Gastrointestinal bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention: Not just a short-term complication but a long-term marker of mortality risk.

The incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding after percutaneous coronary interventional has remained stable recently although those undergoing treatment for ST-elevation myocardial infarction appear to be doing better. Short-term prognosis is worsened after a GI bleed and this adverse outcome persists out to at least 1 year. Poor outcomes late after a GI bleed suggest persistence patient factors that require further study to understand who is at risk, whether short-term measures can prevent bleeding, and whether interventions after bleeding can improve long-term outcomes.