Management of Acute Gastrointestinal Bleed

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a common problem found in critically ill patients that can range from self-limited bleeding to a hemorrhaging emergency. Patients can quickly develop shock and altered mental status when they develop hemodynamic instability. Therefore, it is essential that the frontline critical care nurse develop self-efficacy for management of these disorders. This article overviews standards of practice for the management of upper and lower acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Common bleeding disorders are reviewed with expanded focus on peptic ulcer, acute variceal hemorrhage, colonic diverticular bleeding, and angiodysplasias, which are commonly found in the critical care setting.