| Theme |
Indications and Standards of Practice for Emergency Endoscopy |
| Title |
Urgent Colonoscopy for Patients with Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding |
| Author |
Tomonori Aoki |
Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| Author |
Atsuo Yamada |
Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| Author |
Mitsuhiro Fujishiro |
Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo / Department of Endoscopy and Endoscopic Surgery, The University of Tokyo |
| Author |
Kazuhiko Koike |
Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| [ Summary ] |
An urgent colonoscopy is a safe and well-tolerated procedure used for the management of patients with acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. It may improve the detection rates of the source of bleeding and contribute to endoscopic intervention, compared with elective colonoscopy. The utility of an urgent colonoscopy could be enhanced if the indications for the procedure are determined based on the initial clinical information and by selecting appropriate devices and preparation methods to detect the source of bleeding. However, it should be noted that there is no clear evidence to prove that an urgent colonoscopy reduces important clinical outcomes such as rebleeding or mortality. |