Question
My baby has bloody stools, and after examination, it’s not a gastrointestinal bleeding. However, the cause cannot be determined. What tests should we do? The duration of the illness and its persistence: 4 days Current general condition: Often crying, stools with blood Medical history: The blood in the stool appeared 25 days ago, and the doctor said it was gastrointestinal bleeding. The blood stopped after taking hemostatic medicine, but then the doctor said it was due to a deficiency of some kind of vitamin, but this time the examination said it wasn’t. We did a CT scan, blood test, electrocardiogram, and encephalogram, but the doctor said they couldn’t find anything. Now we don’t know what to do?
Answer
Hello: Below are all the conditions related to bloody stools. You can do the relevant tests one by one to rule out possibilities, and treatment should be urgent, as delaying can worsen the condition. Bloody stools in a baby are a special symptom of lower gastrointestinal bleeding, especially in the colon, rectum, and anal area, indicating that there may be organic changes in the intestines. It must be taken very seriously, and timely diagnosis and treatment are essential. When there is blood in the stool, consider the following diseases: (1) Anal Diseases ① Bloody stools with bright red blood and no pain are often seen in internal hemorrhoids. The first stage hemorrhoids are characterized by bleeding during defecation, often caused by the stool scraping off the hemorrhoid. The blood may drip continuously or in a straight line like an arrow, or only on toilet paper. ② Anal fissures are accompanied by anal pain and typical post-defecation periodic pain. ③ Anal cancer is mainly manifested by bloody stools and pain, with pain exacerbated before defecation. (2) Rectal Diseases ① Rectum