You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Best practice
Fifteen-minute consultation: Rectal bleeding in children
  1. Huria Metezai1,
  2. Amar Wahid2,
  3. Ceri Jones3,
  4. Jordan Evans1
  1. 1 Paediatric Emergency Department, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
  2. 2 Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
  3. 3 Department of Paediatric Surgery, Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Jordan Evans, Paediatric Emergency Department, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK; jordan.evans{at}wales.nhs.uk

Abstract

Bleeding per rectum in children is an infrequent presentation associated with a wide range of differential diagnoses, from benign to life-threatening. Irrespective of the underlying aetiology, it is typically a worrisome symptom for caregivers. Published data are limited, particularly for the UK population, from which to provide clear evidence-based guidance for assessment and management of infants, children and young people presenting with bleeding per rectum. In this Fifteen-Minute Consultation, we therefore explore the common aetiologies and combine opinions from acute paediatrics, paediatric gastroenterology and paediatric surgery to offer a structure for a diagnostic approach and initial management of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in infants, children and young people.

  • Gastroenterology
  • Paediatric Emergency Medicine

https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2022-324626

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    View Full Text

    Footnotes

    • Twitter @lifeofawelshmed, @Amarwahid81

    • Contributors HM and JE planned, conducted and wrote the article. AW and CJ contributed to editing and suggested improvements.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.