Nurse clinic success for gastro bleeds

Patients presenting with low-risk acute upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding can be safely managed in protocol-based, nurse-led clinics and discharged within 24 hours, suggests a small UK study.

Over 30 months, researchers studied nearly 200 patients with an upper GI bleed who were admitted to one of two clinical decision units at two Leeds teaching hospitals.

Of the 194 patients admitted to both sites, 182 were discharged within 24 hours and none of the patients had further bleeding or complications within 30 days of discharge.

The authors said following a specific protocol, based on clinical and laboratory findings, reduced the length of patient stay and avoided admission to general medical wards.

Postgraduate Medical Journal (2007) 83: 768-772

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