Definition
Hematemesis is the emission of blood with vomiting.
This symptom indicates a blood loss from the first part of the gastrointestinal tract (esophagus, stomach or duodenum). The blood is bright red if fresh, while it is dark-blackish brown and made up of granular material (coffee vomit) when it has undergone the digestive action of gastric juices. In some cases, hematemesis may contain food residues.
The most frequent causes of hematemesis are the gastroduodenal ulcer and the rupture of the esophageal varices in liver cirrhosis. In the latter case, the hematemesis derives from the increase in blood pressure in the portal circulation, secondary to the subversion of the architecture of the liver. The gastric or duodenal ulcer, on the other hand, produces vomiting of blood due to the erosion of vascular branches of a certain caliber.
Hematemesis is also found in the presence of acute and severe gastritis, esophageal diverticula, esophagitis and tumors in the stomach, duodenum or esophagus. Abdominal traumas, eating habits (alcohol abuse), taking certain drugs (eg NSAIDs) and recent instrumental investigations may also contribute to this manifestation.
Patients with chronic liver disease (alcohol or viral) or bleeding disorders are more likely to develop severe bleeding.
Hematemesis is the presence of blood in vomit - taken from: dailytrust.com.ng/
Possible Causes * of Hematemesis
- angiodysplasia
- Dengue
- Esophageal diverticula
- Ebola
- Esophagitis
- Barrett's Esophagus
- Marburg hemorrhagic fever
- Yellow fever
- Gastritis
- Ingestion of caustic substances
- Schistosomiasis
- Mallory-Weiss syndrome
- Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
- Hemolytic-uremic syndrome
- Essential thrombocythemia
- Stomach cancer
- Esophagus tumor
- Duodenal ulcer
- Gastric ulcer
- Peptic ulcer
- Esophageal varices
