Introduction: Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) disorders are frequent in uremic patients and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) is an important investigation for their management.
Subjects and methods: From January 1, 1997 to December 31, 1998, 57 endoscopies were performed in 96 hemodialysis patients (aged 65+/-12 years, 68 M, 28 F, dialysis duration 51+/-58 months) chronically treated in our unit in that period. The reasons for prescribing OGD were: anemia, after exclusion of poor response to EPO, in 26 patients (mean decrease in hemoglobin (Hb) levels 2.6+/-1.3 g/dl: the reference Hb level was the mean value measured before Hb decrease), dyspepsia in 11 and in preparation for renal transplantation in 20 patients. Twelve patients were diabetics, 24 smokers, 41 alcohol drinkers, 13 had hepatitis B or C, 6 were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) abusers for bone pain and 21 were taking H2 receptor antagonists or proton-pump inhibitors chronically. Multiple biopsies of gastric mucosa were performed in 38 patients.
Results: Endoscopy revealed normal mucosa in 17.5% of cases, whilst chronic gastritis was diagnosed in 30%. Chronic gastritis was also the commonest microscopic abnormality diagnosed in 71.5% of biopsies. Anemic and non-anemic patients were matched and the 2 groups did not show significant differences in endoscopic findings and histological appearance. Thirteen patients had Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection demonstrated by biopsy specimen examination and were treated by metronidazole, clarithromycin and omeprazole. A logistic regression analysis was carried out in all subjects, considering the decrement in Hb as a dependent variable and demographic and clinical characteristics as independent variables. The analysis demonstrates that age (odds ratio 1.05; p < 0.05), NSAIDs abuse (odds ratio 15.6; p < 0.05) and HP infection (odds ratio 16.7; p < 0.01) were independently related to Hb decrease.
Conclusions: In our experience, non-EPO-related anemia and dyspepsia are frequent features in hemodialysis patients. OGD is frequently requested (30% of patients/year) and 83% of patients investigated had abnormal UGI mucosa. Underlying mucosal inflammation might promote UGI bleeding but is not likely to be the cause, making it a necessary superimposed factor such as NSAIDs or HP infection.