AIM: To evaluate adherence of primary care physicians(PCPs) to international guidelines when referring patients for upper-gastrointestinal endoscopy(UGE), evaluate the importance of alarm symptoms and the performance ...AIM: To evaluate adherence of primary care physicians(PCPs) to international guidelines when referring patients for upper-gastrointestinal endoscopy(UGE), evaluate the importance of alarm symptoms and the performance of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy(ASGE) guidelines in a Saudi population.METHODS: A prospective, observational cross-sectional study on dyspeptic patients undergoing UGE who were referred by PCPs over a 4 mo period. Refer-rals were classified as appropriate or inappropriate according to adherence to ASGE guidelines.RESULTS: Total of 221 dyspeptic patients was enrolled; 161 patients met our inclusion criteria. Mean age was 40.3 years(SD ± 18.1). Females comprised 70.1%. Alarm symptoms included low hemoglobin level(39%), weight loss(18%), vomiting(16%), loss of appetite(16%), difficulty swallowing(3%), and gastrointestinal bleeding(3%). Abnormal endoscopy findings included gastritis(52%), duodenitis(10%), hiatus hernia(7.8%), features suggestive of celiac disease(6.5%), ulcers(3.9%), malignancy(2.6%) and gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD: 17%). Among patients who underwent UGE, 63% met ASGE guidelines, and 50% had abnormal endoscopic findings. Endoscopy was not indicated in remaining 37% of patients. Among the latter group, endoscopy was normal in 54% of patients. There was no difference in proportion of abnormal endoscopic findings between two groups(P = 0.639).CONCLUSION: Dyspeptic patients had a low prevalence of important endoscopic lesions, and none of the alarm symptoms could significantly predict abnormalendoscopic findings.展开更多
基金Supported by The Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for funding this Research group number RGP-VPP-279
文摘AIM: To evaluate adherence of primary care physicians(PCPs) to international guidelines when referring patients for upper-gastrointestinal endoscopy(UGE), evaluate the importance of alarm symptoms and the performance of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy(ASGE) guidelines in a Saudi population.METHODS: A prospective, observational cross-sectional study on dyspeptic patients undergoing UGE who were referred by PCPs over a 4 mo period. Refer-rals were classified as appropriate or inappropriate according to adherence to ASGE guidelines.RESULTS: Total of 221 dyspeptic patients was enrolled; 161 patients met our inclusion criteria. Mean age was 40.3 years(SD ± 18.1). Females comprised 70.1%. Alarm symptoms included low hemoglobin level(39%), weight loss(18%), vomiting(16%), loss of appetite(16%), difficulty swallowing(3%), and gastrointestinal bleeding(3%). Abnormal endoscopy findings included gastritis(52%), duodenitis(10%), hiatus hernia(7.8%), features suggestive of celiac disease(6.5%), ulcers(3.9%), malignancy(2.6%) and gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD: 17%). Among patients who underwent UGE, 63% met ASGE guidelines, and 50% had abnormal endoscopic findings. Endoscopy was not indicated in remaining 37% of patients. Among the latter group, endoscopy was normal in 54% of patients. There was no difference in proportion of abnormal endoscopic findings between two groups(P = 0.639).CONCLUSION: Dyspeptic patients had a low prevalence of important endoscopic lesions, and none of the alarm symptoms could significantly predict abnormalendoscopic findings.
