[Preclinical and clinical management of patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding]

Abstract

Acute gastrointestinal bleeding often leads to admission to the emergency room. Especially in elderly patients and in those with significant comorbidities it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Approximately 2 % of the patients with gastrointestinal bleeding present with hemorrhagic shock. This review focusses on the structured preclinical and clinical management of gastrointestinal bleeding in the emergency department.