Fewer Hospitalizations for Upper G.I. Bleeding

According to a report published in the latest News and Numbers from the Agnecy for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), improved treatments for some conditions such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), peptic ulcers, and arthritis helped reduce hospital admission rates for upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding by 14 percent in the years from 1998 to 2006.

AHRQ reported:

• Hospitalization for upper G.I. bleeding dropped from 96 cases per 100,000 people in 1998 (259,299 total cases) to 82 cases per 100,000 people in 2006 (246,297 total cases). Listed as potential reasons for the decline were:
  • Increased use of medications that reduce gastric acid, such as proton pump inhibitors
  • Antibiotic treatment of gastric ulcers caused by the H pylori bacteria
  • Increased use of the newer COX-2 inhibitor medicines for arthritis or other pain

• In 2006, hospitalizations for upper G.I. bleeding covered a wide age range:
  • 47 percent of admissions for patients 65 to 84
  • 25 percent for patients 45 to 64
  • 18 percent for patients older than 85
  • 10 percent for patients under 45.
  • The number of hospital patients who died from upper G.I. bleeding fell from 20,013 in 1998 to 16,344 in 2006

This AHRQ News and Numbers is based on Hospitalizations for Gastrointestinal Bleeding in 1998 and 2006.