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What is the medical term for bright red blood in stools?

a) Hematemesis
b) Melena
c) Hematochezia
d) Hemoptysis

User KRKR
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The medical term for bright red blood in stools is c) Hematochezia. It is related to bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract and requires medical attention. Hematochezia is different from hematemesis, which involves vomiting blood, and melena, which is black, tarry feces due to digested blood.

Thus correct option is c) Hematochezia.

Step-by-step explanation:

The medical term for bright red blood in stools is c) Hematochezia. This condition occurs when there is bleeding from a source closer to the anus or colon, and it results in the excretion of fresh, bright red blood. Hematochezia can be a sign of a hemorrhage, which is excessive bleeding, and should be promptly addressed by a healthcare professional. In contrast, hematemesis is vomiting of blood, hemoptysis is coughing up blood, and melena refers to black, tarry stools caused by blood that has been digested.

Emesis, or vomiting, can be induced by various triggers, including gastrointestinal disturbances, infections like the flu, toxins, medications, and psychological factors. A person experiencing emesis during a flu infection is likely responding to the body's attempt to remove the pathogens or to the body's inflammatory response to the infection.

Fever is not a cardinal sign of inflammation, which includes redness, heat, and swelling. Critical thinking is required to connect symptoms such as hematochezia to potential underlying causes and to interpret red streaks on the skin, which may suggest a condition causing the streaks such as an infection or inflammation.

Thus correct option is c) Hematochezia.

User Nathan Tornquist
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