Stress Ulcer Syndrome

Abstract

Stress ulcer syndrome refers to gastroduodenal erosions or ulcers that develop acutely in relation to major physi ological stress, usually manifested clinically as upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding. These lesions occur most often in the gastric fundus. Endoscopy has shown gastroduodenal mucosal lesions in 75 to 100% of inten sive care unit (ICU) patients within 72 hours of admis sion. Patients at high risk for stress ulcer include those with large body surface area burns, intracranial lesions associated with coma, fulminant hepatic failure, sepsis, and trauma and abdominal, cardiovascular, and thoracic surgery patients. Also considered high risk are ICU pa tients with superimposed complications such as shock, mechanical ventilation for more than 3 days, coagulopa thy, jaundice, and sepsis. Approximately 15% of ICU pa tients will experience UGI bleeding from stress ulcer. Patients bleeding from stress ulcer have an overall mor tality rate approaching 65% compared with 9 to 22% mortality in patients without stress ulcer. When strati fied according to occult blood loss versus clinically significant bleeding, mortality can be as high as 90% in patients overtly bleeding; 30% of deaths are directly related to bleeding. Both antacids and H₂ receptor an tagonists are effective in prophylaxis for stress ulcer bleeding.