What investigations are recommended to confirm a diagnosis of Mallory-Weiss tear in primary care settings?

Investigations to confirm a diagnosis of Mallory-Weiss tear are generally not performed in primary care settings ². Mallory-Weiss tears are a cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, which necessitates urgent assessment and management in a hospital environment ².

The definitive investigation for confirming a Mallory-Weiss tear is upper gastrointestinal endoscopy ². This procedure allows for direct visualisation of the tear and, if active bleeding is present, enables therapeutic interventions such as endoscopic hemoclip placement or epinephrine injection (Huang et al., 2002).

In primary care, the focus is on recognising the signs and symptoms of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding and arranging urgent referral to secondary care for definitive diagnosis and management ².