99mTc red blood cells for detection of gastrointestinal bleeding: experience with 80 patients

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.137.6.1113· OSTI ID:5477920

McKusick, K A; Froelich, J; Callahan, R J; Winzelberg, G G; Strauss, H W

Imaging was done in 80 patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage using red blood cells labeled with 99mTc by a modified in vivo technique. Bleeding was detected in 65% of 40 patients with bright red blood per rectum, 71% of 35 patients with melena, and in none of the five patients with occult bleeding and chronic anemia. No clinical evidence of further gastrointestinal hemorrhage occurred in 26 of the 29 patients who were negative on imaging. The imaging study could be carried out for over 24 hr which increased the sensitivity of the test, since only 16% of the studies were abnormal on the initial images. Neither the need for blood replacement nor the presence of bright red blood per rectum correlated strongly with early image positivity, supporting the contention that patients with gastrointestinal hemorrhage do not necessarily bleed continuously. Labeled red cell imaging was more sensitive in the detection of bleeding than angiography. It corresponded to the overall angiographic findings in 23 of 31 cases and in 17 of the 18 patients who had demonstrable extravasation. 99mTc red blood cells may be used effectively in patients with melena as well as with bright red blood per rectum, and thus would seem to be the preferred radiopharmaceutical for imaging.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Medicine Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
• OSTI ID: 5477920
• Journal Information: AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States), Journal Name: AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States) Vol. 137:6; ISSN AAJRD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOMEDICAL RADIOGRAPHY
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY FLUIDS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ERYTHROCYTES
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
HEMORRHAGE
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
IMAGES
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LABELLING
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIOLOGY
SYMPTOMS
TECHNETIUM 99
TECHNETIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES