The First Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding (AUGIB) Audit in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) of China

Summary

Investigators aim to conduct a large-scale, prospective cohort study in the Greater Bay Area of South China. Investigators aim to identify consecutive patients with AUGIB in the area over a 2-month period in the second quarter of 2025.

This study covers the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as well as the western, eastern, and northern regions of Guangdong Province. It comprises of 2 Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao and 21 municipalities in Guangdong Province (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Zhaoqing, Huizhou, Shantou, Chaozhou, Jieyang, Shanwei, Zhanjiang, Maoming, Yangjiang, Yunfu, Shaoguan, Qingyuan, Meizhou, Heyuan). The total population of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao area is estimated to be 135.24 million. Investigators aim to understand the current epidemiology of AUGIB in South China by collecting patient characteristics, the care model and management strategies including the use of endoscopy, interventional radiology and surgery, and the associated mortality.

The goal is to identify areas for improving patients' outcomes and to reduce mortality. The audit also provides a reference standard for future audits and a comparison to a minimal international standard.

Acute Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (AUGIB) remains a common medical emergency. Although the annual incidence of AUGIB has decreased from approximately 100 per 100,000 adults in the 1990s to 61-78 per 100,000 persons in 2009-2012, the 30-day mortality rate remains as high as 11%. The overall etiology and epidemiology of acute UGIB have undergone significant changes. The widespread eradication of H. pylori, the use of safer non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have reduced the incidence of bleeding peptic ulcers. The increasing prevalence of alcohol-related liver disease, common usage of anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy, and an aging population (with associated co-morbidities) often worsen the prognosis. Overall, in the management of patients with AUGIB, the diagnostic and treatment methods such as endoscopic hemostasis have improved. This together with better access to both high-dependency care and interventional radiology can all contribute to better patient outcome in acute UGIB.

Epidemiologic studies in acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage from Asia mostly come from hospital-based studies with limited number of cases. These studies are largely retrospective in their nature. In China, there is a lack of population-based studies on AUGIB. There are also uncertainties in how these patients are managed especially over adoption of risk stratification tools, timely provision of care, the use of endoscopic hemostatic treatment, the use of drugs and red cell transfusion, and interventional radiology.

To understand the current epidemiology of AUGIB in the GBA, investigators aim to conduct a large-scale, prospective cohort study in the Greater Bay Area of South China. In this audit, Investigators identify patients with AUGIB admitted to participating hospitals and collect their demographic data, clinical presentation, management and outcomes The goal is to identify areas of opportunities in reducing mortality and improving patient outcomes.

This is a population based, unselected multicentre, prospective survey. Consecutive patients who present with signs of AUGIB, aged \>18, admitted to the participating hospitals from August 1, 2024, to September 30, 2024, are identified. These patients include those admitted through the emergency department, and clinics, and patients who develop bleeding while being hospitalized for other reasons.

Conditions

• AUGIB
• Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Chinese University of Hong Kong

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Side Liu, PhD · Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-11-20

Primary Completion

2025-01-19

Completion

2025-02-19

Countries

• China
• Hong Kong

Study Locations