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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]
An upper GI bleed is more common than lower GI bleed. [2] An upper GI bleed occurs in 50 to 150 per 100,000 adults per year. [8] A lower GI bleed is estimated to occur in 20 to 30 per 100,000 per year. [2] It results in about 300,000 hospital admissions a year in the United States. [1] Risk of death from a GI bleed is between 5% and 30%.
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 .
Surgical hernia repair usually prevents anemia recurrence; in 2 large series, post-operative follow-up showed anemia had resolved in 71-92% of subjects. [6] [7] An isotope study showed correction of blood loss after hernia repair. [2] These findings showed that the hernia was the usual cause of the anemia.
Gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is an uncommon cause of chronic gastrointestinal bleeding or iron deficiency anemia. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] The condition is associated with dilated small blood vessels in the gastric antrum , which is a distal part of the stomach . [ 1 ]
The treatments for cytopenia vary depending on the type of cytopenia. The treatment for anemia is rest and a diet consisting of high iron foods. Medication can also be used such as: [citation needed] Epoetin alfa, a synthetic erythropoietin that stimulates stem cells to produce red blood cells.
The Mayo Clinic diet, a program that adheres to this notion, was developed by medical professionals based on scientific research, so you can trust that this program is based on science, and not ...
Melena is a form of blood in stool which refers to the dark black, tarry feces that are commonly associated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. [1] The black color and characteristic strong odor are caused by hemoglobin in the blood being altered by digestive enzymes and intestinal bacteria.