Hematochezia

Haematochezia
Other names	hematochezia
Bloody stool
Specialty	Gastroenterology
Symptoms	bright blood in stool
Causes	Hemorrhoid, gastritis, gastrointestinal bleeding, stomach cancer

Haematochezia is the passage of fresh blood through the anus, usually in or with stools (contrast with melena).^[1] The term is from Greek αἷμα ("blood") and χέζειν ("to defaecate"). Hematochezia is commonly associated with lower gastrointestinal bleeding, but may also occur from a brisk upper gastrointestinal bleed. The difference between hematochezia and rectorrhagia is that, in the latter, rectal bleeding is not associated with defecation; instead, it is associated with expulsion of fresh bright red blood without stools.^[2] The phrase bright red blood per rectum is associated with hematochezia and rectorrhagia.