Outcome and benefits of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in the elderly.

Presenting symptoms, physical findings and treatment were reviewed in 70 patients over 65 years old who underwent oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, during an 18-month period. Most frequent indications for the procedure were epigastric pain, retrosternal pain or haematemesis. Physical signs were present in only 54%. Abnormal endoscopic findings were detected in 97%. The majority of patients responded to subsequent treatment. It was not possible to identify clinical features associated with major gastrointestinal pathology, which aided selection of those subgroups of elderly patients who would most benefit from endoscopy.