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Eating beetroot can cause harmless red-colored feces because of insufficient metabolism of a red pigment, and is a differential sign that may be mistaken as hematochezia. Consumption of dragon fruit or blackberries may also cause red or black discoloration of the stool and sometimes the urine (pseudohematuria). This too, is a differential sign ...
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]
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]
It is estimated that 90% of people experience rectal bleeding (of varying severity), 90% experience watery or loose stools with increased stool frequency (diarrhea), and 75-90% of people experience bowel urgency. [13] Additional symptoms may include fecal incontinence, mucous rectal discharge, and nocturnal defecations. [12]
Fecal incontinence-- paradoxical overflow diarrhea as a result of liquid stool passing around the obstruction; Abdominal pain and bloating; Loss of appetite; Complications may include necrosis and ulcers of the rectal tissue, which if untreated can cause death. [citation needed]
Stool antigen detection tests have helped to overcome some of the limitations of stool microscopy. Antigen detection tests are easy to use, but they have variable sensitivity and specificity, especially in low-endemic areas. [7] Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is considered the gold standard for diagnosis but remains underutilized. [7] [18]
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Shigellosis (Historically the disease usually referred to as Dysentery) is an infection of the intestines caused by Shigella bacteria. [1] [3] Symptoms generally start one to two days after exposure and include diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and feeling the need to pass stools even when the bowels are empty. [1]