Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a term used for any bleeding that occurs within the GI tract from mouth to anus. GI bleeding can be categorized into upper and lower in origin. The ligament of Treitz is commonly used as the point to differentiate the two. Bleeds proximal to the ligament are upper GI bleeds, and distal bleeds are lower GI bleeds. Categorization into one of the two groups is important as it directs the evaluation and management of the patient.