Prevalence, causes, medical interventions, and mortality outcome of acute gastrointestinal bleeding among COVID-19 inpatients.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, causes, medical interventions, and mortality outcome of acute gastrointestinal bleeding (AGIB) among COVID-19 patients hospitalized during the delta pandemic in Vietnam.

METHODS

The medical records of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a tertiary hospital in Vietnam from July to October 2021 were retrospectively collected. Data regarding age, sex, comorbidities, COVID-19 severity, onset time of AGIB, therapeutic interventions for AGIB, and mortality outcome were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of 1567 COVID-19 inpatients, 56 (3.6%) had AGIB. The independent risk factors for AGIB in COVID-19 inpatients included age (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.04,  = .003), male sex (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.06-3.26,  = .03), chronic liver disease (OR = 6.21, 95% CI: 2.97-13.00,  < .001), and chronic kidney disease (OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.01-4.65,  = .047). Among 34 AGIB patients undergoing endoscopy, upper AGIB was determined in 24 (70.6%) patients. Peptic ulcer disease and hemorrhagic erosive gastritis were the most common causes (64.7%, 22/34). The therapeutic interventions for AGIB included blood transfusion (76.8%, 43/56), endoscopic hemostasis (23.5%, 8/34), and surgery (1.8%, 1/56). The mortality rate in the AGIB group was significantly higher than that in the non-AGIB group (46.4% vs. 27.7%, OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.32-3.87,  = .002). However, the majority (76.9%) of deaths in COVID-19 inpatients with AGIB were not bleeding-related.

CONCLUSIONS

Age, male sex, chronic liver disease, and chronic kidney disease are risk factors for AGIB among COVID-19 inpatients. Peptic ulcer disease is the most common cause. COVID-19 inpatients with AGIB have a higher risk of mortality, but a large percentage of deaths are not bleeding-related.