Etiology analysis of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children
Abstract Background: In a clinical setting, the common causes of lower gastrointestinal bleeding are often easy to identify, but some cases require detailed examinations to make a diagnosis. At present, the cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding is unclear. The aim of this study was to review cases of children hospitalized for lower gastrointestinal bleeding in the past 5 years at our hospital and analyze the etiologies according to age group.Methods: In this study, we statistically analyzed the etiologies of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children of different ages and sexes from Jiangxi Province, China. From January 2013 to August 2018, 8,036 patients hospitalized for lower gastrointestinal bleeding in Jiangxi Provincial Children’s Hospital were divided into groups to analyze the etiologies.Results: Of these 8,036 patients, 7,827 were clearly diagnosed. Etiologies included intussusception (4,741 cases, 60.6%), infectious diarrhea (2,171 cases, 27.7%), colon polyps (405 cases, 5.2%), Meckel’s diverticulum (292 cases, 3.7%), allergic colitis (113 cases, 1.4%), anal fissures (34 cases, 0.4%), Henoch-Schönlein purpura (27 cases, 0.3%), eosinophilic gastrointestinal disease (27 cases, 0.3%), and inflammatory bowel disease (17 cases, 0.2%). Generally, the condition presents with blood in the stool, bloody diarrhea, or fecal occult blood. Abdominal color Doppler ultrasonography, colonoscopy, computed tomography, 99 m Tc pertechnetate imaging, and other blood tests can aid in the diagnosis.Conclusions: We found that the type of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children is related to age. Intussusception was the most common cause of intestinal obstruction overall and in infants between 6 and 36 months of age. Treatment of children with lower gastrointestinal bleeding should be based on prevention. Medical staff should actively raise awareness of the condition, identify the severity of the disease in a timely manner, make early diagnoses, provide prompt treatment, and cooperate with providers in multiple disciplines to save patients’ lives. Keywords: lower gastrointestinal bleeding, children, etiology, intussusception