Blood in stool

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In medicine, when referring to human feces, blood in stool can refer to multiple conditions:

• Melena, with more blackish appearance, originating in upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract
• Hematochezia, with more red color, originating in latter parts of the gastrointestinal tract

The term is usually not used to describe fecal occult blood, which refers to blood only found after testing is performed.

In infants, the Apt test can be used to distinguish fetal hemoglobin from maternal blood.

List of causes of blood in the stool [edit]

Common causes of blood in the stool include:

• Colorectal cancer^{[1][2][3][4][5]}
• Crohns disease^[6]
• Ulcerative colitis^[7]
• Other types of inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome, or ulceration
• Rectal or anal hemorrhoids or anal fissures, particularly if they rupture or are otherwise irritated^{[8][citation needed]}
• E. coli food poisoning^[9]
• Necrotizing enterocolitis^{[10][citation needed]}
• Diverticulosis^[11]
• Salmonellosis^[12]
• Upper gastrointestinal bleeding^[13]
• Peptic ulcer disease^[14]
• Esophageal varices^[15]
• Gastric cancer^[16]

References [edit]