Upper GI bleeds

Question 1

Are you more likely to see high urea levels in upper GI or lower GI bleeding?

Answer 1

High urea levels can indicate an upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed versus a lower GI bleed.

This is due to the fact that when upper GI bleeding occurs, the blood is digested into proteins. These proteins are transported to the liver via the portal vein and metabolized to urea in the urea cycle.

Question 2

What