Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Updated: Mar 21, 2016

• Author: Maurice A Cerulli,

Practice Essentials
Acute gastrointestinal bleeding is a potentially life-threatening
abdominal emergency that remains a common cause of
hospitalization. Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is defined as
bleeding derived from a source proximal to the ligament of Treitz.
The image below depicts an ulcer with active bleeding.

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of acute upper GI bleeding [1] include the
following:
• Hematemesis
• Melena
• Hematochezia
• Syncope
• Presyncope
• Dyspepsia
• Epigastric pain
• Heartburn
• Diffuse abdominal pain
• Dysphagia
• Weight loss
• Jaundice