Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Abstract

Gastrointestinal bleeding occurs when a pathologic process such as ulceration, inflammation, or neoplasia leads to erosion of a blood vessel. Bleeding can occur in the upper gastrointestinal tract (50%) or the lower gastrointestinal tract (40%) or may be obscure (10%), meaning that no definitive source is identified. Gastrointestinal bleeding is common, with major bleeding leading to 1 million hospitalizations every year in the United States. This review details the pathophysiology of gastrointestinal bleeding and the stabilization and assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and disposition and outcomes of patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. Situations requiring special consideration are also discussed. Figures show how gastrointestinal bleeding occurs when a pathologic process causes erosion of the mucosa and exposes a submucosal blood vessel; an ulcer with a raised, red, variceal spot; a Mallory-Weiss tear; the formation of varices; vascular ectasia; treatment of esophageal varices with balloon tamponade; and a wireless capsule. Tables list the major causes of gastrointestinal bleeding, terms relating to gastrointestinal bleeding and their definitions, Blatchford score, substances that interfere with occult blood testing, clinical factors differentiating gastrointestinal bleeding placed in descending order of likelihood ratio, and a summary of American College of Radiology recommendations for angiography in nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding. This review contains 7 highly rendered figures, 6 tables, and 140 references.