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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]
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%.
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 is commonly associated with lower gastrointestinal bleeding, but may also occur from a brisk upper gastrointestinal bleed. The difference between hematochezia and rectorrhagia is that rectal bleeding is not associated with defecation; instead, it is associated with expulsion of fresh bright red blood without stools. [2]
Bleeding in the stomach and intestines, edema, dilated blood vessels 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 ]
However, further studies have shown that taking low-dose aspirin daily can increase the risk of bleeding in some older adults — including bleeding in the stomach, intestines, and brain, which ...
Often, the first approach is to use endoscopy to look for obvious signs of a bleed. In cases where the source of the bleed is unclear, but melena is present, an upper endoscopy is recommended, to try to ascertain the source of the bleed. [citation needed] Lower gastrointestinal bleeding sources usually present with hematochezia or frank blood.
Diverticular disease can present with painless rectal bleeding as bright red blood per rectum. Diverticular bleeding is the most common cause of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding. [9] However, it is estimated that 80% of these cases are self-limiting and require no specific therapy. [10]