Long-Term Survival of Patients with Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage with Special Reference to the ABO Blood Groups

Abstract

Among 986 patients admitted to hospital in the period 1938 to 1967 for gastrointestinal haemorrhage, 882 were blood grouped. A significant excess of blood group O was found among patients with haemorrhagic gastritis and duodenal ulcer. Of 802 blood-grouped patients who left the hospital alive, 800 were retraced 2 to 31 years later. The observed deaths exceeded the expected in all groups, being most pronounced in patients previously operated on, followed by patients with gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, and haemorrhagic gastritis. The reason for the higher number of deaths than expected was primarily a continuing high death rate due to haemorrhage, perforation. and selective operation for ulcer. Patients with blood group O, B or AB had a higher excess death rate than patients with blood group A. The difference however was not statistically significant.

Key-words:

• Blood groups
• haematemesis
• melena
• peptic ulcer
• survival