Hospital care for low-risk patients with acute, nonvariceal upper GI hemorrhage: a comparison of neighboring community and tertiary care centers.

OBJECTIVES: The proportion of patients admitted to the hospital with acute upper GI hemorrhage (UGIH) who are at low risk for adverse outcomes may be substantial. The process of care for this low risk population likely varies across practice settings but has not been extensively studied. Use of the Rockall Risk score, a simple validated scoring index that predicts outcomes in UGIH, may help to identify these low risk patients.

METHODS: We evaluated and compared the incidence of low risk UGIH admissions, adverse outcomes, and level of healthcare resource use in a community hospital (SMH) and a neighboring tertiary care university hospital (CHS). Cases of UGIH were identified from administrative databases during 1997 and 1998. Medical record data were abstracted in a standardized manner. Cases were defined as low risk on the basis of Rockall risk scores of < or = 2.

RESULTS: The low risk study groups consisted of 49 of 187 (26%) SMH cases and 53/175 (30%) CHS cases (p = 0.40). Rebleeding was uncommon (6% at SMH; 4% at CHS) (p = 0.64). No deaths occurred; 71% at SMH versus 49% at CHS were admitted to a monitored bed (p = 0.04); and 92% at SMH versus 57% at CHS were prescribed i.v. H2 blockers for the acute bleeding event (p < 0.001). Low risk patients had a mean hospital length of stay of 3.3 + 2.4 days at SMH versus 2.6 + 2.1 days at CHS (p = 0.15).

CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the proportion of acute, low risk, nonvariceal, upper GI hemorrhage admissions to neighboring community and tertiary care medical centers was high, whereas adverse clinical outcomes in this group of patients was low. Use of healthcare resources seemed to be greater in the community hospital. This observed variation in the process of care for populations with similar disease severity and outcomes suggests an opportunity for evidence-based interventions aimed at improving the efficiency of care.