[Aspiration-induced lung complications following emergency endoscopy in upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage: incidence and localization by thoracic radiography].

PURPOSE

Determination of incidence and mortality of pulmonary pathologies arising after gastroscopy for acute bleeding, of left to right ratio of pulmonary findings in postgastroscopic chest films, and determination of a possible relationship between bleeding activity and frequency of aspiration.

METHODS

174 patients with emergency gastroscopies for upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage with pre-/postendoscopy chest films, retrospective analysis. Of the pulmonary findings, infiltrates and atelectases were considered.

RESULTS

After emergency gastroscopy, 16% of patients had infiltrates or atelectases at chest radiography. Mortality within 30 days in the study group was 18%, and 39% among the subgroup with radiologically proven pulmonary complications. The distribution of chest findings between left and right side was 1:1,3. In the subgroup with gastroscopic signs of bleeding the share of postgastroscopic pulmonary findings was slightly superior to that of patients without direct signs of bleeding; however, the difference was statistically not significant.

CONCLUSION

Endoscopy-related aspirations do not seem to account for an increased rate of pulmonary complications after emergency gastroscopy.