Causes of gastrointestinal bleeding in palliative care

Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract ranges in severity from minor and incidental through to catastrophic. As with bleeding from any source, gastrointestinal bleeding can generate fear and anxiety in patients with palliative care needs.

Gastrointestinal bleeding may be due to local or systemic factors. Causes include:

• peptic ulceration
• bleeding from primary or secondary tumours of the gastrointestinal tract
• clotting disorders
• drugs (eg anticoagulants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
• infection.