An Analysis of 644 Upper GI Endoscopies Performed in a Nigerian Tertiary Health Institution

Upper GI endoscopy is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal disorders and is being employed for a similar purpose in BSUTH, Makurdi. We sought to audit the practice in this institution over a 7-year period by reviewing the records in the procedural register. We found that most of the indications were diagnostic, with a few therapeutic applications. The diagnostic yield included a spectrum of benign and malignant diseases with Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastro-duodenitis and peptic ulcer disease being the most frequent diagnosis. The therapeutic application included percutaneous gastrostomy tube placement, haemostasis of bleeding peptic ulcers, endoscopic variceal band ligation and sclerotherapy of varices, and gastro-oesophageal foreign body removal. We conclude that routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is feasible in our settings though, an overwhelming majority of these are diagnostic as opposed to therapeutic. There is need to expand the scope of endoscopy in our setting. Major challenges need to be addressed to sustain and expand the practice of UGI endoscopy in our setting.