ME24.A4

ICD-11 MMS 2026-01

Melaena

Description

It is bloody stools that indicate bleeding from vascular system in the digestive tract. It is also described as black, tarry, and foul-smelling stools or red/maroon-coloured stools that contain degraded blood.

Index terms

  • Melaena
  • altered blood in stool
  • altered blood passed per rectum
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  • black tarry stool
  • blood in faeces
  • blood in stool
  • bloody stool
  • faeces bloodstained
  • melaena due to gastrointestinal haemorrhage
  • passage of bloody stools
  • tarry stools

Excludes

  • ME0Y – occult blood in faeces

Exclusions from above levels

  • 19 – Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period
  • JA66 – Clinical findings on antenatal screening of mother

Sibling codes

  • ME24.A0 – Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding
  • ME24.A1 – Haemorrhage of anus or rectum
  • ME24.A2 – Oesophageal haemorrhage
  • ME24.A3 – Haematochezia
  • ME24.A5 – Haematemesis
  • ME24.A6 – Positive occult blood in stool

Foundation entity

Melaena – http://id.who.int/icd/entity/262463613

Allowed postcoordination axes

Part of: ME24.A: Other digestive system haemorrhage, not elsewhere classified › ME24: Clinical manifestations of the digestive system › 21: Symptoms, signs or clinical findings, not elsewhere classified