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hematochezia

hematochezia

1 9.9
A flow of fresh blood in the stools from the lower gut
  • noun
  • /ˌhɛmətəˈkiːziə/
  • Specialized
: hematochezia
  • If a person has hematochezia, they should seek medical attention immediately to identify the cause.

Examples

  • If bleeding is heavy, hematemesis, hematochezia, or melena may occur.

    Academic text (2005)
  • The doctor explained that hematochezia can indicate bleeding in the lower digestive tract.

  • After the surgery, the patient experienced hematochezia, prompting further medical evaluation.

Surface Forms

hematochezia singular
hematochezias plural

Morphology

hematochezia = hemato + chezia

The word is formed from medical Greek combining forms ('hemato-' + '-chezia') that are not productive or familiar to average learners, so the meaning is not transparently derivable from common English base words.

Etymology

Hematochezia comes from Greek parts hema- ('blood') and -chezia ('to pass stool'). So the word literally means 'passing fresh blood in the stool', which is why it refers to blood seen in the stool.