Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS)

A patient presents with nausea and black, tarry stools. What condition is most likely affecting this patient?

1. Cholecystitis

2. Lower GI bleed

3. Upper GI bleed

4. Bowel obstruction

The correct answer is: Upper GI bleed

The presence of nausea and black, tarry stools indicates a situation that is often associated with an upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleed. The black, tarry stools, medically known as melena, result from the digestion of blood as it passes through the GI tract, which typically occurs in the upper portion, including the esophagus, stomach, or duodenum. In cases of upper GI bleeding, the blood is usually altered by gastric acids, resulting in this characteristic dark color. The nausea may also stem from the irritation of the gastrointestinal lining or the underlying pathology causing the bleeding. Given this information, the most likely condition affecting the patient is indeed an upper GI bleed. While other conditions like cholecystitis or bowel obstruction can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, they do not specifically lead to the production of black, tarry stools. Additionally, a lower GI bleed would typically result in bright red blood in the stools rather than the dark coloration seen with upper GI bleeding.