Intestinal ischemia

Common card · No. 355301

Intestinal ischemia is a medical condition in which injury to the large or small intestine occurs due to inadequate blood supply. Onset can be sudden, known as acute intestinal ischemia, or gradual, known as chronic intestinal ischemia. The acute form of the disease often presents with sudden severe abdominal pain and is associated with a high risk of death. The chronic form typically presents more gradually with abdominal pain after eating, unintentional weight loss, vomiting, and fear of eating. Risk factors for acute intestinal ischemia include atrial fibrillation, heart failure, chronic kidney failure, being prone to forming blood clots, and previous myocardial infarction. There are four mechanisms by which poor blood flow occurs: a blood clot from elsewhere getting lodged in an artery, a new blood clot forming in an artery, a blood clot forming in the superior mesenteric vein, and insufficient blood flow due to low blood pressure or spasms of arteries. Chronic disease is a risk factor...

Read on Wikipedia · Image James Heilman, MD, CC BY-SA 3.0