Health Dictionary Find a Doctor

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding primary prevention

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aditya Ganti M.B.B.S. [2]

Overview

Overview

Effective measures for the primary prevention of upper GI bleeding include administration of PPI in patients with an increased risk due to critical illness or use of NSAIDs or aspirin. In patients with cirrhosis and suspected portal hypertension, who found to have esophageal varices patients are given prophylactic treatment with a nonselective β-blocker or undergo endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) with surveillance endoscopy.

Primary Prevention

Primary Prevention

Effective measures for the primary prevention of upper GI bleeding include administration of PPI in patients with an increased risk due to critical illness or use of NSAIDs or aspirin. In patients with cirrhosis and suspected portal hypertension, who found to have esophageal varices patients are given prophylactic treatment with a nonselective β-blocker or undergo endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) with surveillance endoscopy.

Patients with stress ulcers

  • The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists developed clinical practice guidelines that recommend prophylaxis with a PPI or with a histamine-2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) for ICU patients at high risk for UGIB.[1][2][3]

Patients on NSAID, aspirin, or antiplatelet therapy

  • Joint gastroenterology and cardiology society practice guidelines recommend gastroprotective therapy with a PPI for patients considered to be at increased risk of bleeding from chronic NSAID and aspirin therapy.

Patients with cirrhosis and varices

References

References

  1. Brooks J, Warburton R, Beales IL (2013). “Prevention of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage: current controversies and clinical guidance”. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 4 (5): 206–22. doi:10.1177/2040622313492188. PMC 3752180. PMID 23997925.
  2. Yasuda H, Matsuo Y, Sato Y, Ozawa S, Ishigooka S, Yamashita M, Yamamoto H, Itoh F (2015). “Treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal bleeding in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy”. World J Crit Care Med. 4 (1): 40–6. doi:10.5492/wjccm.v4.i1.40. PMC 4326762. PMID 25685721.
  3. Biecker E, Heller J, Schmitz V, Lammert F, Sauerbruch T (2008). “Diagnosis and management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding”. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 105 (5): 85–94. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2008.0085. PMC 2701242. PMID 19633792.



Template:WikiDoc Sources

Looking for the patient version?

Back to the patient-friendly article

© 2026 MyEClinic – IFTM Institut für Telematik in der Medizin GmbH