Lower gastrointestinal bleeding

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding
Positive fecal occult blood test
SpecialtyGastroenterology Edit this on Wikidata
SymptomsBright blood in stool, dark blood in vomit

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is any form of gastrointestinal bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract. LGIB is a common reason for seeking medical attention at a hospital's emergency department.[1] LGIB accounts for 30–40% of all gastrointestinal bleeding and is less common than upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB).[2] It is estimated that UGIB accounts for 100–200 per 100,000 cases versus 20–27 per 100,000 cases for LGIB.[3] Approximately 85% of lower gastrointestinal bleeding involves the large intestine, 10% are from bleeds that are actually upper gastrointestinal bleeds, and 3–5% involve the small intestine.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference HN was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Gralnek, IM; Neeman, Z; Strate, LL (March 2017). "Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding". New England Journal of Medicine (Review). 376 (11): 1054–63. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp1603455. PMID 28296600. S2CID 44539833.
  3. ^ Farrell JJ, Friedman LS (June 2001). "Gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly". Gastroenterol. Clin. North Am. 30 (2): 377–407, viii. doi:10.1016/s0889-8553(05)70187-4. PMID 11432297.
  4. ^ Dutta G, Panda M (2008). "An uncommon cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding: a case report". Cases J. 1 (1): 235. doi:10.1186/1757-1626-1-235. PMC 2577108. PMID 18851756.