A patient asks the nursing assistant for a bedpan. When the patient is finished, the nursing assistant notifies the nurse that the patient has bright red streaking of blood in the stool. What is this most likely a result of?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Lower rectal or anal bleeding is suspected if there is streaking of blood on the surface of the stool.
Hemorrhoids are often a cause of anal bleeding since they occur in the rectum. Blood from an upper GI bleed would be dark rather than frank. Iron supplements make the stool dark, but not bloody and red meat consumption would not cause frank blood.

A Patient Asks the Nursing Assistant for a Bedpan