| [ Summary ] |
In cases of massive gastrointestinal hemorrhage, the site of bleeding must be determined immediately. In our series, emergency colonoscopy, which is performed within two days after the onset of massive intestinal bleeding, was performed in 152 cases ; 61 of ischemic colitis, 37 of antibiotic-induced colitis, 25 of colorectal cancer and/or polyp, 21 of diverticulitis, and 8 with other disorders. Massive hemorrhage and incomplete preparation disturbed colonoscopic observation . Therefore, emergency colonoscopy had to be limited to determining the bleeding site and to asessing the presence of ongoing bleeding . In some cases, endoscopic hemostasis was remarkably effective. |