CHARACTERIZATIONOFUPPERGASTROINTESTINALBLEEDING INPATIENTS ADMITTEDTOTHEBENGUELAGENERALHOSPITAL
Keywords:
upper gastrointestinal bleeding; gastroduodenal ulcer; esophageal varices; melena; Benguela General Hospital.Abstract
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a common medical emergency with significant morbidity
and mortality, especially in low-resource settings. In Angola, data on the clinical
epidemiological profile of upper gastrointestinal bleeding patients are scarce. Objective: To
characterize the sociodemographic, clinical, etiological, and outcome profiles of upper
gastrointestinal bleeding patients admitted to Benguela General Hospital. Materials and
methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective observational study based on 66 medical records
(January/2015 to September/2017). Demographic, clinical, therapeutic, and outcome variables
were analyzed. Results: Most patients were male (62.1%), aged 40-60 years (51.5%), and from
urban areas (68.2%). Gastroduodenal ulcer was the leading cause (54.5%), followed by
esophageal varices (25.8%). Isolated melena occurred in 65.1%. Comorbidities were present in
54.5% (liver disease: 27.3%). Overall mortality was 12.1%, rising to 47.1% among the 17
patients who underwent emergency surgery. Mean time from admission to surgery was 8.2
hours in non-survivors versus 5.1 hours in survivors. Endoscopy was performed in only 28.8%.
Conclusions: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding at Benguela General Hospital predominantly
affects middle-aged men, with peptic ulcer as the main etiology. The high postoperative
mortality highlights the need for improved risk stratification, access to endoscopic therapy, and
reduced time-to-surgery
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