Endoscopic Management of Gastrointestinal Emergencies

Abstract

Gastrointestinal endoscopy in the last years has become from a purely diagnostic to a largely therapeutic procedure. Endoscopic therapy has rapidly become the treatment of choice for many acute conditions including non-variceal and variceal GI bleeding, foreign body impaction, caustic agents and acute biliary and colonic obstruction, narrowing the role of surgery and interventional radiology in the acute setting. The development of new tools and techniques have reduced the rebleeding and mortality rate but the comorbidity remain an important factor that impact on the patient outcome. In this issue of Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology research I have brought together a group of distinguished experts in their respective fields to review the literature and share their approach to endoscopic emergencies. I asked the authors to review and update the evidence regarding their subsequent topics as well as offer some clinical and practical advice, which would be useful tool to approach the GI emergiencies. I wish to thank Dr. Sung J for the invitation to participate as editor of this edition of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology research. We’d also like to thank each of the authors contributing to this edition for their efforts on this project. We hope the readers will find this issue as informative and enjoyable to read.