Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis and risk assessment of gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleeding).
Family History
- Is there a history of frequent gastrointestinal disorders in your family?
Social history
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- How did you notice the bleeding?
- Have you/are you currently experiencing pain? If so, where are they localized and do they occur continuously or sporadically, possibly as fasting pain?
- When was the last time you ate? What?
- When did you last defecate? What was the nature of the stool?
- Do you have nausea or vomiting?
- Do you feel weak, not able to perform?
- Do you have a rapid pulse* ?
- Do you feel sluggish?
- How long have the symptoms been present?
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
- Have you recently lost body weight unintentionally? Please tell us your body weight (in kg) and height (in cm).
- Do you smoke? If yes, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, what drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (liver cirrhosis; splanchnic thrombosis; ulcer disease (ulcer disease); varicose or non-varicose gastrointestinal bleeding that has occurred; malignancies (cancer) of the gastrointestinal tract; hematologic neoplasms (malignant blood diseases)).
- Surgery (recent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)/dilatation of stenosed (narrowed) or completely occluded coronaries (arteries that wreath the heart and supply blood to the heart muscle); recent polypectomy (polyp removal) or other gastrointestinal tract surgery)
- Allergies
- Medication history:
- Platelet aggregation inhibition
- Dual platelet aggregation inhibition (bes. high risk of gastrointestinal bleeding).
- Vitamin K antagonists (VKA).
- “Triple therapy”
- Direct oral anticoagulants
- Heparin
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Data without guarantee)
