There are many ways to test for a GI bleed.Looking for blood in your vomit is one of the things that can be done.If your doctor suspects that you have an upper GI bleed, it is important to conduct medical investigations to find the source of the bleed.You can receive treatment once the source has been identified.It is important to go to the emergency room if you are experiencing rapid blood loss.
Step 1: Evaluate for the presence of blood in vomit.
If you have been throwing up, look for a red or dark red color.The presence of blood in your vomit could be a sign of an upper GI bleed.It is important to see a medical professional if you are vomiting blood.
Step 2: A blood test is needed for anemia.
You can tell if you are losing blood by having a blood test.Anemia means that you may be losing blood which could be causing the low hemoglobin counts.Anemia doesn't correlate to an upper GI bleed, but it is suspicious of GI bleeding.
Step 3: Blood can be found in your stool.
Tarry-looking stools are usually presented with blood from an upper GI bleed.The appearance of your stools can indicate the presence of blood.It can be tested in a laboratory.You submit a sample of stool to the lab for the fecal occult blood test.The stool is looked at under a microscope.If it tests positive for hemoglobin, it means that there is blood in the stool, which may be caused by an upper GI bleed.
Step 4: There are risk factors for peptic ulcer.
The majority of upper GI bleeds are caused bypeptic ulcers.Knowing the risk factors and likelihood of peptic ulcer will give you a good indication of where to look for an upper GI bleed.Testing positive for the presence of H. Pyloribacteria in your stomach is a risk factor that may be related to the source of the bleed.Taking NSAID medication can cause the formation of peptic ulcers.
Step 5: An upper GI endoscopy is a good choice.
An upper GI endoscopy is a procedure in which a tube is inserted into your body.The doctor can use the camera at the end of it to examine your upper GI tract.Small procedural repairs can be done through the tube if the source of your upper GI bleed is found.
Step 6: There is agastric lavage.
The stomach may pool with blood in the case of an upper GI bleed, making it difficult to determine the source of the bleed.A gastric lavage is likely to be performed if the view is obscured by pooled blood.This removes the blood from the stomach and GI tract so that the view improves and the source of the bleed can be found.
Step 7: There are possible causes of an upper GI bleed.
More than half of upper GI bleeding cases are caused by peptic ulcers.One of the major risk factors for peptic ulcer bleeding is taking NSAIDs.If you are diagnosed with peptic ulcers, you will most likely be told to stop taking NSAID medications and use alternative medical treatments.Bleeding of abnormal blood vessels in the esophagus is one of the possible causes of upper GI bleeding.
Step 8: Ensure that your vital signs are stable.
If you have been diagnosed with an upper GI bleed, your doctor will want to make sure you are stable.He or she will want to make sure that the degree of blood loss is not causing your blood pressure to fall, your heart rate to rise, and your vital signs to be compromised as you continue to lose more and more blood.Your doctor will measure your vital signs, which include heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation.If he or she is worried about the rate at which you are losing blood, and/or your degree of blood loss, you will most likely be sent to the hospital where you can be resuscitated if needed.
Step 9: If there is a need for a blood transfusion, you should do it.
Depending on your degree of blood loss, you may need a blood transfusion to keep you stable while the doctors work to resolve the underlying cause of your GI bleed.If your condition is severe enough to warrant a blood transfusion, it can be done in the hospital.
Step 10: There is a source of the upper GI bleed.
To treat an upper GI bleed, you need to identify the source and stop the bleeding.Once the source of the bleeding has been identified via an upper GI endoscopy and possible gastric lavage, the doctors will follow a couple of steps for treatment.An injection at the site of the bleed.If Epinephrine is not temporarily stopping the bleed, it will diminish the blood flow to the area and reduce the rate of bleed.A band, clip, or other form of "ligation" at the site of bleeding, which is a mechanism to close the bleed in a more permanent way than that offered by a simple injection.This can be done at the same time as the upper GI endoscopy using a camera and small instruments.
Step 11: Take your medication.
PPI medication has been shown to reduce bleeding and improve the outlook with upper GI bleeds.Depending on the nature of your bleed, your doctor will most likely give you this medication either for a short while or on an ongoing basis.If the source of your bleed is peptic ulcers, it is likely that you will need to take PPIs for a long time to decrease the chances of a future bleed.If you test positive for H. Pyloribacteria, you may be given antibiotics to destroy thebacteria from your stomach.
Step 12: As needed, get appropriate follow-up.
A percentage of people experience re-bleeding after treatment.The treatment is referred to as banding, clipping, etc.It is not always possible to resolve the bleed in the long term.The doctor may keep you in the hospital for a few days to make sure the treatment is working.He or she may suggest that you return a few days later for a follow-up exam to make sure you don't have any more bleeding.