Abstract
Lower gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency that usually has a favorable prognosis. However, these events generate high resource use. The procedure of choice is colonoscopy with prior colonic preparation due to its high diagnostic performance and safety and the possibility of endoscopic therapy. Emergency colonoscopy has advantages over elective colonoscopy, showing higher diagnostic yield and superior detection of stigmata of recent bleeding, increasing the probability of endoscopic treatment. Predictive models of bleeding severity and recurrence have been published, allowing resource use to be rationalized, mainly by reducing hospital stay in low-risk patients. Nevertheless, the optimal timing of emergency colonoscopy has not been established and the impact of endoscopic treatment on prognosis is controversial.
2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.
MeSH terms
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Cathartics
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Clinical Trials as Topic
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Colonic Diseases / complications
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Colonic Diseases / diagnosis
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Colonic Diseases / surgery
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Colonoscopy* / adverse effects
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Colonoscopy* / methods
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Early Diagnosis
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Electrocoagulation
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Epinephrine / administration & dosage
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Epinephrine / therapeutic use
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Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / diagnosis*
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Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / drug therapy
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Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / epidemiology
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Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / etiology
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Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / surgery
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Health Resources / economics
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Health Resources / statistics & numerical data
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Hemostasis, Surgical
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Humans
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Injections, Intralesional
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Length of Stay
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Models, Biological
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Prognosis
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Recurrence
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Sclerosing Solutions / administration & dosage
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Sclerosing Solutions / therapeutic use
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Sclerotherapy
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Shock / etiology
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Shock / prevention & control
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Surgical Instruments
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Vasoconstrictor Agents / administration & dosage
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Vasoconstrictor Agents / therapeutic use
Substances
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Cathartics
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Sclerosing Solutions
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Vasoconstrictor Agents
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Epinephrine