Repeated Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and Colonoscopy in the Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy play important roles in diagnosing gastrointestinal bleeding; however, they may sometimes fail to identify the source of the bleeding during the initial examination. In such cases, repeated endoscopic examination may be beneficial. Currently, no consensus exists on which patients would benefit from repeated examination. In this review, we discuss the role of repeated endoscopy and conclude that repeated esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy can help improve detection rates. It is particularly valuable to repeat the procedure when the quality of the initial endoscopy is poor, the patient’s condition deteriorates, or other examinations suggest that lesions are within the scope of endoscopy.