Melena ( lat. Melaena , from other Greek. Μέλαινα νόσος - “black disease”; synonyms: black Hippocratic disease , tarry stool ) - black semi-liquid stool with a characteristic unpleasant odor, formed from the blood under the influence of the contents of the stomach and intestines . The appearance of melena is an important symptom of gastrointestinal bleeding [1] .
| Milena | |
|---|---|
| ICD-10 | K 92.1 |
| ICD-9 | 578.1 |
| ICD-9-KM | |
| Medlineplus | |
| Mesh | |
The dark color of feces during melena is due to the formation of hematin hydrochloride (hemin), which is formed by the interaction of hydrochloric acid with hemoglobin molecules .
Even moderate bleeding (50 - 100 ml) causes the black color of the stool, not manifesting itself as any pronounced subjective disorders. With more heavy bleeding, melena manifests itself after 30 minutes - 2 hours and is accompanied by symptoms of acute blood loss. The main method for detecting melena is to inspect bowel movements. If this is not possible, but there is anamnestic information about the tarry character of feces in the preceding stool, as well as in the presence of other symptoms of internal bleeding (pallor of the skin, collapse, decreased hemoglobin in the blood, etc.), it is necessary to perform a rectal examination with an examination of the feces collected from the walls rectum. This study should also be carried out in sudden fainting conditions of unknown origin.
It should not be mixed with chalk, when the stool of normal consistency turns black under the influence of the composition of the food (black currant, blueberry, red wine), as well as some medications (carbolene, bismuth, iron, activated charcoal). Feces in these cases can also acquire a dark color, but the feces, as a rule, are normally formed and do not have a lacquer shine.
If melena appears, you must immediately call an ambulance; food and drinks should not be taken, except for cold water [2] ; with the onset of symptoms of anemia ( pallor , shortness of breath , palpitations , loss of consciousness ) should lie before the arrival of doctors.
Links
Sources of Information
- ↑ Melena // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Medical Terms . In 3 volumes / Editor-in-Chief B.V. Petrovsky . - Moscow: Soviet Encyclopedia , 1982 . - 1424 s. - 100,000 copies.
- ↑ Collective of authors. Article “Milena” // Brief Medical Encyclopedia / A.N. Shabanov. - Moscow: Soviet Encyclopedia , 1989. - T. 2. - 200,000 copies.