CTA vs. RBC Scintigraphy for Localizing Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Technetium-labeled red blood cell (RBC) scintigraphy and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are options for evaluating acute lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. In this single-center retrospective study, researchers compared the yields of 45 consecutive CTA studies and 90 consecutive RBC scintigraphic studies performed for acute lower GI bleeding; only 9 patients underwent both studies.

The presumed bleeding site was identified significantly more often in patients who underwent CTA than in those who underwent RBC scintigraphy (53% vs. 30%). Diverticulosis was the most common cause of bleeding. Average time from order placement to scan completion was significantly shorter for CTA than for RBC scintigraphy (1.7 hours vs. 3.2 hours). Clini…