Glucagon in the scintigraphic diagnosis of small-bowel hemorrhage by Tc-99m-labeled red blood cells

Twelve patients undergoing scintigraphy with Tc-99m-labeled red blood cells (RBC) exhibited abnormal small-bowel activity and were given glucagon to assess its role in detecting bleeding from the small bowel. Six demonstrated focal accumulation of activity which was not identified prior to glucagon. Endoscopy, barium studies, angiography, and colonoscopy located the small-bowel bleeding site in 4 patients; in the other 2, studies of the colon failed to show the bleeding site and the origin was presumed to be the small bowel. The authors suggest that intravenous glucagon can be beneficial as an adjuvant to Tc-99m-RBC when diagnosing bleeding from the small bowel.