The Most Common Causes of Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a serious medical condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Understanding the underlying causes is crucial for effective management and prevention of complications.

Primary Gastrointestinal Causes

One of the main categories of causes involves diseases directly affecting the gastrointestinal tract. These include conditions such as esophageal ulcers, esophageal cancer, gastric ulcers, stomach cancer, duodenal ulcers, and pancreatic disorders like pancreatitis and pancreatic head tumors. Each of these conditions can damage the lining of the digestive tract, leading to potentially severe bleeding.

Varices Due to Liver Cirrhosis

A particularly dangerous cause of upper GI bleeding is gastric varices resulting from liver cirrhosis. When the liver is severely damaged, blood flow through the organ becomes restricted, leading to increased pressure in the veins around the stomach. This pressure can cause the veins to swell and eventually rupture, resulting in life-threatening hemorrhage.

Stress-Related Ulceration

The second major category of causes is stress-induced ulcers, which are not directly related to the digestive system itself but are triggered by severe systemic illnesses. Common precipitating factors include acute cerebral infarction, intracranial hemorrhage, acute myocardial infarction, and multiple organ failure. These conditions place extreme physiological stress on the body, which can lead to ulcer formation and subsequent bleeding in the stomach or upper intestine.

Most Frequently Encountered Conditions

Among all these causes, gastric ulcers are the most commonly observed source of bleeding in clinical settings. However, when it comes to severity and risk of mortality, variceal bleeding due to cirrhosis remains the most critical condition requiring immediate medical attention.