Blood in stool
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blood in stool Classification and external resources |
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ICD-9 | 578.1 |
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DiseasesDB | 19317 |
MedlinePlus | 003130 |
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 GI tract
- Hematochezia, with more red color, originating in latter parts of the GI 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.