The Glasgow-Blatchford bleeding score (GBS) is a
screening tool to assess the likelihood that a person with an acute
upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is gastrointestinal bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, commonly defined as bleeding arising from the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Blood may be observed in vomit or in altered form as black stool. D ...
(UGIB) will need to have medical intervention such as a
blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of transferring blood products into a person's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used for various medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood. Early transfusions used whole blood, but mo ...
or
endoscopic
An endoscopy is a procedure used in medicine to look inside the body. The endoscopy procedure uses an endoscope to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike many other medical imaging techniques, endoscopes are insert ...
intervention.
The tool may be able to identify people who do not need to be admitted to hospital after a UGIB. Advantages of the GBS over the
Rockall score
Rockall risk scoring system attempts to identify patients at risk of adverse outcome following acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Rockall ''et al.'' identified independent risk factors in 1996 which were later shown to predict mortality accura ...
, which assesses the risk of death in UGIB, include a lack of
subjective variables such as the severity of systemic diseases and the lack of a need for
oesophagogastroduodenoscopy
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) or oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD), also called by various other names, is a diagnostic endoscopic procedure that visualizes the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract down to the duodenum. It is considered ...
(OGD) to complete the score, a feature unique to the GBS.
In a controlled study, 16% of people presenting with UGIB had a GBS score of "0", considered low. Among this group there were no deaths or interventions needed and people were able to be effectively treated in an outpatient setting.
Criteria
The score is calculated using the table below:
In the validation group, scores of 6 or more were associated
with a greater than 50% risk of needing an intervention.
Score
Score is equal to "0" if the following are all present:
*
Hemoglobin
Hemoglobin (haemoglobin BrE) (from the Greek word αἷμα, ''haîma'' 'blood' + Latin ''globus'' 'ball, sphere' + ''-in'') (), abbreviated Hb or Hgb, is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein present in red blood cells (erythrocyte ...
level > 12.9 g/dL (men) or > 11.9 g/dL (women)
*
Systolic blood pressure
Blood pressure (BP) is the pressure of circulating blood against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this pressure results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system. When used without qualification, the term "blood pressure" r ...
> 109 mm Hg
*
Pulse
In medicine, a pulse represents the tactile arterial palpation of the cardiac cycle (heartbeat) by trained fingertips. The pulse may be palpated in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surface of the body, such as at the nec ...
< 100/minute
* Blood urea nitrogen level < 6.5 mmol/L
* No
melena
Melena or melaena refers to the dark black, tarry feces that are associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The black color and characteristic strong odor are caused by hemoglobin in the blood being altered by digestive enzymes and intest ...
or
syncope
* No past or present
liver disease
Liver disease, or hepatic disease, is any of many diseases of the liver. If long-lasting it is termed chronic liver disease. Although the diseases differ in detail, liver diseases often have features in common.
Signs and symptoms
Some of the sig ...
or
heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...
See also
*
Rockall score
Rockall risk scoring system attempts to identify patients at risk of adverse outcome following acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Rockall ''et al.'' identified independent risk factors in 1996 which were later shown to predict mortality accura ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Glasgow-Blatchford Score
Medical scoring system
Gastroenterology