Ileus natural history, complications and prognosis
|
Ileus Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|---|
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Ileus natural history, complications and prognosis On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Ileus natural history, complications and prognosis |
|
Ileus natural history, complications and prognosis in the news |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Ileus natural history, complications and prognosis |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Please help WikiDoc by adding more content here. It's easy! Click here to learn about editing.
Overview
Natural History
- If left untreated, patients with ileus may progress to develop abdominal pain, abdominal distention, nausea and vomiting with postprandial discomfort.
- Depending upon the underlying cause of ileus, these symptoms may range in severity from mild to severe.
- In postoperative ileus, some patients may have reversal of symptoms within 1-2 days of surgery.
- In patients where reversal of symptoms are not observed within 1-2 days of surgery, they may progress to develop more severe symptoms of ileus such as complete inhibition of intestinal transit, malabsorbtion with sepsis and intestinal perforation.
- Patients with sepsis and intestinal perforation require urgent medical attention and intervention. If untreated, severe ileus may be fatal.
Complications
Complications may include or may lead to:
- Electrolyte imbalances (hyponatremia, hyperkalemia)
- Malabsorbtion
- Dehydration
- Intestinal perforation
- Ascites
- Sepsis
- Jaundice
- Pulmonary complications
Prognosis
The outcome depends on the cause of the blockage. Most of the time the cause is easily treated.