Table 1

Characteristics of 2,061 patients with perforated and 7,232 patients with bleeding peptic ulcer in the counties of North Jutland, Aarhus and Viborg, Denmark.


Perforated peptic ulcer
Bleeding peptic ulcer


15–64 years
N
65–79 years
N
80+ years
N
15–64 years
N
65–79 years
N
80+ years
N

Gender
Female
338 (42.0%)
410 (55.2%)
358 (69.8%)
739 (35.5%)
1329 (47.1%)
1402 (59.1%)
Male
467 (58.0%)
333 (44.8%)
155 (30.2%)
1347 (64.6%)
1445 (52.1%)
970 (40.9%)
Ulcer-related drugs*
Use†
484 (60.1%)
554 (74.6%)
417 (81.3%)
1434 (68.7%)
2093 (75.4%)
1950 (82.2%)
No use
321 (39.9%)
189 (25.4%)
96 (18.7%)
652 (31.3%)
681 (24.6%)
422 (17.8%)
Previous uncomplicated peptic ulcer disease
No
709 (88.1%)
657 (88.4%)
463 (90.3%)
1829 (87.5%)
2446 (88.2%)
2115 (89.2%)
Yes
96 (11.9%)
86 (11.6%)
50 (9.7%)
257 (12.6%)
328 (11.8%)
257 (10.8%)
Comorbidity#
Low
616 (76.5%)
378 (50.9%)
273 (53.2%)
1442 (68.2%)
1322 (47.7%)
1148 (48.4%)
Moderate
161 (20.0%)
290 (39.0%)
208 (40.6%)
523 (25.1%)
1139 (41.0%)
1013 (42.7%)
High
28 (3.5%)
75 (10.1%)
32 (6.2%)
141 (6.7%)
313 (11.3%)
212 (8.9%)

*For perforated peptic ulcer "ulcer-related drugs" are: oral glucocorticoids, NSAIDs and aspirin. For bleeding peptic ulcer "ulcer-related drugs" are: non-aspirin NSAIDs, aspirin, oral glucocorticoids, vitamin K antagonists, calcium channel blockers, and/or antidepressants

† Use = filled prescription 60 days before admission with perforated peptic ulcer.

# Three levels of the index were defined: Low (no co-morbidity), medium (Charlson index 1–2) and high (Charlson index 2+).

Christensen et al. BMC Geriatrics 2007 7:8   doi:10.1186/1471-2318-7-8