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Origin, Clinical Characteristics and 30-Day Outcomes of Severe Hematochezia in Cirrhotics and Non-cirrhotics

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Abstract

Background

The sites of origin, causes and outcomes of severe hematochezia have not been compared between cirrhotics and non-cirrhotics. In cirrhotics versus non-cirrhotics presenting with severe hematochezia, we aimed at (1) identifying the site and etiology of gastro-intestinal bleeding and independent predictors of bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract versus small bowel or the colon, (2) comparing 30-day clinical outcomes, and (3) proposing an algorithm for management of severe hematochezia.

Methods

In this cohort study from two university-based medical centers, 860 consecutive patients with severe hematochezia admitted from 1995 to 2011 were prospectively enrolled with 160 (18.6 %) cirrhotics. We studied (a) general clinical and laboratory characteristics of cirrhotics versus non-cirrhotics, (b) predictors of bleeding sites in each patient group by multiple variable regression analysis, and compared (c) 30-day outcomes, including rebleeding, surgery and deaths.

Results

Cirrhosis independently predicted an upper gastrointestinal source of bleeding (OR 3.47; 95 % CI 2.01–5.96) as well as history of hematemesis, melena in the past 30 days, positive nasogastric aspirate, prior upper gastrointestinal bleeding or use of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. The most prevalent diagnoses were esophageal varices (20 %) in cirrhotics and colon diverticular bleeding (27.1 %) in non-cirrhotics. Thirty-day rates of rebleeding, surgical interventions and deaths were 23.1 versus 15 % (P = 0.01), 14.4 versus 6.4 % (P < 0.001), and 17.5 versus 4.1 % (P < 0.001), in cirrhotics versus non-cirrhotics, respectively.

Conclusions

Cirrhosis predicted an upper gastrointestinal site of bleeding in patients presenting with severe hematochezia. The 30-day rates of rebleeding, surgery, and death were significantly higher in cirrhotics than in non-cirrhotics.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Jeff Gornbein DPH and Daniela Markovic, Ph.D. for their contributions to the statistical analyses, Mary Ellen Jensen, MLS and Nan Sun, M.S., for the management of the data, and Martha Carrico, RN as a research coordinator. This study was funded, in part, by a NIH41301 CURE Digestive Diseases Research Center Grant—Human Studies CORE, and a Veterans Affairs Clinical Merit Review Grant (Dennis M. Jensen, M.D., Principal Investigator). Marine Camus, M.D., received a grant from the Philippe Foundation in support of a research exchange program between France and the United States of America.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Marine Camus, Dennis M. Jensen, Gordon V. Ohning, Thomas O. Kovacs, Rome Jutabha, Kevin A. Ghassemi, Gustavo A. Machicado & Gareth S. Dulai

  2. CURE Hemostasis Research Group, CURE Digestive Diseases Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Marine Camus, Dennis M. Jensen, Gordon V. Ohning, Thomas O. Kovacs, Rome Jutabha, Kevin A. Ghassemi, Gustavo A. Machicado & Gareth S. Dulai

  3. Department of Gastroenterology, Cochin Hospital, APHP, University Paris 5, 27 rue du Faubourg St. Jacques, 75014, Paris, France

    Marine Camus

  4. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Vandana Khungar

  5. Gastroenterology Section at VA GLAHC, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Dennis M. Jensen, Gordon V. Ohning, Thomas O. Kovacs, Gustavo A. Machicado & Gareth S. Dulai

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  1. Marine Camus
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  2. Vandana Khungar
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  3. Dennis M. Jensen
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  4. Gordon V. Ohning
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  5. Thomas O. Kovacs
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  6. Rome Jutabha
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  7. Kevin A. Ghassemi
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  8. Gustavo A. Machicado
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  9. Gareth S. Dulai
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Correspondence to Marine Camus.

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Camus, M., Khungar, V., Jensen, D.M. et al. Origin, Clinical Characteristics and 30-Day Outcomes of Severe Hematochezia in Cirrhotics and Non-cirrhotics. Dig Dis Sci 61, 2732–2740 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-016-4198-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-016-4198-y

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