UGIB means bleeding that starts between the mouth and the stomach. Some bleeding is so small that it is not noticed. Other times there is be so much bleeding it can lead to death.
What can cause a UGIB?
- Drinking too much alcohol
- Bacteria in the stomach
- Severe liver disease like cirrhosis
- Blood that is too thin
- Taking pain medicines like Motrin® or aspirin
Where does the blood come from?
- Bleeding from the esophagus (swallowing tube)
- Stomach ulcer (also called gastric ulcer (GU) or duodenal ulcer (DU))
- Tear in the esophagus from vomiting too much
- Stomach cancer
What are common symptoms?
- Vomiting blood
- Burning in the throat
- Vomit that looks like dark coffee grounds
- Not being able to eat
- Stomach pain
- Black or very dark bowel movements
- Chest pain
- Feeling tired
What is the treatment?
- Passing a tube in the nose or mouth wash out the stomach
- Salt or sugar water in the veins and blood transfusions
- Transfusions that help blood become stickier
- Medicines:
- Antibiotics to treat or prevent infection
- To keep the stomach from making to much acid
- To help stop the bleeding
- Sedation medicines. Sometimes patients need a breathing tube when these are given.
- Using a very small camera on a long tube to look into the stomach and find where the bleeding started (called EGD)
- When the camera finds bleeding sometimes doctors will need to use a burning tool or a sticky fluid through the tube to stop the bleeding
- Surgeries may be needed
- Sometimes the bleeding cannot be stopped. This can lead to death.
What should I expect?
- You will have blood tests up to 6 times per day or more often
- Bleeding will usually stop with treatment but can start again without warning
- You will be in the hospital up to 5 days if there is no more bleeding
- You may need additional treatments that you can discuss with the ICU doctors and nurses
- If you drink alcohol regularly you may need treatments for alcohol withdraws (“DTs”)
- If you have serious liver disease like cirrhosis you may need treatments for complications like confusion