A Case-control Study on the Risk of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients Taking Non-steroidal Anti-inflammataory Drugs (NSAIDs) in Mashhad, Iran

Introduction: Gastrointestinal bleeding is one of the most common causes of patient admissions at emergency wards. Despite considering nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin and Helicobacter pylori as the leading causes, mortality from gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is still high. So pattern of NSAID consumption and related conditions may help in preventative behavior.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted on 300 patients. Patients were divided into two groups: with and without GI bleeding. Patient's information was extracted using their hospital records and the data eventually was statistically analyzed.

Results: The results of this study showed no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age, gender, marital status, distribution of weight, and education level (P>0.05).The frequency of NSAIDs use was significantly higher in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding (P = 0.016) with the most NSAID use as aspirin(32.66%). The prevalence of smoking, using drugs and alcohol consumption was significantly higher in the study group (P <0.05).

Conclusion: A history of consuming NSAIDs increases the risk of GI bleeding. The frequency of cigarette, drug, and alcohol consumption in the case study group was significantly higher than that of the control group.