Prehospital Management of Upper GI Bleeds: A Guide for EMTs and Paramedics

In emergency medicine, few scenarios are as immediately concerning as arriving on scene to find a patient actively vomiting bright red blood. Upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding represents a unique challenge for EMS providers—these patients aren’t trauma victims, yet they’re bleeding like trauma patients. They require both the rapid intervention of trauma care and the thorough assessment of a medical patient.

This guide breaks down the essential principles of managing an upper GI bleed in the prehospital setting, where your actions during those critical first minutes can significantly impact patient outcomes.