TY  - JOUR
T1  - USe of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy
AU  - Vance VK
Y1  - 1979/08/01
N1  - 10.1001/archinte.1979.03630450086032
JO  - Archives of Internal Medicine
SP  - 944
EP  - 944
VL  - 139
IS  - 8
N2  - To the Editor.— 
    The article by Margolis et al in the Archives (138:1214-1217, 1978) reporting endoscopically identifiable gastroduodenal disease in 83% of patients undergoing hemodialysis for chronic renal failure was very instructive. However, I fail to understand the basis of their recommendation "that patients with symptomatic or roentgenographic upper gastrointestinal disease... undergo further evaluation with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy." I question whether patients without symptoms (60% in their series) should be subjected to gastrointestinal roentgenography and I particularly question the value of endoscopy if, as they state, only 17% of patients will have normal findings.It is ironic that this article, advocating an expensive (and in my estimation irrational) procedure should follow that of Bartha and Nugent (138:1211-1213, 1978) who conclude that "chest roentgenograms and ECG's cannot be defended on the basis of their contribution to the workup of hypertension." I wonder how Margolis et al can possibly justify endoscopy in
SN  - 0003-9926
M3  - doi: 10.1001/archinte.1979.03630450086032
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1979.03630450086032
ER  -