The influences of timing of urgent endoscopy in patients with acute variceal bleeding: a cohort study

Abstract Background There has always been a debate on the optimal timing of endoscopy in patients with acute variceal bleeding (AVB). Objective This study aimed to examine the relation between the timing of endoscopy and the short-term outcomes of patients with AVB. Methods Patients with AVB who underwent endoscopy within 24 h after admission at our tertiary care center from 2014 to 2022 were evaluated retrospectively. The primary outcomes were the 6-week mortality and re-bleeding. The secondary outcomes included the total number of blood units transfused, the length of hospital stay, and the need for salvage therapy. We used Cox proportional hazards model to analyze the predictors of 6-week mortality in all patients as well as in those who were at high risk of further bleeding or death. Results A total of 312 patients were enrolled. Among them, 170 patients (54.49%) underwent urgent endoscopy (