Open-access upper gastrointestinal endoscopy: visions of the future or the past?

Dyspepsia can be the presenting feature of a range of underlying conditions. However, without investigation there is no way of being certain of its cause. Open-access upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, where a patient only comes to hospital for endoscopy, is becoming a popular investigation. There is much to commend this approach, but the careful selection of patients is important.