emDocs - April 22, 2019 - Author: Long B - Edited by: Koyfman A
"Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is a common ED chief complaint. Similar to many other conditions, LGIB may be associated with a variety of presentations and diseases ranging from benign to life-threatening. While most LGIB is due to diverticulosis, other conditions associated with LGIB include colitis, polyps, cancer, hemorrhoids, fissures, and others. Mortality is usually due to comorbidities, rather than exsanguination. The emergency clinician must be able to resuscitate the patient if needed and select the appropriate testing and disposition.
The British Society of Gastroenterology recently released their guidelines on LGIB bleeding evaluation and management in the BMJ. This post will provide you with the key takeaways. For more details and the evidence behind the recommendations, see the open access article." (Oakland K, Chadwick G, East JE, et al. Diagnosis and management of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding: guidelines from the British Society of Gastroenterology. Gut 2019;68:776-789)
