GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING

Course overview

GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING CAN FALL INTO TWO BROAD CATEGORIES: UPPER AND LOWER SOURCES OF BLEEDING. THE ANATOMIC LANDMARK THAT SEPARATES UPPER AND LOWER BLEEDS IS THE LIGAMENT OF TREITZ, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SUSPENSORY LIGAMENT OF THE DUODENUM. THIS PERITONEAL STRUCTURE SUSPENDS THE DUODENOJEJUNAL FLEXURE FROM THE RETROPERITONEUM. BLEEDING THAT ORIGINATES ABOVE THE LIGAMENT OF TREITZ USUALLY PRESENTS EITHER AS HEMATEMESIS OR MELENA WHEREAS BLEEDING THAT ORIGINATES BELOW MOST COMMONLY PRESENTS AS HEMATOCHEZIA. THIS ACTIVITY EXPLAINS WHEN THIS CONDITION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ON A DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS, ARTICULATES HOW TO PROPERLY EVALUATE FOR THIS CONDITION, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.