Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of hematemesis (vomiting of blood).
Family history
- What is the general health of your family members?
- Are there any diseases in your family that are common?
- Are there any hereditary diseases in your family?
Social history
- What is your profession?
- Are you exposed to harmful working substances in your profession?
Current medical history/systemic medical history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- When did you notice the bleeding?
- Does the bleeding exist continuously?
- What does the bleeding look like?
- Bright blood?*
- Tarry stools?*
- Do you have a rapid pulse?*
- Do you feel sluggish?
- Have you noticed any other symptoms?
- Tarry stools?
- Pain?
- Where is the pain localized?
Vegetative anamnesis including nutritional anamnesis.
- Have you lost body weight unintentionally in the recent past? If so, how much in what period of time?
- Do you smoke? If yes, how many cigarettes, cigars or pipes per day?
- Do you drink alcohol more often? If yes, what drink(s) and how many glasses of it per day?
- Do you use drugs? If yes, which drugs and how often per day or per week?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (gastrointestinal disease; liver disease; coagulation disorders; cancer).
- Surgery (operations on the gastrointestinal tract).
- Radiotherapy
- Vaccination status
- Allergies
- Environmental history (arsenic)
Drug history
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) result in a three- to fivefold increase in the risk of upper gastrointestinal tract complications (upper GI bleeding, perforation/rupture, ulcer/ulcer); complications are dose-dependent
- See also drug side effects, under:
- “Bleeding due to medications”
- “Platelet dysfunction due to drugs”
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Data without guarantee)
