The Use of Central Venous Pressure Measurement in the Diagnosis of Major Arterial Bleeding in Gastroduodenal Haemorrhage

Abstract

The purpose of this work was to evaluate criteria for diagnosis of major arterial haemorrhage. The criteria were registered in 74 patients undergoing emergency operation and in 74 unoperated patients. A bleeding rate over 600 ml per hour, a decrease in central venous pressure (CVP) over 2 mm H₂O per min, and intermittent haemorrhage were CVP-dependent criteria of high specificity and frequency. Red haemorrhage after admission was a criterion of low specificity but high frequency. A rational approach to the diagnosis of arterial haemorrhage appears to be screening by the easily recognized criterion: red haemorrhage after admission.

Key-words:

• Hematemesis
• hemorrhage, gastrointestinal
• peptic ulcer hemorrhage
• stomach