Management of Acute Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Critical Care Transport

Abstract

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a relatively common and life-threatening condition encountered by critical care transport crews. It is of paramount importance that transport crews understand the underlying pathophysiology of variceal and nonvariceal gastrointestinal bleeding as well as the nuanced management of this patient population. This article reviews the current clinical evidence on initial resuscitation, medical management, and advanced invasive therapies (such as balloon tamponade devices) that transport crews should be familiar with to manage these patients. In addition, we present a novel method of continuous balloon pressure monitoring of balloon tamponade devices that is applicable to the transport environment.