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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]
Hematochezia. Hematochezia is a form of blood in stool, in which fresh blood passes through the anus while defecating. It differs from melena, which commonly refers to blood in stool originating from upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). [1] The term derives from Greek αἷμα ("blood") and χέζειν ("to defaecate").
Gastrointestinal bleeding can range from small non-visible amounts, which are only detected by laboratory testing, to massive bleeding where bright red blood is passed and shock develops. Rapid bleeding may cause syncope. [ 18 ] The presence of bright red blood in stool, known as hematochezia, typically indicates lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
By contrast, dark red or maroon blood may mean you are bleeding higher up in your colon, and black or tar-like stool suggests bleeding in your stomach from an ulcer, he notes. (Here’s why blood ...
Bright blood in stool, dark blood in vomit. Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is any form of gastrointestinal bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract. LGIB is a common reason for seeking medical attention at a hospital's emergency department. [1] LGIB accounts for 30–40% of all gastrointestinal bleeding and is less common than upper ...
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).
Those with rectal bleeding may notice bright red blood in their stool. Symptoms associated with rectal bleeding include having several bowel movements in a day, feelings of incomplete rectal evacuation, straining, hard or lumpy stools, feelings of urgency, loose or watery stools, and leakage of bowel movement.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is gastrointestinal bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract, commonly defined as bleeding arising from the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. Blood may be observed in vomit or in altered form as black stool. Depending on the amount of the blood loss, symptoms may include shock.