GASTROINTESTINAL BLEEDING

Key words: Gastrointestinal bleeding, Diagnosis, Case-management

Among the paediatric emergencies, gastroenterologic conditions have a prominent role. The most frequent are acute abdominal pain, intractable vomiting, foreign body ingestion, caustic ingestion and gastrointestinal bleeding, this last being the one that usually generates the greatest concern. The presenting features can vary: blood loss from the gastrointestinal tract can become manifest as hematemesis, melena, hematochezia and/or occult bleeding. A careful and well focused history taking and physical examination are essential for the initial evaluation, as they provide clues to the etiology and help assessing the severity of bleeding and determining the anatomical location of the bleeding. The Authors describe the appropriate case- management of gastrointestinal bleeding in children by presenting a few clinical cases.