Emergency Department Use and Hospital Admissions After Routine Endoscopy

The rate of complications following esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy is quoted at about 0.1% to 0.4%, but data are old and sparse. Boston investigators used a comprehensive electronic medical record (EMR) to track follow-up care for 6383 patients who underwent EGD, 7392 who underwent screening colonoscopy, and 4240 who underwent diagnostic colonoscopy. The polypectomy rate for all colonoscopies was 41%.

A total of 134 patients (0.7%) presented to emergency departments (EDs), within 14 days of their procedures, for reasons judged to be related to EGD or colonoscopy; 76 were admitted. A voluntary reporting system captured only 31 complications that resulted in ED visits or hospitalizations, including 8 visits to outside institu…