Gastrointestinal bleeding can occur in the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract, including your oesophagus, stomach, intestines or rectum.¹  Gastrointestinal bleeding can be a symptom of a number of conditions.

Gastrointestinal bleeding is typically classified into the below sub-types:

• Overt – the presence of blood in vomit, stool or from anus ²
• Occult – bleeding is not visible and may be identified through presentation of unexplained anaemia (low iron), causing tiredness and breathlessness or positive faecal occult blood test, which tests for the presence of haemoglobin in stool ²
• Obscure – persistent bleeding in which a source is not identified during colonoscopy or upper endoscopy ²

To diagnose the cause of gastrointestinal bleeding may involve a number of tests. Your doctor may refer you for a blood test to determine your haemoglobin level, platelet count and liver function; you may undergo a faecal occult blood test, which tests for the presence of haemoglobin in your stool; a colonoscopy, a procedure which involves inserting a camera on a flexible tube into the rectum to identify any evidence of lower gastrointestinal bleeding; or an upper endoscopy, a procedure which involves inserting a camera on a flexible tube via the mouth to identify upper gastrointestinal bleeding. ¹

For patients with obscure bleeding that have received negative upper and low gastrointestinal endoscopy, further investigation is required.

As gastrointestinal bleeding is often a symptom of a wide range of gastrointestinal conditions, treatment will vary upon diagnosis.