Bowel infarction
| Bowel infarction | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Gangrenous bowel |
 | |
| Intestinal obstruction. Note the tense wall indicative of gas under pressure andvolvulus. | |
Bowel infarctionorgangrenous bowelrepresents an irreversible injury to the intestine resulting from insufficient blood flow. It is considered amedical emergencybecause it can quickly result inlife-threatening infectionand death.[1]Any cause of bowelischemia,the earlier reversible form of injury, may ultimately lead to infarction if uncorrected. The causes of bowel ischemia or infarction include primary vascular causes (for example,mesenteric ischemia) and other causes of bowel obstruction.[2]
Causes
[edit]Primary vascular causes of bowel infarction, also known asmesenteric ischemia,are due to blockages in the arteries or veins that supply the bowel. Types of mesenteric ischemia are generally separated into acute and chronic processes, because this helps determine treatment and prognosis.[3]
Bowel obstruction is most often caused by intestinaladhesions,which frequently form after abdominal surgeries, or by chronic infections such asdiverticulitis,hepatitis,andinflammatory bowel disease.The condition may be difficult to diagnose, as the symptoms may resemble those of other bowel disorders.[4]Bowel volvulusdescribes a specific form of bowel obstruction, where the intestine and/or mesentery are twisted, resulting in ischemia.[5]
Management
[edit]The only treatment for bowel infarction is immediate surgical repair and eventuallyremoval of the dead bowel segment.[1]
Patients who have undergone extensive resection of the small bowel may developmalabsorption,indicating the need for dietary supplements.
Additional images
[edit]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abVallicelli C, Coccolini F, Catena F, Ansaloni L, Montori G, Di Saverio S, Pinna AD (January 2011)."Small bowel emergency surgery: literature's review".World Journal of Emergency Surgery.6(1): 1.doi:10.1186/1749-7922-6-1.PMC3025845.PMID21214933.
- ^Belyaev O, Müller C, Uhl W (2009). "Chapter 57: Small Bowel Obstructions". In Bland K (ed.).General Surgery: Principles and International Practice(2nd ed.). London: Springer. pp. 597–604.ISBN978-1-84628-832-6.OCLC314794037.
- ^Dhatt HS, Behr SC, Miracle A, Wang ZJ, Yeh BM (November 2015)."Radiological Evaluation of Bowel Ischemia".Radiologic Clinics of North America.53(6): 1241–54.doi:10.1016/j.rcl.2015.06.009.PMC4633709.PMID26526436.
- ^Smerud MJ, Johnson CD, Stephens DH (January 1990)."Diagnosis of bowel infarction: a comparison of plain films and CT scans in 23 cases".AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology.154(1): 99–103.doi:10.2214/ajr.154.1.2104734.PMID2104734.
- ^Sturgess PA (June 1981)."The hospice tradition".Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.74(6): 467.PMC1438761.PMID20894357.