Gastrointestinal bleeding in patients with acute spinal injuries.

439 acute, male, spinal injury patients were admitted over an 11-year period at the National Spinal Injuries Centre: 206 cervical, 182 dorsal, and 51 lumbar cord injuries. 27 patients had gastrointestinal bleeds; 20 bled on one occasion, 7 had more than one episode; 22 bled within 4 weeks of injury. The mean was 22.5 days. The presentation was mostly malaena. A diagnosis was made in 19 cases; 12 had duodenal ulcers, 4 gastric ulcers, 1 had gastritis, 1 had a gastric carcinoma, 1 had oesophagitis with a possible Mallory-Weiss tear; 4 died. The incidence was higher in cervical patients. Causation was thought to be due to patients being sick from severe intercurrent illnesses and injuries. Implications for further research are discussed.