You respond to a call of an ill person. Upon arrival, you find your patient complaining of diffuse abdominal pain and hematemesis. When asked, the patient states that the emesis was "coffee ground" in nature. You suspect:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Hematemesis described as "coffee ground" in nature is a classic sign of an upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed, specifically due to the presence of partially digested blood that has been in contact with gastric acid. Diffuse abdominal pain may also be present in cases of upper GI bleeding. Lower GI bleeds typically present with bright red blood in the stool or rectal bleeding, while melena refers to black, tarry stools due to partially digested blood in the colon. Esophageal varices may cause vomiting of fresh blood (hematemesis) and abdominal pain, but the "coffee ground" appearance of the vomit is not typically associated with variceal bleeding.

You Respond to a Call of an Ill Person