Most bowel infarctions occur when an artery, which carries blood to the small or large intestine, is blocked by a clot and prevents oxygen-containing blood from passing into the areas behind the clot, resulting in the death of that part of the intestine.and generate symptoms such as severe abdominal pain, vomiting and fever, for example.
In addition, a bowel infarction in a vein in the mesenterio region, which is the membrane that supports the intestine, may also occur.When this happens, blood cannot flow from the intestine to the liver and, as a result, oxygen-containing blood cannot continue to flow through the intestine, with the same consequences as an artery infarction.
- The intestinal infarction is curable.
- But it is an emergency situation and.
- Therefore.
- In case of suspicion.
- It is very important to go quickly to the emergency room.
- To confirm the diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment.
- In order to prevent a large part of the intestine is affected.
The most common symptoms of bowel infarction include
These symptoms may appear suddenly or develop slowly over several days, depending on the size of the area affected by ischemia and the severity of the blockage.
For example, if you experience very severe abdominal pain or do not improve after 3 hours, it is very important to go to the hospital to identify the problem and start appropriate treatment, as it may be a bowel infarction.
To diagnose an intestinal infarction, your doctor may order a variety of tests such as angigraphic MRI, angiography, abdominal CT, ultrasound, x-ray, blood tests, and even an endoscopy or colonoscopy to make sure symptoms aren’t caused by other digestive system problems.digestive tract, such as ulcers or appendicitis.
Treatment for bowel infarction may begin with percutaneous arterial catheterization and hemodynamic stabilization, or surgery to remove the clot and restore blood flow to the affected vessel, as well as remove all the intestinal part that has been removed.
Before surgery, your doctor may stop using medications that can tighten your blood vessels, such as migraine medications, to treat heart disease and even certain types of hormones.
In some cases, antibiotics may still be needed before and after surgery to prevent the development of infections in the affected intestine.
One of the most common sequelae of ischemia in the gut is the need for a stoma. Depending on the amount of intestine removed, the surgeon may not be able to reconnect the intestine to the anus and therefore it is necessary to make a direct connection to the belly skin, allowing the stool to come out in a small pocket.
In addition, with the removal of the intestine, the person also has a short bowel syndrome that, depending on the part removed, causes difficulties in the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals, so it is important to adapt the diet. Learn more about this syndrome and what the diet should look like.
Although intestinal infarction is a very rare disease, there is an increased risk in people:
In addition, women who use the birth control pill or are pregnant also have an increased risk of clots due to hormonal changes, so they may develop a case of bowel infarction.