Glasgow-Blatchford score

The Glasgow-Blatchford bleeding score (GBS) is a screening tool to assess the likelihood that a person with an acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) will need to have medical intervention such as a blood transfusion or endoscopic intervention.^[1] The tool may be able to identify people who do not need to be admitted to hospital after a UGIB. Advantages of the GBS over the Rockall score, which assesses the risk of death in UGIB, include a lack of subjective variables such as the severity of systemic diseases and the lack of a need for oesophagogastroduodenoscopy (OGD) to complete the score, a feature unique to the GBS.

It was developed in 2000 by Oliver Blatchford (born 24 August 1954) at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

In a controlled study, 16% of people presenting with UGIB had a GBS score of "0", considered low. Among this group there were no deaths or interventions needed and people were able to be effectively treated in an outpatient setting.^[2]

Criteria

The score is calculated using the table below:

In the validation group, scores of 6 or more were associated with a greater than 50% risk of needing an intervention.

Score

Score is equal to "0" if the following are all present:^{[citation needed]}

• Hemoglobin level > 12.9 g/dL (men) or > 11.9 g/dL (women)
• Systolic blood pressure > 109 mm Hg
• Pulse < 100/minute
• Blood urea nitrogen level < 6.5 mmol/L
• No melena or syncope
• No past or present liver disease or heart failure

See also

• Rockall score

References