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Blood in stool looks different depending on how early it enters the digestive tract—and thus how much digestive action it has been exposed to—and how much there is. The term can refer either to melena, with a black appearance, typically originating from upper gastrointestinal bleeding; or to hematochezia, with a red color, typically originating from lower gastrointestinal bleeding. [6]
A complete blood count as well as an hemoglobin test should be performed when a patient presents symptoms of hematochezia. A colonoscopy may be necessary if there is suspicion of bleed from colon particularly in the elderly to look for the site and many causes of bleed like carcinoma, ulcerative colitis, rectal varices or other lesions and in certain instances upper gastrointestinal endoscopy ...
A lower gastrointestinal bleed is defined as bleeding originating distal to the ileocecal valve, which includes the colon, rectum, and anus. [2] LGIB was previously defined as any bleed that occurs distal to the ligament of Treitz, which included the aforementioned parts of the intestine and also included the last 1/4 of the duodenum and the entire area of the jejunum and ileum. [1]
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]
Bowel infarction or gangrenous bowel represents an irreversible injury to the intestine resulting from insufficient blood flow. It is considered a medical emergency because it can quickly result in life-threatening infection and death. [1] Any cause of bowel ischemia, the earlier reversible form of injury, may ultimately lead to infarction if ...
If your skin is looking a bit pale (which can occur in people of any skin tone), there’s usually a reason. It could be anything from a vitamin B12 deficiency to a symptom of anemia.The same is ...
Oily stool, a.k.a. steatorrhea. Steatorrhea refers to bulky, foul-smelling, oily stool that tends to be pale in color and float in the toilet bowl, resisting flushing.
Volvulus occurs most frequently in middle-aged and elderly men. [11] Volvulus can also arise as a rare complication in persons with redundant colon, a normal anatomic variation resulting in extra colonic loops. [12] Sigmoid volvulus is the most-common form of volvulus of the gastrointestinal tract.