AUGIB continues to result in substantial mortality although it appears to be lower than in 1993. Mortality is particularly high among inpatients and those bleeding from varices or upper gastrointestinal malignancy. Surgical or radiological interventions are little used currently.

NHS Blood and Transplant Research and Development.

Objectives To examine the use of endoscopy in the UK for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) and compare with published standards. To assess the organisation of endoscopy services for AUGIB in the UK. To examine the relationship between outcomes and out of hours (OOH) service provision. Design Multi-centre cross sectional clinical audit. Setting All UK hospitals accepting admissions with AUGIB. Patients All adults ($16 yrs) presenting with AUGIB between 1st May and 30th June 2007. Data Collection A custom designed web-based reporting tool was used to collect data on patient characteristics, comorbidity and haemodynamic status at presentation to calculate the Rockall score, use and timing of endoscopy, treatment including endoscopic, rebleeding and in-hospital mortality. A mailed questionnaire was used to collect data on facilities and service organisation. Results Data on 6750 patients (median age 68 years) were analysed from 208 hospitals. 74% underwent inpatient endoscopy; of these 50% took place within 24 h of presentation, 82% during normal working hours and 3% between midnight and 8 am. Of patients deemed highrisk (pre-endoscopy Rockall score $5) only 55% were endoscoped within 24 h and 14% waited $72 h for endoscopy. Lesions with a high risk of rebleeding were present in 28% of patients of whom 74% received endoscopic therapy. Further bleeding was evident in 13% and mortality in those endoscoped was 7.4% (95% CI 6.7% to 8.1%). In 52% of hospitals a consultant led out of hours (OOH) endoscopy rota existed; in these hospitals 20% of first endoscopies were performed OOH compared with 13% in those with no OOH rota and endoscopic therapy was more likely to be administered (25% vs 21% in hospitals with no OOH rota). The risk adjusted mortality ratio was higher (1.21, p¼0.10, (95%CI 0.96 to 1.51)) in hospitals without such rotas. Conclusions This audit has found continuing delays in performing endoscopy after AUGIB and underutilisation of standard endoscopic therapy particularly for variceal bleeding. In hospitals with a formal OOH endoscopy rota patients received earlier endoscopy, were more likely to receive endoscopic therapy and may have a lower mortality.Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) is a common medical emergency and is associated with a significant mortality. Its incidence has been estimated to range from approximately 50e150 cases per 100 000 population and it accounts for over 4000 deaths a year in the UK.1e7 Timely endoscopy plays a central role in the modern management of AUGIB with the value of endoscopic therapy for bleeding from peptic ulcers and oesophageal varices being well established. The British Society of Gastroenterology and the National Blood Service together sponsored a prospective audit of the management of patients presenting with AUGIB to UK hospitals during a 2-month period in the summer of 2007. A previous audit carried out in 1993, also sponsored by the BSG and involving only four regions of England had found delays in undertaking endoscopy and underu...

In this large prospective study of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the United Kingdom, there was no increase in mortality for weekend vs. weekday presentation despite patients being more critically ill and having greater delays to endoscopy at weekends. Provision of an OOH endoscopy service at weekends in the remaining UK hospitals may not lead to further reductions in case fatality, although a reduction in OOH endoscopy provision from current levels could lead to an increase in mortality at weekends.

Forty-three patients with irresectable advanced pancreatic cancer were randomized to receive chemotherapy using a combination of 5-fluorouracil, Adriamycin and mitomycin or no chemotherapy. Groups were well matched with regard to age, extent of disease and performance status on entry. Chemotherapy was well tolerated and, although common, side-effects were usually mild. Psychological measurements based on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression score were made in 31 patients. These showed significantly less depression but not anxiety in the treated group immediately after randomization and following 2 months of chemotherapy. Median survival in the treated group was 33 (range 9-80) weeks compared with 15 (range 1-62) weeks in the untreated group (P < 0.002). Chemotherapy should be considered in all patients presenting with advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer.