Final answer:
A client with a bleeding gastric ulcer is most likely to present with black, tarry stools, also known as melena, as blood changes color when digested by stomach acids.
Step-by-step explanation:
When assessing a client with a bleeding gastric ulcer, one would expect to find characteristics in the stool that indicate the presence of digested blood. Typically, due to the reaction of hemoglobin with stomach acid, the expected characteristic is black, tarry stools, which is medically referred to as melena. These types of stools occur because when blood is exposed to the acidic environment in the stomach, it breaks down and changes color, leading to the black and tarry appearance. The term "coffee ground-like appearance" is generally associated with vomit that contains blood altered by gastric acids. While bright red blood in the stool, known as hematochezia, is more often associated with lower gastrointestinal bleeding, it can be seen with rapid upper gastrointestinal bleeds where the transit time through the intestines hasn't been long enough for the blood to darken. Usually, however, gastric ulcer bleeding will result in dark stools since the blood has time to be digested and react with the gastric acids.