What is hematochezia?

Key Takeaways Hematochezia is the medical term for rectal bleeding, wherein bright red blood from the rectum passes and mixes with the stool along with blood clots. Hematochezia is commonly associated with lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding and is often confused with melena, which is caused by upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding.

What does hematochezia look like in stool?

Hematochezia. The main cause of hematochezia is bleeding anywhere from your lower small intestine to your anus. The blood you find in your stool will be new, and may be hard to spot initially. When it appears, it tends to be a fresh, red color, as it has not been in your digestive tract for long.

What are hematochezia and Melena?

By definition, hematochezia is bright red blood from the anus, with or without fecal material present. Symptoms in addition to the blood may include: There are two different types of blood that can be found in the stool, hematochezia and melena. Melena is seen as dark, tarry, black feces.

Can hematochezia be prevented?

Hematochezia is commonly associated with lower gastrointestinal tract bleeding and is often confused with melena, which is caused by upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. After hematochezia is detected and treated, recurrent bleeding can be prevented or at least reduced by changing one’s lifestyle and eating habits.

What is the difference between rectorrhagia and hematochezia?

Hematochezia is commonly associated with lower gastrointestinal bleeding, but may also occur from a brisk upper gastrointestinal bleed. The difference between hematochezia and rectorrhagia is that, in the latter, rectal bleeding is not associated with defecation; instead, it is associated with expulsion of fresh bright red blood without stools.

What is the difference between hematochezia and Melena?

Hematochezia can also be confused with melena due to overlapping symptoms. In melena, blood comes out from the anus, which may or may not be accompanied with stool. The color of the blood is dark brown to maroon and sometimes black. In this case, the bleeding is due to an upper GI bleeding.