Description:
<jats:p>The aim of this study was to conduct a national survey to evaluate the recent endoscopic treatment and drug therapy of peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB) patients and to compare practices in high and low case volume Hungarian workplaces. A total of 62 gastroenterology units participated in the six-month study. A total of 3033 PUB cases and a mean of<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M1"><mml:mn>8.15</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn>3.9</mml:mn></mml:math>PUB cases per month per unit were reported. In the 23 high case volume units (HCV), there was a mean of<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M2"><mml:mn>12.9</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn>5.4</mml:mn></mml:math>PUB cases/month, whereas in the 39 low case volume units (LCV), a mean of<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M3"><mml:mn>5.3</mml:mn><mml:mo>±</mml:mo><mml:mn>2.9</mml:mn></mml:math>PUB cases/month were treated during the study period. In HCV units, endoscopic therapies for Forrest Ia, Ib, and IIa ulcers were significantly more often used than in LCV units (86% versus 68%;<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M4"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>P</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.001</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math>). Among patients with stigmata of recent haemorrhage (Forrest I, II), bolus + continuous infusion PPI was given significantly more frequently in HCV than in LCV units (49.6% versus 33.2%;<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M5"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>P</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.001</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math>). Mortality in HCV units was less than in LCV units (2.7% versus 4.3%;<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" id="M6"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>P</mml:mi><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.023</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math>). The penetration of evidence-based recommendations for PUB management is stronger in HCV units resulting lower mortality.</jats:p>