To identify factors at the time of admission that predict in-hospital mortality in patients with gastro-esophageal variceal hemorrhage.Case records of patients admitted with gastro-esophageal variceal hemorrhage between January 1998 and October 2003 were retrospectively analyzed. Relevant clinical and laboratory parameters and their relationship to mortality, were studied. Clinical parameters assessed included Child-Pugh class, ascites, portosystemic encephalopathy (PSE) and occurrence of rebleed within 24 hours of esophago-gastroduodenoscopy. The laboratory parameters assessed were: hemoglobin, prothrombin time, serum bilirubin, creatinine and albumin.Of the 343 patients admitted during the study period, 30 (8.7%) died in hospital. Serum bilirubin (2.4 versus 1.6 mg/dL) and serum creatinine (2.1 vs 1.1 mg/dL) levels were higher among non-survivors than among survivors. Non-survivors were also more likely to suffer from PSE (53%) than survivors (17%), while re-bleeding within 24 hours of endoscopy occurred in 40% and 5% of these groups, respectively. On multivariate analysis, serum creatinine > 1.5 mg/dL at the time of admission (p 3 mg/dL (p < 0.001), presence of PSE (p = 0.003) and rebleed within 24 hours of endoscopy (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of mortality.Serum creatinine and bilirubin levels, presence of PSE and re-bleeding within 24 hours of initial endoscopy are independent predictors of mortality in patients with gastro-esophageal variceal bleeding.