ABO Blood Groups and Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

Year 2025, Volume: 14 Issue: 3, 186 - 193, 30.12.2025

Mustafa Altun , Emre Kudu , Cansu Tiriş , Asli Bahar Uçar , Sinan Karacabey , Erkman Sanrı , Özge Ecmel Onur , Arzu Denizbaşı

https://doi.org/10.47493/abantmedj.1752485

https://izlik.org/JA68BW98CD

Abstract

Objective: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a life-threatening emergency associated with significant mortality, necessitating the identification of reliable prognostic factors. Although ABO blood groups have been linked to bleeding tendencies, their role in the prognosis of UGIB remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between ABO blood groups and mortality in patients with UGIB, as well as their relationship with other clinical outcomes.
Materials and Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, data from 992 adult patients (≥18 years) diagnosed with UGIB at Marmara University Pendik Training and Research Hospital Emergency Department between 2018 and 2022 were analyzed. Patients discharged against medical advice or with incomplete records were excluded. Data on ABO/Rh blood groups, comorbidities, mortality, blood transfusion requirements, and length of hospital stay were extracted from hospital records.
Results: Among 992 patients (median age 67 years; 64.2% male), the overall in-hospital mortality rate was 12.7% (126/992). Mortality rates were 11.0% in group O, 13.0% in group A, 14.6% in group B, and 15.9% in group AB, with no statistically significant differences (p = 0.572). Logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between blood groups and mortality: group A (OR: 1.210 (95% CI: 0.784–1.868); p = 0.389), group B (OR: 1.379 (95% CI: 0.782–2.432); p = 0.267), and group AB (OR: 1.524 (95% CI: 0.719–3.230); p = 0.272) compared with group O. No significant differences were observed between O and non-O groups in terms of transfusion requirement (OR: 1.06 (95% CI: 0.804–1.39); p = 0.697), hospital stay duration (p = 0.114), or endoscopic stigmata distribution (p = 0.894).
Conclusion: ABO blood groups were not found to be independent predictors of mortality or other clinical outcomes in UGIB patients. Although the proportion of group O patients was higher among those with UGIB, blood group-based risk stratification appears to have limited prognostic value. These findings support prioritizing broader clinical factors in the management of UGIB.

Keywords

Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage , Blood Group Antigens , Mortality , Risk Assessment

Project Number

-

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