The Role of Tagged Red Blood Cell Imaging in the Localization of Gastrointestinal Bleeding

• The records of 162 patients who underwent technetium-99m–tagged red blood cell scans for the localization of gastrointestinal hemorrhage were studied. Ninety-eight scans were read as positive, with bleeding sites determined by a radiologist. Forty-six patients had a definitive diagnosis made by other means. Tagged scans accurately localized the site of bleeding in only 52% of cases. Analysis of the value of these tagged scans in predicting a...