Clinical manifistation

In patients with peptic ulcer disease bleeding starts mainly at night. Vomiting can be the first sign, mostly, with gastric localization of ulcers. Vomiting, as a rule, is “coffee-ground” in appearance. Sometimes it is with fresh blood or blood clots.

The black stool is the permanent symptom of ulcer bleeding, with an unpleasant smell (“melena”) that can take place few times in day.

Bloody vomiting and “melena” is accompanied by worsening of the general condition of patient. An acute weakness, dizziness, noise in a head and darkening in eyes, sometimes – loss of consciousness. A collapse with the signs of haemorrhagic shock can also develop.

In patients with ulcer bleeding there are typical changes of homodynamic indexes: the pulse is rapid, weak filling and tension, arterial pressure is mostly reduced. These indexes need to be observed in the dynamics, as they can change during the short interval of time.

There is pallor of skin and visible mucosas at an examination. The stomach sometimes is moderately enlarged, but more frequently it is pulled in, soft on palpation. In upper part it is possible to notice hyperpigmented spots – as a result of prolonged application of hot-water bottle. Pain on deep palpation in the region of right hypochondrium (duodenal ulcer) or in a epigastric region (gastric ulcer) is often observed in penetrated ulcers. Mendel’s sign – pain on percussion in the projection of piloroduodenal region – may be indicated.

In the examination of patients with the gastrointestinal bleeding digital examination of rectum is obligatory. It needs to be performed at the first examination, because information about the presence of black excreta (“melena”) is important. In addition, it is sometimes possible to expose the tumour of rectum or haemorrhoidal nodes which are also the source of bleeding.

Clinical variants

It is necessary always to remember that complication of peptic ulcer by bleeding happens considerably more frequently, than it is diagnosed. The clinical signs and staging of disease depends on the degree of blood loss. Usually, 50–55% of moderate bleeding (microbleeding) are unseen. In fact profuse bleeding with the loss of 50–60% of the volume of circulatory blood could stop the heart and cause the death of patient.

For loss of 20% of volume of blood circulation (I stage) typically: rabid pulse rate to 90–100 per min., decreasing of arterial blood pressure to 90/60 mm Hg. The excitability of patient changes by lethargy, however consciousness is clear, breathing is frequent. After the bleeding stops and in absence of hemorrhagic compensation the disturbances of circulation of blood are not observed.

In patients with the II stage of haemorrhage (loss of 20–30% of blood circulation) the general condition needs to be estimated as average. Expressed pallor of skin, sticky sweat, lethargy. Pulse rate – 120–130 per min., weak filling and tension, arterial blood pressure – 90–80/50 mm Hg. In the first few hours the spasm of vessels (centralization of blood circulation) arises after bleeding. Without the proper compensation of haemorrhage such patients can survive, however always there are considerable disturbances of blood circulation with disturbance of liver and kidneys functions.

The III stage of haemorrhage (more than 30% of blood circulation). The pulse rate in such patients is 130–140 per min., and arterial blood pres­sure – from 60 to 0 mm Hg. Consciousness is almost always darkened, adynamy is acutely expressed. Central vein pressure is low. Oliguria is observed, that can change to anuria. Without active and directed correction of haemorrhage the patient can die.

Amount of bleeding doesn’t always correspond to the general condition of patient. It can depend on compensatory mechanism of the organism, rate of loss of blood and the presence of accompanying pathology.

It is needed to remember, that the ulcer bleeding can accompany the perforation of ulcer. During perforation, ulcers are often accompanied by bleeding. Correct diagnosis of these two complications has important value in tactical approach and in the choice of method of surgical treatment. In fact simple suturing of perforated and bleeding ulcer can lead to complica­tions in the postoperative period, as profuse bleeding and cause the neces­sity of repeat operation.