Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a gastroenterological emergency with a high mortality rate.1 Although there are significant advances in endoscopic and pharmacologic treatments, mortality rates of UGIB remain as high as 10%.2, 3, 4 Due to its high mortality rates, detecting high-risk patients is crucial. In this concept, Glasgow–Blatchford score (GBS) has been widely used for classifying high-risk patients.5, 6 Prior studies demonstrated that mortality rates rise to 25% in high-risk patients. Thus, the timing of the endoscopy becomes more critical in this patient group.7

First-line treatment for UGIB consists of hemodynamic stabilization, fluid resuscitation, blood transfusion if needed, and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) infusion.8, 9 After the stabilization of the patient, endoscopic procedure is the next step for both diagnosis and treatment.10, 11 According to the current guidelines, it is recommended to perform early endoscopy (within 24 h) after the patient has been stabilized.12, 13, 14 Nevertheless, whether urgent endoscopy (i.e., within 12 h) yields improved outcomes remain unclear, and data regarding the outcome of urgent endoscopy revealed conflicting results.15, 16, 17

Herein, we aimed to compare the outcomes of urgent (<12 h) and early (12–24 h) endoscopy in high-risk patients with non-variceal UGIB followed at our tertiary referral center.