Blood in patients’s vomit or stool can be a sign of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. GI bleeding can be scary for you. Many times, the cause of the bleeding is not serious. Still, you should ALWAYS be seen by a doctor if GI bleeding occurs.
The GI tract is the path that food travels through the body. Food passes from the mouth down the esophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach). Food begins to break down in the stomach and then moves through the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. Nutrients are absorbed as food travels through the small intestine.
Undigested food passes into the large intestine (colon) as waste. The colon removes water from the waste. Waste continues from the colon to the rectum (where stool is stored). Waste then leaves the body through the anus.
GI bleeding may have been caused by many different problems. Some of the more common ones include : If blood is coming out with patients’s stool, it may signal a lower digestive tract problem. Bleeding from the lower GI tract can be bright red, or it may look dark and tarry. The doctor will start by examining your child and asking questions. Some tests may be ordered. These tests may include : If patient is vomiting blood, it may signal an upper digestive tract problem. The doctor may order certain tests, such as :