Final answer:
Gastric lavage primarily aims to remove harmful substances from the stomach in cases of gastrointestinal bleeding, not to measure gastric components or assess gastric motility.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary purpose of gastric lavage in the case of a client who has gastrointestinal bleeding is to remove ingested toxins or substances from the stomach. While gastric lavage may be informative for measuring gastric components such as total chloride, occult blood, free HCl, lactic acid, bile pigments, and peptic activity, these measurements are used to assess the normal function of the stomach rather than being the primary goals of the procedure in an emergency situation such as gastrointestinal bleeding.
Gastric lavage for this client is typically performed to cleanse the stomach by removing substances that may contribute to the bleeding, thus stabilizing the patient and allowing for a more accurate assessment and treatment of their condition.