Demographic, Clinical, and Lifestyle Risk Factors Associated with Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding: A Cross-Sectional Study at A Tertiary Care Hospital

Demographic Factors Associated with Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Abstract

Gastrointestinal bleeding is classified into upper and lower types; lower GI bleeding occurs distal to the ligament of Treitz, presenting as rectal bleeding with symptoms like fatigue, pallor, or shock. Objectives: To assess the demographic, clinical, and lifestyle risk factors associated with lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) among patients presenting to a Tertiary Care Hospital, Hyderabad. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from August 12, 2023, to February 11, 2024, at the Department of Gastroenterology, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro. A total of 105 male and female patients aged 18–70 years presenting with active rectal bleeding as their main complaint, and the duration of bleeding was not more than 6 months, were included in the study. The biodata of patients, such as age, duration of bleeding, and causes of bleeding, was collected. Results: The Age range of the patients in this study was 18 to 70 years, with a mean age was 42.29 ± 11.64 years. The most common cause of LGIB was internal hemorrhoids 32 (24%) followed by rectal ulcers 12 (9%), ulcerative colitis 10 (7.4%), rectal polyps 9 (6.6%), colitis 8 (5.9%), ileocecal ulcers 4 (2.9%), ileitis and colonic ulcers 3 (2.2%) in patients with Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding. Conclusions: It was concluded that the most common cause of colorectal bleeding in our patients was carcinomas, while in Western countries, diverticulosis is the commonest cause, and ulcerative colitis is the most common cause in some Eastern countries. Male individuals are more commonly affected by LGIB.