# Med Term for "Black Stools" ??



## Orthocoderpgu (Jun 24, 2010)

Mental Block. What's the medical term for Black Stools?? Thanks for your help!


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## RebeccaWoodward* (Jun 24, 2010)

melena?


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## Jagadish (Jun 24, 2010)

Melena


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## vj_tiwari (Jun 25, 2010)

Hey,

Melena or melaena refers to the black, "tarry" feces that are associated with gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The black color is caused by oxidation of the iron in hemoglobin during its passage through the ileum and colon.

Hematochezia is the passage of maroon colored stool. It is distinguished from melena, which is stool with blood that has been altered by reaction with stomach acids and appears black/"tarry".

But in ICD 9CM, U didn't code directly Black stool(Black stool: Darkening or blackness of stool, causes of eating certain food viz., Iron supplements, Beets, Licorice, Pepto-Bismol ) as Melena or Hematochezia (Yaa, U can if blood in stool metioned clearly i.e. 578.1). So, in this case ur ICD 9CM is 792.1. 

Hope this helps!  

VJ.


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## Orthocoderpgu (Jun 29, 2010)

Thanks to all of you, yes, it did help.


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