Improved outcomes in patients with non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding while undergoing antithrombotic therapy: A propensity score matching analysis

Background This study sought to examine the effect of antithrombotic use on clinical outcomes in non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). Methods Patients consecutively diagnosed with non-variceal UGIB between February 2019 and September 2020 were divided into two groups based on their antithrombotic use: users and non-users. Using propensity score matching (PSM) and multivariable regression analyses, the impact of antithrombotic use prior to UGIB presentation on clinical outcomes was examined. Results In the entire cohort, there were 210 and 260 patients in the antithrombotic user and non-user groups, respectively. Using PSM analysis with seven covariates, two matched groups of 157 patients were created at a 1:1 ratio. In the matched cohort, despite their longer hospital stays and a higher rate of intensive care unit admissions, the patients in the user group had lower 30- and 90-day mortality rates (4.5% vs. 14.0 %; p = 0.003 and 8.9% vs. 18.5 %; p = 0.014, respectively). In the entire cohort, multivariable analyses adjusted for confounding factors revealed that antithrombotic use was associated with lower risks of in-hospital (adjusted OR: 0.437; 95 % CI: 0.191–0.999), 30-day (adjusted OR: 0.261; 95 % CI: 0.099–0.689), and 90-day (adjusted OR: 0.386; 95 % CI: 0.182–0.821) mortality. Conclusion Antithrombotic use prior to UGIB presentation was found to be an independent protective factor for all-cause mortality.