Small bowel bleeding: clinical diagnosis and management in the elderly

Abstract

Introduction: With the global increase in life expectancy, there is an increase in gastrointestinal presentations in the elderly. Small bowel bleeding (SBB) is a cause of significant morbidity in the elderly requiring multiple hospital visits, investigations, and potentially expensive therapy.

Areas covered: In this review, we will outline the different modalities which are used for the diagnosis and management of SBB. We will also discuss the common causes of SBB in the elderly.

Expert opinion: SBB in elderly has a significant impact on the quality of life of the elderly. Larger randomized studies in the elderly are urgently required to help guide clinicians on the best and most cost-effective treatment algorithm in this challenging cohort.

Keywords: Small bowel bleeding; capsule endoscopy; elderly; enteroscopy; somatostatin analogues.