Page 22 - 86 human physiology part-2

The Gastrointestinal System

How Bleeding in the Digestive Tract is Diagnosed

To diagnose bleeding in the digestive tract the bleeding must be located and a complete history and
physical are very important. Here are some of the procedures that diagnose the cause of bleeding.

Endoscopy

An endoscopy is a common diagnostic technique that allows direct viewing of the bleeding site.
Since the endoscope can detect lesions and confirm the absence or presence of bleeding, doctors often
use this method to diagnose acute bleeding, the endoscope can also be used to treat the cause of
bleeding as well.

The endoscope is a flexible instrument that can be inserted through the mouth or rectum. The
instrument allows the doctors to see inside the esophagus, stomach,
duodenum(esophagoduodenoscopy), sigmoid colon(sigmoidoscopy), and rectum(rectoscopy, to collect
small samples of tissues, take pictures, and stop the bleeding. There is a new procedure out using a long
endoscope that can be inserted during surgery to locate a source of bleeding in the small intestine.

Capsule Endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy helps doctors to see and examine the lining of the middle part of the
gastrointestinal tract, which includes the three parts of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum).
The capsule is a small pill sized video camera called an endoscope. It has its own lens and light that
transfers the images to a monitor so the doctor can view them outside of the body. This process is also
referred to as small bowel endoscopy, capsule endoscopy, or wireless endoscopy.

The most common reason for doing a capsule endoscopy is to look for the causes of bleeding that
is coming from the small intestine. It is also able to help detect ulcers, tumors, and Crohn's disease.

Angiography

Angiography is a technique that uses dye to highlight blood vessels. This procedure is used when
the patient is bleeding badly enough that it allows the dye to leak out of the blood vessels and identifies
the bleeding site. In some situations, Angiography allows the patient to have medication injections that
may stop the bleeding.

Radionuclide Scanning

Radionuclide scanning is a non-invasive screening technique used for locating sites of acute
bleeding, especially in the lower GI tract. This procedure injects small amounts of radioactive material
that either attach to the persons red blood cells or are suspended in the blood. Special pictures are taken
that allows doctors to see the blood escaping. Barium x-rays, angiography, and radionuclide scans can
be used to locate sites of chronic occult bleeding.

How to Recognize Blood in the Stool and Vomit

• Bright red blood coating the stool
• Dark blood mixed with the stool
• Black or tarry stool

Wikibooks | 237