Angiography in acute gastrointestinal bleeding.

Angiography in patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a necessary adjunct to fiberoptic endoscopy to identify the site of the bleeding, especially if it is from the small or large intestine. Clinically, a bleeding rate of 3 milliliters per minute is associated with perceptible extravasation of the contrast medium, venous bleeding excluded. Although celiac or mesenteric arteriography is preferred, abdominal aortography can be useful as the selective examination.