Approach to Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding – causes, symptoms (melena) and treatment

Patients with acute upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding commonly present with hematemesis (vomiting of blood or coffee-ground-like material) and/or melena (black, tarry stools).

Common causes of UGI bleeding include peptic or duodenal ulcers, erosive gastritis, GORD, Variceal haemorrhage/bleeding, angiodysplasia and mallory Weiss tear. More uncommon causes of UGI bleeding include GAVE, cameron lesions, hemobilia and succus pancreaticus.