OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical characteristics of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) associated gastroduodenal ulcer bleeding.METHODS: Patients who were hospitalized in our ward because of gastroduodenal bleeding from Jan, 1997 to Dec, 2001 were divided into two groups according to consumption of NSAIDs or not in the week previous to the onset of bleeding.RESULTS: 446 patients were investigated with 86 in NSAIDs group and 360 in non-NSAIDs group. There was no significant difference in sex, way of bleeding, history of peptic ulcer, bleeding site in stomach or duodenum, presence of erosion and the need of endoscopic injection therapy or not between the two groups. However, the patients in NSAIDs group were older than those in non-NSAIDs group. Hemoglobin level was lower in NSAIDs group (P = 0.004). There was more gastric ulcer and complex ulcer in the NSAIDs group than in non-NSAIDs group (P < 0.001). NSAIDs users had more ulcers (P < 0.001). Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was present in 72.5% of the non-NSAIDs group and 53.4% of the NSAIDs group (P = 0.001). In an another study, we found that age of the patients or Hp state didn't affect the clinical characteristics of NSAIDs ulcer bleeding.CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics of NSAIDs associated gastroduodenal bleeding should be better understood so as to decrease the occurrence of NSAIDs ulcer and its complication.
Adolescent Adult