Introduction. Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a life-threatening disease and very often an essential clinical problem. The mortality rate increases with the age of patients and the number of comorbidities. Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy, safety and frequency of endoscopic therapy in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Material and methods. Study group consisted of 151 patients with gastrointestinal bleeding admitted to The Department of General, Gastrointestinal and Oncologic Surgery of The Medical University of Warsaw between 2010–2015. The study was evaluated retrospectively using data contained in medical records. Patients were divided into groups according to diagnosis, treatment, gender and age. Effectiveness of endoscopic therapy was evaluated with a number of procedures required for the therapeutic effect. Safety was assessed with the number and type of complications during endoscopic treatment. Results. Endoscopy was performed in 110 patients, in 90 persons endoscopic interventions were performed to stop bleeding. Overall effectiveness of endoscopic treatment was 90%. The complication rate of endoscopic GI bleeding treatment accounted for less than 1%. Conclusions. The endoscopic intervention is highly effective and safe treatment of choice in patients suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding. A proper qualification for the procedure on duty enables to avoid the unnecessary intervention.

Key words: bleeding, gastrointestinal tract (GI tract), endoscopic treatment, safety.