Gastrointestinal bleeding

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Intussusception - x-ray

Volvulus - X-ray

Lower GI bleeding; GI bleeding; Upper GI bleeding

There are home stool tests for microscopic blood that may be recommended for people with anemia or for colon cancer screening.

Call for an appointment with your doctor if:

• You have black, tarry stools (this may be a sign of GI bleeding)
• You have blood in your stool
• You vomit blood or you vomit material that looks like coffee grounds

GI bleeding is diagnosed by a doctor -- you may or may not be aware of its presence.

GI bleeding can be an emergency condition requiring immediate medical attention. Treatment may involve:

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• Blood transfusions
• Fluids and medicines through a vein
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) - a thin tube with a camera on the end is passed through your mouth into your esophagus, stomach, and small intestine
• A tube is placed through your mouth into the stomach to drain the stomach contents (gastric lavage)

Once your condition is stable, you will have a physical examination, including a detailed abdominal examination.

You will also be asked questions about your symptoms, including:

• When did you first notice symptoms?
• Did you have black, tarry stools or red blood in the stools?
• Have you vomited blood?
• Did you vomit material that looks like coffee grounds?
• Do you have a history of peptic or duodenal ulcers?
• Have you ever had symptoms like this before?
• What other symptoms do you have?

Tests that may be done to find the source of the bleeding include:

• Abdominal CT scan
• Abdominal MRI scan
• Abdominal x-ray
• Angiography
• Bleeding scan (tagged red blood cell scan)
• Blood clotting tests
• Capsule endoscopy (camera pill that is swallowed to look at the small intestine)
• Colonoscopy
• Complete blood count (CBC), clotting tests, platelet count, and other laboratory tests
• Enteroscopy
• Sigmoidoscopy

Review Date: 01/31/2011
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).