Background: This study aimed to determine the incidence, as well as evaluate risk factors, and impact of gastrointestinal bleeding on outcomes and resource use in patients admitted for salicylate poisoning.
Methods: We used the National Inpatient Sample to construct a cohort of patients hospitalized primarily for salicylate poisoning from 2003 to 2014. We compared clinical characteristics, in-hospital treatments, outcomes and resource use between salicylate poisoning patients with and without gastrointestinal bleeding.
Results: Of 13 805 hospital admissions for salicylate poisoning, gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in 482 (3.5%) admissions. The risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding included older age, history of atrial fibrillation and cirrhosis. After adjusting for difference in baseline characteristics, patients with gastrointestinal bleeding required more gastric lavage, gastrointestinal endoscopy, invasive mechanical ventilation and red blood cell transfusion. Gastrointestinal bleeding was significantly associated with increased risk of anemia, circulatory, liver and hematological failure but was not significantly associated with increased in-hospital mortality. The length of hospital stay and hospitalization cost was significantly higher in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding.
Conclusion: Gastrointestinal bleeding occurred in about 4% of patients admitted for salicylate poisoning. Gastrointestinal bleeding was associated with higher morbidity and resource use but not mortality.
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