TABLE 1.

Overview of recommended maximal wait times by acuity category

Within 24 h

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding (#1)

Clinical features of ascending cholangitis (#8)

Acute severe pancreatitis (ERCP within 72 h, if indicated) (#9)

Severe decompensated liver disease (#10)

Acute severe hepatitis (#11)

Esophageal food bolus or foreign body obstruction (#15)

Within 2 weeks

High likelihood of cancer, based on imaging or physical examination (#5)*

Painless obstructive acute jaundice (#12)

Severe and/or rapidly progressive dysphagia or odynophagia (#16)

Clinical features suggestive of active inflammatory bowel disease (#23)*

Within 2 months

Bright red rectal bleeding (#2)

Documented iron deficiency anemia (#3)*

One or more positive fecal occult blood tests (#4)*

Chronic viral hepatitis (#13)

Stable dysphagia that is not severe (#17)

Poorly controlled reflux/dyspepsia; without (#18) or with (#19) alarm symptoms*

Chronic constipation or chronic diarrhea (#20)*

New-onset change in bowel habit (#21)

Chronic unexplained abdominal pain (#22)

Confirmation of a diagnosis of celiac disease (antibody test) (#24)

Within 6 months

Chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease for screening endoscopy (#6)

Screening colonoscopy (#7)

Persistent (more than six months) unexplained abnormal liver enzyme tests (#14)

Consensus statement numbers are shown in parentheses.

^*Recommendation that was compared with the Practice Audit in Gastroenterology data. Data from reference 6