Glasgow-Blatchford score calculator
Enter blood urea or BUN, hemoglobin, systolic blood pressure and the clinical findings to get the Glasgow-Blatchford score for upper gastrointestinal bleeding. A score of 0 marks patients at very low risk. Information for clinicians, not a diagnosis.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Choose the patient’s sex and the unit your lab uses for urea and hemoglobin.
- Enter urea or BUN, hemoglobin and systolic blood pressure.
- Tick pulse of 100 or more, melena, syncope, liver disease and heart failure if present.
- Read the total, the points of each measured item and the risk line.
How the score works
| Item |
Values |
Points |
| Urea (mmol/L) |
6.5 to under 8 / 8 to under 10 / 10 to under 25 / 25 or more |
2 / 3 / 4 / 6 |
| Hemoglobin, men (g/dL) |
12 to under 13 / 10 to under 12 / under 10 |
1 / 3 / 6 |
| Hemoglobin, women (g/dL) |
10 to under 12 / under 10 |
1 / 6 |
| Systolic BP (mmHg) |
100–109 / 90–99 / under 90 |
1 / 2 / 3 |
| Pulse ≥ 100/min |
|
1 |
| Melena |
|
1 |
| Syncope |
|
2 |
| Liver disease |
|
2 |
| Heart failure |
|
2 |
In BUN terms the urea bands start at 18.2, 22.4, 28 and 70 mg/dL.
Worked example
A man with black stools has urea 7 mmol/L (2 points), hemoglobin 12.5 g/dL (1), systolic pressure 105 mmHg (1), pulse 92 and no other findings. With melena (1) the score is 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5, not low risk.
Tips
- Hemoglobin in g/L divided by 10 gives g/dL: 125 g/L = 12.5 g/dL.
- The score uses values at presentation, before transfusion.
- A low score does not apply to someone who is unstable or still bleeding heavily.
- Vomiting blood or passing black stools needs urgent medical care. This page is for information.
Frequently asked questions
What does a Glasgow-Blatchford score of 0 mean?
In studies, patients with a score of 0 rarely needed a transfusion, endoscopic treatment or surgery, so many guidelines allow them to be managed as outpatients. Some guidelines, such as the European ESGE, extend this to a score of 1 or less.
Do I enter BUN or urea?
Either. American labs usually report blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in mg/dL, British labs urea in mmol/L, and many Spanish-speaking labs urea in mg/dL. The calculator converts to mmol/L of urea: BUN ÷ 2.8, or urea in mg/dL ÷ 6.006.
Why are the hemoglobin bands different for women?
The score uses lower thresholds for women because their normal hemoglobin is lower: 10 to under 12 g/dL gives 1 point and under 10 gives 6, while for men 12 to under 13 gives 1, 10 to under 12 gives 3 and under 10 gives 6.
Does the score replace endoscopy?
No. It helps sort patients by risk before endoscopy. A high score does not show the source of bleeding; endoscopy does.