To develop an outcome prediction tool for clinical use in patients with either acute upper or acute lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage
This is a non-endoscopic classification system
The criteria using the mnemonic BLEED are ongoing bleeding (low systolic blood pressure < 100 mmHg), elevated prothrombin time (more than 1.2 times), erratic mental status (change in mental status), and any co-morbid disease that would warrant admission for intensive care even without the bleeding event (such as acute myocardial infarction)
Evidence of any of the BLEED criteria places the patient in a poor outcome category
This outcome predictor applies to both lower and upper gastrointestinal bleeding