What is gastrointestinal bleeding
Bleeding from the esophagus, stomach, duodenum and liver and gallbladder system is called upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
Large amounts of bleeding are acute and severe for any patient, and are even more dangerous for the elderly, making prevention and treatment more difficult.
Therefore, we remind everyone to pay special attention to the following points to achieve early detection and timely and reasonable home first aid.
Stool color changes indicate gastrointestinal bleeding
For people with gastrointestinal diseases, observing the change in stool color is the only way to find bleeding by yourself.
If the stool is black, it is upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and the amount of bleeding is large. Stool with fresh blood is mostly lower gastrointestinal bleeding.
Proportion of people with gastrointestinal bleeding in different age groups
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the elderly is still mainly caused by ulcer disease, accounting for 40% to 50%; the second is gastric cancer bleeding, accounting for more than 10%; esophageal varicose bleeding accounts for 8%, gastric mucosal lesions account for 7%; acute and chronic gastritis accounts for 4%, and others account for about 15%.
Middle-aged and young patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding often have symptoms such as abdominal pain, upper abdominal discomfort, and hiccups before bleeding, and only 19% are asymptomatic.
As the elderly are not sensitive or react slowly, 39.8% of them have no feeling before upper gastrointestinal bleeding and no signs.
Therefore, it is necessary to promptly detect the elderly’s mild abdominal discomfort, gastrointestinal symptoms, and even emotional changes such as restlessness and irritability.
How to stop gastrointestinal bleeding
1. Appropriate use of sedatives can immediately relieve the patient’s nervousness and help stop bleeding.
2. Cold drinks cool down and stop bleeding
3. If there are cold drinks or ice water at about 5°C in the refrigerator, you can drink them slowly and intermittently, 100 to 200 ml each time.
4. If there is a history of bleeding in the past, it is best to keep Yunnan Baiyao, Panax notoginseng powder, Bletilla striata powder and other medicines at home, which can be taken when bleeding to stop bleeding.
Fasting will increase gastric acid, and the pH value in the stomach can directly affect blood coagulation.
When the pH value is 6.4, platelet aggregation can be reduced by 50%; if the pH value drops to 5.4, blood coagulation is almost impossible.
5. At this time, eating some soda crackers can reduce the acidity in the stomach, which is beneficial for stopping bleeding.
6. If you have cypermethrin, ranitidine, or famotidine at home, you can also take it, which can stop gastric acid secretion and help stop bleeding.
Contraindications in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding
In addition, do not take dilute hydrochloric acid, vinegar, or other digestive drugs (such as pepsin, pancreatic enzymes, etc.) to avoid deepening the ulcer and making it difficult to stop bleeding.
Do not apply hot compresses to the abdomen to avoid gastrointestinal congestion and aggravate bleeding.
When transferring patients to the hospital, whether using an ambulance or a taxi, the patient should be placed flat.