treated with anticoagulant therapy. Bleeding was detec...

BACKGROUND Upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage is mainly caused by ulcers. Gastric varicosis due to portal hypertension can also be held responsible for upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Portal hypertension causes the development of a collateral circulation from the portal to the caval venous system resulting in development of oesophageal and gastric fundus varices. Those may also be held respons...

Small bowel diverticulosis is an uncommon and often asymptomatic condition that is sporadically observed during radiographic examination or laparotomy. Although it is frequently seen in duodenum, jejunal and ileal locations are very rare. The majority of patients with jejunal diverticula have no symptoms. However, they can present with a number of acute and emergent complications with a high ra...

BACKGROUND Few studies have compared vasoactive drugs with endoscopic sclerotherapy in the control of acute variceal haemorrhage. Octreotide is widely used for this purpose, but its value remains undetermined. AIMS To compare octreotide with endoscopic sclerotherapy for acute variceal haemorrhage. PATIENTS Consecutive patients with acute variceal haemorrhage. METHODS Patients were randomi...

Variceal haemorrhage in cirrhotic patients carries a high early mortality even when balloon tamponade or emergency sclerotherapy are applied. The aim of this study to identify patients dying within six weeks of their first variceal haemorrhage. One hundred and twenty one patients with parenchymal cirrhosis presenting with the first variceal bleeding episode between June 1983 and December 1988 w...

AIMS The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in relation to ischaemic stroke, intracranial haemorrhage, major bleeding, and all-cause death in heart failure patients without atrial fibrillation. METHODS AND RESULTS In this observational cohort study, heart failure patients without atrial fibrillation were identified using Danish nationwide regi...

Background—Few studies have compared vasoactive drugs with endoscopic sclerotherapy in the control of acute variceal haemorrhage. Octreotide is widely used for this purpose, but its value remains undetermined. Aims—To compare octreotide with endoscopic sclerotherapy for acute variceal haemorrhage. Patients—Consecutive patients with acute variceal haemorrhage. Methods—Patients were randomised at...

Patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) frequently bleed under a challenge. The aim of our study was to identify predictive markers of perioperative major haemorrhage in type 1 (VWF:RCo = 15-30 IU dl(-1)) and possible type 1 (VWF:RCo = 31-49 IU dl(-1)) VWD patients. We recorded perioperative bleeding complications previous to diagnosis and laboratory parameters in 311 patients with 498 surgi...

BACKGROUND Coagulopathy is a major contributing factor to bleeding related mortality even after achieving adequate surgical control of the haemorrhage in trauma and surgical patients. CASE PRESENTATION A 65 years old Greek man was admitted in our ICU with critical haemorrhage following renal biopsy. Despite surgical exploration the patient continued to bleed resulting in a vicious cycle of tr...

The clinical data of 180 episodes of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in 168 patients with cirrhosis of the liver are examined. The source of bleeding had been determined by early endoscopy in all cases. In men under the age of 50 years, and without symptoms of liver failure, bleeding was due to ruptured gastro-oesophageal varices in 84% of cases. Severe liver failure was associated with acute l...