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Although hospitalizations for lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding seem to be on the rise, no expert consensus exists on whether urgent colonoscopy is beneficial in this setting. In a previous single-center, randomized trial, colonoscopy was better than standard care in identifying the source of bleeding but had no apparent effect on clinical outcomes (NEJM JW Gastroenterol Dec 13 2005). A more recent trial focused on whether performing urgent versus elective colonoscopy made a difference in clinical outcomes; results were negative (Am J Gastroenterol 2010; 105:2636).
In the current observational, population-based study, investigators examined the association between timing of colonoscopy and clinical outcomes in 22,720 patients admitted to …