The authors submit a retrospective investigation of 50 patients hospitalized at the intensive care unit of the Medical gastroenterological department, Faculty Hospital Brno treated in 1999 with the diagnosis of acute haemorrhage into the upper digestive tract. In the investigated group the most frequent cause of haemorrhage was portal hypertension (21 patients, 32.8 %) and a peptic gastroduodenal lesion (15 patients, 23.4 %). During the investigation period 12 patients died (18.8 %), 6 developed haemorrhage as a complication of a serious condition (decompensated cirrhosis of the liver). In haemorrhage from oesophageal and gastric varicosities pharmacotherapy is equally important as endoscopic intervention.

        Key words: Acute haemorrhage - Melaena - Haematemesis - Enterorrhagia