Comments on: Rapid Diagnosis: Vomiting Blood

By: Laurie

Laurie — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:19:42 +0000

There is another cause for esophegal varices other than alcoholic cirrhosis, and that is primary biliary cirrhosis, an autoimmune disease. 90% afflicted are middle-aged or older women. Primary because not secondary, biliary because the bile ducts are being destroyed, cirrhosis because that is the end result. Esophageal varices resulting from portal hypertension are one of the most feared (prior to liver failure) co-conditions by patients with PBC. So if you pick up a middle aged woman with esophageal varices who tells you she doesn’t drink, she may well have PBC, whether she knows it yet or not.

By: The EMT Spot » Assessment and Scope of Practice

The EMT Spot » Assessment and Scope of Practice — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:31:39 +0000

[...] Rapid Diagnosis: Vomiting Blood [...]

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 23:16:45 +0000

What about pulmonary embolism? Did you eliminate that based on the fact that we’re seeing straight up blood and not sputum?

By: Brianna

Brianna — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:24:54 +0000

Thanks for that post