Rectal Bleeding Flashcards
What is the intial assement of someone with rectal bleeding?
ABCDE
And if acute bleeding - check circulation
What are clinical features to suggest haemodynamic instability?
- hypotension
- tachycardia
- cool peripheries
- tachypnoea
- or decreased conciseness
What are the anorectal differential diagnosis for rectal bleeding?
- Haemorrhoids
- Rectal tumour
- Anal tumour
- Anal fissure
- Anal fistula
- Solitary rectal ulcer
- Radiation proctitis
- Rectal Varices
- Trauma
What are the colonic differentials for rectal bleeding?
- Diverticular disease
- Angiodysplasia
- Colitis (inflammatory, ischaemic, infective)
- Colonic tumour (benign or malignant
- Latrogenic (endoscopic biopsy, anastomotic leakage)
- Vasculitis
What are the ileo-jejunal differential diagnosis for rectal bleeding?
- Peptic ulceration (including Meckel’s diverticulum
- Angiodysplasia
- Arterio-venous malformation
- Crohn’s disease
- Coeliac disease
- Aortic-enteric fistula
- Small bowel tumours
What are the Upper GI differential diagnosis for rectal bleeding?
- Peptic ulcer
- Gastritis/duodenitis
- Varcies
- Tumour
- Mallory-Weiss tear
- Olser-Weber-Rendu syndrome
- Aorto-enteric fistuala
- Dieufoy lesion
How can a GI haemorrhage show up?
overt or occult bleeding
How do upper GI sources of haemorrhage present?
- rectal bleeding alone
- also upper GI sources may present with haematemsis but large volumes of blood in GI tract can cause stimulation of peristlaisis and resultant rapid trasnit through intestine leads to passage of red blood per rectum
What questions should you ask about history of presenting complaint for rectal bleeding?
- How much blood has been passed
- Duration and frequency of symptoms
- What did blood look like
- Relationship of blood with stool
- Any pain or prolapse when opening bowels
- Is there tenesemus
- Any change in bowel habit
- Patient lost wieght
- Symptoms of anaemia
How do you find out from the patient how much blood has passed? What else do you ask about
- quantify with teaspoon
- may over estimate
- ask about symptoms of hypovolemia, light headiness, collapse, chest pain or breathlessness
What does fresh blood mean?
more distal the bleed
How would substantial bleed from lesions in GI tract show up?
- meleana
2. haematochezia if transit times are very rapid
Why might a non pathological reason patient may have black stool?
iron supplements
What are the 4 possible relationships of blood with stool?
- Blood mixed in with stool
- Blood streak stool
- Blood seperate from stool
- Blood seen on toilet paper
What does blood mixed in with stool suggest?
lesion proximal to sigmoid colon
What is tool in proximal colon like?
soft (facilitating mixing with blood) and sufficient transit time to mix in
What does it mean if blood is passed immediately after stool?
anorectal condition e.g. haemorrhoids
What does it mean if blood is passed on its own?
sufficient bleeding to dilate the rectum and produce a defecation stimulation e.g.
- diverticular disease
- angiodysplasia
- IBD
- sometimes a rapidly bleeding cancer
What would blood seen on toilet paper suggest?
minor bleeding from anal canal e.g. haemorrhoids or anal fissure
What would intense/tearing pain during defecation with pain after maybe and itching suggest?
anal fissure or anal herpes