Capsule endoscopy in acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: Goodbye to nasogastric tube aspiration?

摘要

We read with interest the article by Gral-nek et al. [1] evaluating the role of video capsule endoscopy (VCE) in patients who present at the emergency department with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), and we would like to make a few comments. Firstly, Gralnek et al. [1] found that fresh or coffee-ground blood in the upper gastrointestinal tract was identified significantly more often by VCE than by naso-gastric tube (NGT) aspiration (83% vs. 33%) and that patient satisfaction was significantly higher with VCE. The initial evaluation of a patient with acute UGIB in the emergency department is now well summarized in international consensus statements and guidelines [2].