Home Care:

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

Call your health care provider if:

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

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

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:

• 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