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Hematemesis is the vomiting of blood. [1] This is usually vomit that contains bright red blood. [2] Coffee ground vomiting is similar to hematemesis, but is distinct in not involving bright red blood. [3] Hematemesis must be differentiated from hemoptysis (coughing up blood) and epistaxis (nosebleed). [4] Both of these are more common conditions.
The presence of bright red blood in stool, known as hematochezia, typically indicates lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Digested blood from the upper gastrointestinal tract may appear black rather than red, resulting in "coffee ground" vomit or melena. [2] Other signs and symptoms include feeling tired, dizziness, and pale skin color. [18]
Depending on the amount of the blood loss, symptoms may include shock. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding can be caused by peptic ulcers, gastric erosions, esophageal varices, and rarer causes such as gastric cancer. The initial assessment includes measurement of the blood pressure and heart rate, as well as blood tests to determine the hemoglobin.
2 and increased blood pH) and often hypokalemia (potassium depletion). The hypokalemia is an indirect result of the kidney compensating for the loss of acid. With the loss of intake of food the individual may eventually become cachectic. A less frequent occurrence results from a vomiting of intestinal contents, including bile acids and HCO − 3.
Fecal occult blood testing (FOBT), as its name implies, aims to detect subtle blood loss in the gastrointestinal tract, anywhere from the mouth to the colon.Positive tests ("positive stool") may result from either upper gastrointestinal bleeding or lower gastrointestinal bleeding and warrant further investigation for peptic ulcers or a malignancy (such as colorectal cancer or gastric cancer).
Esophagitis, esophageal varices, gastritis, cirrhosis or gastric ulcers for example, may bleed and produce coffee-ground vomitus. When unaccompanied by melena, hematemesis or a fall in hemoglobin with corresponding urea rises and creates an unstable reaction, and other causes of coffee ground vomitus need to be elucidated; for example, gastric stasis, bowel obstruction or ileus, that can cause ...
In medicine, the urea-to-creatinine ratio (UCR [1]), known in the United States as BUN-to-creatinine ratio, is the ratio of the blood levels of urea (mmol/L) and creatinine (Cr) (μmol/L). BUN only reflects the nitrogen content of urea (MW 28) and urea measurement reflects the whole of the molecule (MW 60), urea is just over twice BUN (60/28 ...
Blood tests (to monitor levels of platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells), stool tests (especially to check for microscopic or macroscopic levels of fresh or old blood), urinalysis (to help monitor kidney function, like blood urea nitrogen, or BUN, levels, pH, and for blood in the urine- hematuria) [3]