Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding represents one of the more morbid forms of hemorrhage
that interventional radiologists deal with on an on-call basis. Bleeding from the
GI tract takes many forms and has many etiologies. While venous bleeds from varices
are often treated emergently with placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic
shunt, arterial hemorrhages are treated most effectively with embolization procedures.
Embolization must be performed in specific ways, however, in an effort to decrease
the risk of bowel ischemia; this also requires choosing the right patients in whom
to perform embolization procedures. This article will provide a discussion on when
to perform embolization and how, what to do with specific patient populations such
as those with coagulopathy, and which patients should be considered for emergent treatment
versus those that can be postponed.
Keywords
interventional radiology - hemorrhage - gastrointestinal bleeding - embolization
