To Determine the Frequency of the Common Causes of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding by Colonoscopy at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Abstract

Objective:
To determine the frequency of the common causes of Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding (LGIB) by Colonoscopic
examination in a tertiary care hospital.
Subject and Method: This study was performed at the department of Gastroenterology, Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out over six months. We included patients presenting with lower gastrointestinal bleeding. History, examination and investigations were carried out. After stabilizing
the patient colonoscopy was performed.
Results: A total of 139 patients were included in this study, 94(67.6%) were males and 45(32.4%) were females.
The average age of the patients was 45.61 ±16.40 years. Colonoscopy showed abnormal findings in 110 (79.4%)
patients. 40(28.8%) patients had internal hemorrhoids, 14 (10.1%) had rectal ulcers and 9(6.5%) had polyps; infective colitis, proctitis and colonic ulcers were noted in 8(5.8%), 6(4.3%) and 5(3.6%) patients respectively. Malignant lesions in the colon and rectum were noted in 8(5.8%) and 3(2.2%) patients while ulcerative colitis,
Crohn’s and diverticular disease were noted in 5(3.6%), 1(1.4%), 2(0.7%) patients respectively. 29(20.6%) patients had normal colonoscopy examination.
Conclusion: In our study bleeding from internal hemorrhoids was the leading cause of lower gastrointestinal
bleeding followed by rectal ulcers and polyps.
Keywords: Lower GI Bleeding, Hemorrhoids, Rectal Ulcer, Rectal polyps, Colonoscopy.