May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Gastroenteritis Black tarry stools may represent upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Black tarry stools may represent upper gastrointestinal bleeding |
|
Dear Ask The Doctor: I have been having black stools for the last 4 days.I have all so have a gas and hard burn.For the last 4 years i have been taking one disprin a day to keep my blood thin as i do a lot of long haul flights.I have nver had this problem before.Iam working on a oilrig offshore Ghana and are not due to get off untill the 25th April. Dear Steve: The presence of a black tarry and foul smelling stool may indicate bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract. In addition to history of prolonged use of aspirin, this most likely represents peptic ulceration and bleeding. Aspirin and other NSAIDs including ibuprofen predispose to peptic ulceration; therefore I advise discontinuing aspirin immediately. I would advise attending your family doctor urgently or local emergency room (if more accessible), for a full blood count examination to check your Haemoglobin level, and an urgent referral to a gastroenterologist for an endoscopy, which allows visualization of the upper gastrointestinal tract through a camera lens and identification of any peptic ulceration. |
|
| Last Updated ( Thursday, 13 May 2010 ) |
|
|
|
|
