Glasgow-Blatchford score (upper GI bleed)
Pre-endoscopy risk score for acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
What it is for
Acute upper GI bleeding in people aged 16 and over. NICE CG141 (2012, updated 2016) uses the Blatchford score at first assessment; the score needs a blood urea and haemoglobin, so in primary care it is mainly a reference for what the receiving team will use.
Use the working calculator
The working Glasgow-Blatchford score (upper GI bleed) calculator is on our calculators page. It is free and needs no account. Enter the values and it shows the result with the reading that goes with it.
The calculators are free. The trial opens the protocols and pathways they link to.What you enter
The calculator asks for 8 items.
Blood tests
- Blood urea (mmol/L)Options: < 6.5; 6.5 to < 8.0; 8.0 to < 10.0; 10.0 to < 25.0; ≥ 25.0
- Haemoglobin (g/L) — by sexOptions: Men ≥ 130 / Women ≥ 120; Men 120 to < 130; Women 100 to < 120; Men 100 to < 120; Men or women < 100
Observations
- Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)Options: ≥ 110; 100–109; 90–99; < 90
- Pulse ≥ 100 /min (1 point)
Presentation and history
- Presentation with melaena (1 point)
- Presentation with syncope (2 points)
- Hepatic disease (history or clinical/laboratory evidence) (2 points)
- Cardiac failure (history or clinical evidence) (2 points)
How the result is read
The result is shown as Glasgow-Blatchford score, out of a maximum of 23.
The calculator reads each total as follows. Where a single answer changes the reading (for example sex, age or one extreme value), the working calculator says so.
| Total | Band | What the calculator says |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Score 0 — NICE CG141: consider early discharge before endoscopy | |
| 1 | Score 1 — above NICE’s early-discharge threshold (some international guidance uses ≤ 1) | |
| 2 to 23 | Score ≥ 2 — not low risk; higher scores predict need for intervention |
Sources
These are the sources the calculator cites. Check the current version before relying on a threshold.
Related
For qualified clinicians. A score supports a clinical decision and does not make it: check the inputs, read the cited source, and use the tools in your clinical system for patient care where one is provided.