Bleeding in the any part of the gastrointestinal tract (digestive system) is commonly known as gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Gastrointestinal bleeding is one of the most common complain that warrant consultation with gastroenterologist (GI specialist). GI bleeding can be categorized into upper gastrointestinal bleeding and lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
The most common presentation for upper gastrointestinal bleeding include
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The most common cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is peptic ulcer disease. We will look at them briefly. Details on each disease will be covered in more detail in another section.
The most common cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding is ulcer disease. Most upper gastrointestinal bleeding can present with hematemesis or melena. Massive and rapid transit from high volume upper gastrointestinal bleeding can also present with bright blood (hematochezia) in stool.
Lower gastrointestinal bleeding is defined as bleeding below the ligament of treitz. That is from the last two third of the duodenum until the anus. However, 95% of the source come from colon. The most common presentation of lower gastrointestinal bleeding is hematochezia (bright red bleeding). However, bleeding from ascending colon cancer can also present with melena. Note that 10% of hematochezia can arise from upper gastrointestinal bleeding. The most common cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding is diverticulosis which present as painless colorless bleeding. The complete cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding are as follows:
Most patient present with orthostasis which means more than 10 point rise in pulse when going from supine to standing of sitting. Another definition will be SBP (systolic blood pressure) drop of > 20 points when sitting up.
The most important thing that a doctor will do when you have GI bleeding is to assess your vital signs. You will be given IV fluids if you present unstable vital signs such as low blood pressure. Once your doctor is sure that you are getting ample fluids to maintain your blood pressure, they will begin their diagnostic process of finding the causing of bleeding.
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