CT for Evaluation of Acute Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Acute gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a frequent medical emergency requiring prompt diagnosis and management.
• Diagnosing GI bleeding can be challenging due to its varied causes, intermittent nature, and the need for repeated, costly examinations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the growing role of computed tomography (CT) in evaluating acute GI bleeding.
• To discuss the advantages and limitations of CT imaging, including CT angiography and multiphase CT enterography, compared to traditional endoscopic methods.

Main Methods:

• Review of clinical evaluation of acute GI bleeding.
• Discussion of CT angiography and multiphase CT enterography techniques and applications.
• Comparison of CT findings with endoscopic evaluation outcomes.

Main Results:

• CT can rapidly diagnose active bleeding and nonbleeding bowel disease.
• Multiphase CT enterography is suitable for stable patients with unidentified bleeding sources after endoscopy.
• CT angiography is valuable for both stable and unstable patients with suspected active GI hemorrhage, especially when an upper GI source is unlikely.

Conclusions:

• CT imaging, particularly CT angiography, is becoming a primary tool for evaluating acute GI bleeding.
• CT provides critical information for guiding subsequent therapeutic decisions in emergent bleeding situations.