<![CDATA[Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a mediacal emergency that may rapidly reduce Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a medical emergency that may rapidly reduce circulating red blood cell mass and hemoglobin concentration, thereby compromising tissue oxygen delivery. Initial hemoglobin measurement is routinely used to support risk stratification, determine the need for transfusion, and guide early management, although the value obtained at presentation may be influenced by the timing of bleeding and intravascular fluid shifts. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of initial hemoglobin levels among patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding treated at Meuraxa Regional General Hospital, Banda Aceh. A quantitative descriptive study with a retrospective design was conducted using medical records of adult inpatients diagnosed with acute upper or lower gastrointestinal bleeding from January to December 2025. Total sampling was applied, and 83 records meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were analysed using univariate descriptive statistics. Most patients were older adults (54.2%) and female (53.0%). Upper gastrointestinal bleeding accounted for 83.1% of cases, whereas lower gastrointestinal bleeding accounted for 16.9%. The mean initial hemoglobin level was 9.29 ± 2.12 g/dL, with a median of 9.6 g/dL and a range of 4.1-12.8 g/dL. Moderate anemia was the most frequent category (48.2%), followed by mild anemia (25.3%) and severe anemia (24.1%); only 2.4% of patients were not anemic. These findings indicate that most patients presented with anemia and low initial hemoglobin levels. Initial hemoglobin assesment should be interpreted together with hemodynamic status and clinical presentation to support timely triage, monitoring, and therapeutic decision-making.]]>
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