Predictors of Mortality in Geriatric Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Because people in the twenty-first century are living longer worldwide, health problems that affect older population have been increasing (1). Additionally, the widespread usage of certain medications like anticoagulants and non-steroidal drugs (NSAIDs) has steeply increased the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding among the older peoples (2,3). Acute upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding in geriatric patients that occurs most frequently over 60 years of age is a life-threatening emergency that requires rapid evaluation and appropriate management (4-8). Although the use of endoscopic homeostasis and advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities have improved clinical outcomes, GI bleeding remains an important clinical problem for geriatric patients because of their longer hospital stays and higher mortality and morbidity rates compared to those of younger patients (2,9). For patients suffering from GI bleeding, the mortality rate corresponds with increased age. Patients older than 70 years of age have a 20-30 times greater incidence of GI bleeding than patients younger than 30 years (9,10). Moreover, mortality rates are 12-25% for patients older than 60 years and below 10% for patients younger than 60 years (11). This increases the importance of UGI bleeding in the geriatric population.