ASPIRATION-INDUCED LUNG COMPLICATIONS FOL LOWING EMERGENCY ENDOSCOPY IN CASE OF HEMORRHAGE IN THE UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL-TRACT - INCIDENCE,AND LOCALIZATION IN THE THORACIC X-RAY

Purpose: Determination of incidence and mortality of pulmonary patholo gies arising after gastroscopy for acute bleeding, of left to right ra tio of pulmonary findings in postgastroscopic chest films, and determi nation of a possible relationship between bleeding activity and freque ncy of aspiration. Methods: 174 patients with emergency gastroscopies for upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage with pre-/postendoscopy chest f ilms, retrospective analysis. Of the pulmonary findings, infiltrates a nd atelectases were considered. Results: After emergency gastroscopy, 16% of patients had infiltrates or atelectases at chest radiography. M ortality within 30 days in the study group was 18%, and 39% among the subgroup with radiologically proven pulmonary complications. The distr ibution of chest findings between left and right side was 1:1,3. In th e subgroup with gastroscopic signs of bleeding the share of postgastro scopic pulmonary findings was slightly superior to that of patients wi thout direct signs of bleeding; however, the difference was statistica lly not significant. Conclusion: Endoscopy-related aspirations do not seem to account for an increased rate of pulmonary complications after emergency gastroscopy.