Gastrointestinal bleeding

Abstract

Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract may be acute or chronic. Acute haemorrhage from the oesophagus, stomach and upper small intestine gives rise to haematemesis and/or melaena, whereas bleeding from the lower small intestine and caecum results in melaena alone. Patients bleeding from sites distal to the ascending colon pass identifiable blood per rectum. Chronic bleeding from the alimentary tract frequently causes no noticeable change in the faeces and the commonest presentation is anaemia.