Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai, has opened a dedicated centre for gastrointestinal bleed.
The centre was inaugurated by Thiru K.C. Veeramani, Minister for Health, Government of Tamil Nadu.
The centre offers diagnosis and treatment for disorders of the digestive tract, which include the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, rectum, pancreas, liver, gallbladder and biliary system, said Vijayarathna, Zonal Director, Fortis Malar Hospital.
GI bleed manifests as either vomiting of blood (hematemesis) or passing blood in bowel motions. Patients may experience fainting, breathlessness and weakness.
Since some of the GI Bleeds are life threatening in nature, it is of utmost importance that all patients should be properly assessed immediately on arrival, risk stratified and managed accordingly.
Incidentally, the death rate for GI bleed has been around 10 per cent, whereas research has shown that having a dedicated centre for GI bleed can reduce this by more than 50 per cent.