Investigations to confirm a diagnosis of Mallory-Weiss tear are generally not performed in primary care settings NICE CG141. Mallory-Weiss tears are a cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, which necessitates urgent assessment and management in a hospital environment NICE CG141.
The definitive investigation for confirming a Mallory-Weiss tear is upper gastrointestinal endoscopy NICE CG141. 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 NICE CG141.
Key References
- CKS - Appendicitis
- CG141 - Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding in over 16s: management
- CKS - Dyspepsia - proven GORD
- CKS - Dyspepsia - proven peptic ulcer
- NG12 - Suspected cancer: recognition and referral
- (Huang et al., 2002): Endoscopic hemoclip placement and epinephrine injection for Mallory-Weiss syndrome with active bleeding.