Which diagnostic test would be used first to evaluate a client with upper GI bleeding?

Hemoglobin and hematocrit are typically the diagnostic tests performed first in clients with upper GI bleeding to evaluate the extent of blood loss. When assessing a patient with obscure GI bleeding, physicians start with the patient’s age, which can play a role in GI bleeding.

There is an essential purpose with the use of endoscopy in the management of obscure GI bleeding. In one study, capsule endoscopy had a significantly higher diagnostic yield than CT enterography. Endoscopy procedures use an endoscope to examine the interior of a hollow organ in the body.

Endoscopy-endoscopy permits direct evaluation of the upper gi tract and can detect 90% of bleeding lesions. an upper gi series, or barium study, usually isnt the diagnostic method of choice, especially in a client with acute active bleeding whos vomiting and unstable. an upper gi series is also less accurate than endoscopy. although an upper gi series might confirm the presence of a lesion, it wouldnt necessarily reveal whether the lesion is bleeding. hb levels and hct, which indicate loss of blood volume, arent always reliable indicators of gi bleeding because a decrease in these values may not be seen for several hours. arteriography is an invasive study associated with life-threatening complications and wouldnt be used for an initial evaluation.