Blood Vomiting & Blood Motions

Repeated vomiting and retching may cause bleeding and damage to the lower esophagus called Mallory Weiss tears. Other causes may include: Bleeding ulcer in the stomach, first part of the small intestine, or esophagus. Blood clotting disorders.

Vomiting blood is regurgitating (throwing up) contents of the stomach that contains blood. Vomited blood may appear bright red, dark red, or look like coffee grounds. The vomited material may be mixed with food or it may be blood only.

Why ?

The reasons vary, depending on where the bleeding is happening.

Vomiting blood is definitely due to a structural cause such as a stomach or duodenal ulcer, stomach cancer, esophageal vein bleeding, or esophagitis. Violent vomiting from any cause, including a functional one, can tear the lower esophagus and initiate bleeding.

The Procedure of ?

Vomiting of blood is the Hematemesis, which may be obviously red or have an appearance similar to coffee grounds. Melena is the passage of black, tarry stools. Hematochezia is the passage of fresh blood per anus, usually in or with stools.

Hematemesis, melena, and hematochezia are symptoms of acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Bleeding that brings the patient to the physician is a potential emergency and must be considered as such until its seriousness can be evaluated. The goals in managing a major acute gastrointestinal hemorrhage are to treat hypovolemia by restoring the blood volume to normal, to make a diagnosis of the bleeding site and its underlying cause, and to treat the cause of the bleeding as definitively as possible.

• Confirming the presence of bleeding.
• Estimating its amount and rapidity.
• Identifying the source and potential specific causes.
• Eliciting the presence of serious associated diseases that might adversely affect the outcome.