IMPROVED ENDOSCOPIC MANAGEMENT OF SEVERE UPPER GASTROINTESTINAL HEMORRHAGE USING A NEW WIDE-CHANNEL ENDOSCOPE

Problems in emergency endoscopy for upper gastrointestinal bleeding ma y arise due to blood and food debris preventing proper endoscopic visi on and orientation. We present here a new big channel endoscope with a 6 mm suction and drainage channel that achieved complete evacuation o f stomach contents in 122 of 123 patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding, in whom complete gastric cleaning and identification of the bleeding source had proved impossible using standard endoscopes. Gastr ic emptying using the big-channel endoscope was possible within five m inutes in all successful cases, Optimal conditions for therapeutic pro cedures were therefore provided. The size of the instrumentation chann el may open up new indications also for non-emergency endoscopic diagn osis and treatment.