Background and aims: A comparative study of the epidemiology of acute upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage (UGIH) was carried out in Central Finland province (CF), Finland, and in Tartu county (TC), Estonia.
Patients and methods: All patients from CF and TC aged > or = 15 who were treated in the Central Hospital of Central Finland and in Tartu University Hospital for UGIH, entered the prospective study during 1 August 1992-31 July 1994. Altogether 298 patients (198 men, 100 women) were treated in CF and 270 patients (159 men, 104 women) in TC.
Results and conclusions: The overall incidence of UGIH was 68.3/100,000 adults per year in CF and 98.6 in TC. The incidence increased considerably with age: from 3.1 in those aged 20-29 to 314.1 in those > or = 80 in CF, and from 13.2 to 299.1 in TC, respectively. Incidence rates were twice as low in younger age groups in CF compared to TC, almost equalized in those > or = 60 and became even higher in those > or = 80. 63% of the patients (55% men, 79% women) in CF and 49% (35% men, 70% women) in TC were > or = 60. NSAID use before UGIH was equally common (46%) in both regions. Peptic ulcer accounted for over 50% of UGIH cases both in CF and TC. Mortality rate was 8.1% in CF and 9.9% in TC. The main epidemiological differences between the regions are the lower overall incidence of UGIH, due to the lower incidence of haemorrhage in the younger age groups, and the higher proportion of the elderly patients in CF compared to TC.