Abstract
Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage has a variety of causes and may present with subtle or massive blood loss. Potential sources may be located anywhere from the nasal/oropharynx to the ligament of Treitz. The history and physical examination are cornerstones for initial assessment; if the patient’s vital signs are unstable, resuscitation and evaluation are promptly instituted simultaneously with a rapid physical assessment and interview with the patient and/or family. A variety of over-the-counter or prescribed medicines may either cause GI bleeding or lead to failure of hemostasis during treatment. A history of their use is essential.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Karagiorgos, N.D., Hyser, M.J. (2015). Upper Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage. In: Saclarides, T., Myers, J., Millikan, K. (eds) Common Surgical Diseases. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1565-1_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1565-1_30
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1564-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1565-1
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)