GI bleed

“GI” stands for “gastrointestinal.” “GI system” (or “GI tract”) is the medical term for all the organs in your body that process food. The GI system includes your:

• Esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach)
• Stomach
• Small intestine (also called the small bowel)
• Large intestine (also called colon or large bowel)

A GI bleed is when any of those organs start to bleed. Often you do not know you’re bleeding, because it’s happening inside your body. But sometimes there are signs that it’s happening.

There are 2 common varieties of GI bleeds. “Upper GI bleeds” affect the esophagus, the stomach, and therefore the first part of the tiny intestine. “Lower GI bleeds” affect the colon. Bleeding may happen within the middle of the tiny intestine, but this can be much less common. This can be sometimes called “mid-GI bleeding.”

The symptoms are minimally different depending on whether you’ve got an upper or lower GI bleed. Some people don’t have any symptoms. The Gastroenterologist may find that you are having anaemia.  (Anaemia is when an individual has too few red blood cells.)

The symptoms of an upper GI bleed can include:

• Vomiting blood
• Diarrhoea or bowel movements that appear as if black tar (this can happen with lower GI bleeds, too, but it’s less common)
• Bowel movements that look bloody (this can happen with upper GI bleeds, too, but it’s less common)
• Feeling weak, light-headed, or woozy (especially if you lose plenty of blood)
• A racing heartbeat (if you lose plenty of blood)
• Cramps or belly pain
• Diarrhoea
• Pale skin

See your Gastroenterologist straight away if you:

• Vomit blood or something that looks like coffee grounds
• Have a bowel movement that looks like tar or has blood in it
• Feel weak, light-headed, or woozy
• Have a racing heartbeat
• Have severe belly pain
• Turn much paler than normal

Yes. If your Gastroenterologist or nurse suspects you have a GI bleed, he or she will order 1 or more of these tests:

• Blood tests to:

•  See if you have enough red blood cells (the cells that carry oxygen)
• See if your blood is clotting normally
• See if your liver is functioning normally

• An upper endoscopy – For this test, a Gastroenterologist gives you medicine to make you sleepy and relaxed. Then he or she puts a thin tube called an endoscope in your mouth and down your throat. The tube contains a light on the end and a camera that sends images of your gi tract to a TV screen. If the Gastroenterologist sees any spots that are bleeding, he or she can use tools that go through the endoscope to assist stop the bleeding.

Depending on what proportion blood you have lost and what seems to be causing your bleeding, you may get 1 or more of these treatments:

• Oxygen through a mask or a tube that sits under your nose
• Blood or fluids into one in every of your veins (to replace blood you lost or treat a bleeding disorder)
• Medicines to reduce stomach acid or treat a bleeding disorder
• Medicines help clean out and empty your gut (so that Gastroenterologists can see clearly what is happening inside)
• Antibiotics
• A small tube that goes up your nose and down your throat so Gastroenterologists can rinse out your stomach

Depending on where the bleed seems to be, you might even have an upper endoscopy, a colonoscopy, or both. This can help the Gastroenterologists find the spot or spots that are bleeding. Plus, Gastroenterologists can sometimes use the upper endoscopy or colonoscopy to seal off blood vessels and stop them from bleeding.

After the bleeding has stopped, your Gastroenterologist will probably want to follow up with you to be told why you started bleeding in the first place. If you have ulcers or another condition that could lead to bleeding, the Gastroenterologist or nurse will want to make sure those problems are treated.