Acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Experience with early panendoscopy and tranexamic acid in a rural hospital.

One hundred and fifty-nine consecutive patients admitted to a small rural hospital because of acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage were studied. Patients with haematemesis and/or melaena were treated with antacids and tranexamic acid from the very beginning and were examined by means of early panendoscopy. All patients were closely observed on a general medical ward by a staff especially trained to deal with acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Eight patients required acute surgery. The overall mortality rate was 4.4%. It is concluded that acute gastrointestinal haemorrhage can be successfully handled with modern diagnosis and treatment even in a small hospital.