Acute gastrointestinal bleeding detected with abdominal scintigraphy using technetium-99m-labeled albumin.

In 24 patients admitted with gastrointestinal bleeding 36 scintigraphic studies of the abdomen were performed after intravenous injection of technetium-99m-labeled albumin. In 12 patients bleeding from the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, biliary tract, or colon was visualized. In the other 12 patients, in whom the bleeding seemed to have subsided, the investigation showed no scintigraphic signs of hemorrhage. Scintigraphy was also negative in five controls who had no bleeding. The method is non-invasive and easy to perform. Our study suggests that it is reliable, but a controlled trial is necessary to evaluate the diagnostic value of the method.