Ischemic colitis (patient information)

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Ischemic colitis
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Ischemic colitis?
Prevention
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Ischemic colitis On the Web
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
Images of Ischemic colitis
Videos on Ischemic colitis
FDA on Ischemic colitis
CDC on Ischemic colitis
Ischemic colitis in the news
Blogs on Ischemic colitis
Directions to Hospitals Treating Ischemic colitis
Risk calculators and risk factors for Ischemic colitis

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Lakshmi Gopalakrishnan, M.B.B.S. [2]

Synonyms and Keywords: Colonic ischemia

Overview

Ischemic colitis is a sudden swelling (inflammation) of part of the large intestine (colon) that occurs when there is a temporary loss of, or reduction in, blood flow to the colon.

What are the symptoms of Ischemic colitis?

• Abdominal pain.
• Blood in the stool (may be bright red or maroon).
• Diarrhea.
• Fever.
• Vomiting.

What causes Ischemic colitis?

Ischemic colitis mainly affects people over 50. Many of them have a history of peripheral vascular disease.

Who is at highest risk?

Risk factors include:

• Atrial fibrillation.
• Blockage of the large bowel.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• Congestive heart failure.
• Diabetes.
• High blood pressure.
• Irritable bowel syndrome.
• Low blood pressure.
• Past aortic surgery in which damage occurred to the artery that supplies the colon.
• Rheumatoid arthritis.
• Use of medications that cause constipation.

Diagnosis

• Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy.
• Computerized tomography (CT scan).

When to seek urgent medical care?

Call your health care provider if you develop symptoms of ischemic colitis.

Treatment options

• Treatment for mild ischemic colitis often involves:

• Antibiotics.
• Liquid diet at first.
• Fluids through a vein (by IV).
• Pain medications.

• Severe ischemic colitis that leads to gangrene is treated with:

• Antibiotics.
• Replacement of blood volume.
• Surgery to remove the affected bowel area.

Where to find medical care for Ischemic colitis?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Ischemic colitis

Prevention of Ischemic colitis

Being aware of your risk may allow early diagnosis and treatment. Absolute prevention may not be possible.

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

• Most cases of ischemic colitis are mild and will improve on their own. They do not need surgical treatment.
• The death rate is high when gangrene occurs because there is not enough blood supply.

Possible complications

• Gangrene of the bowel.
• Hole in the intestine (perforation).
• Inflammation of the lining of the abdomen (peritonitis).
• Sepsis.

Resources

Medlineplus