Gastrointestinal perforation history and symptoms: Difference between revisions

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* History of medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids.
* History of medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids.
'''Presentations'''
'''Presentations'''
* Acute pain


Acute pain
* Sudden severe chest or abdominal pain  
* Sudden severe chest or abdominal pain  
* Patients on [[Immunosuppressive|immunosuppressives]] or [[Anti-inflammatory medication|anti-inflammatory]] agents may present with an [[abdominal mass]] reflecting [[abscess]] formation, or [[fistula]] drainage, and some may present with abdominal sepsis due to impaired inflammatory reaction.  
* Patients on [[Immunosuppressive|immunosuppressives]] or [[Anti-inflammatory medication|anti-inflammatory]] agents may present with an [[abdominal mass]] reflecting [[abscess]] formation, or [[fistula]] drainage, and some may present with abdominal sepsis due to impaired inflammatory reaction.  
Dysphagia
Dysphagia


Acute symptoms associated with free perforation depend upon the nature and location of the gastrointestinal spillage (mediastinal, intraperitoneal, retroperitoneal).
Acute symptoms associated with free perforation depend upon the nature and location of perforation:


Cervical esophageal perforation can present with
Cervical esophageal perforation  


pharyngeal or neck pain associated with
Pharyngeal or neck pain: Pain radiating to the shoulder


odynophagia,
Odynophagia


dysphagia
Dysphagia
 
pain radiating to the shoulder
 
If perforation is confined to the retroperitoneum or lesser sac
 
the presentation may be more subtle. Retroperitoneal perforations often lead to back pain.


Because the pH of gastric contents is 1 to 2 along the gastric luminal surface, a sudden release of this acid into the abdomen causes severe and sudden peritoneal irritation and severe pain.  
Because the pH of gastric contents is 1 to 2 along the gastric luminal surface, a sudden release of this acid into the abdomen causes severe and sudden peritoneal irritation and severe pain.  
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The leakage of small intestinal contents into the peritoneal cavity may also cause severe pain, and for this reason, any severe pain after, particularly, a laparoscopic procedure should cause the surgeon to suspect leakage.
The leakage of small intestinal contents into the peritoneal cavity may also cause severe pain, and for this reason, any severe pain after, particularly, a laparoscopic procedure should cause the surgeon to suspect leakage.


'''Abdominal mass'''
Abdominal mass  
 
It is not uncommon for perforation to lead to abscess or phlegmon formation that can be appreciated on examination as an abdominal mass or with abdominal exploration. A pelvic abscess caused by a perforation can sometimes be felt on digital rectal examination. Diverticulitis is the most common etiology leading to intra-abdominal abscess formation. (See "Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of acute diverticulitis in adults".)
 
Fistula formation (discussed below) can lead to a mass felt in the abdominal wall prior to spontaneous decompression and drainage.
 
'''Fistula formation'''
 
A fistula is an abnormal communication between two epithelialized surfaces. It can occur from bowel injury during instrumentation or surgery, anastomotic leak, or foreign body erosion. Fistulas are often related to inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn disease. Rarely, perforated colon carcinoma can fistulize to adjacent structures or to the abdominal wall.


The initial gastrointestinal perforation is contained between two loops of bowel, and subsequent inflammatory changes lead to the abnormal communication, which spontaneously decompresses any fluid collection or abscess that has formed. Patients who develop an external fistula will complain of the sudden appearance of drainage from a postoperative wound, or from the abdominal wall or perineum in the case of spontaneous fistulas. (See "Overview of enteric fistulas".)
It is not uncommon for perforation to lead to abscess or phlegmon formation that can be appreciated on examination as an abdominal mass or with abdominal exploration. Diverticulitis is the most common etiology leading to intra-abdominal abscess formation.


'''Sepsis'''
Fistula formation
* Fistulas are often related to inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn disease.
* Patients who develop an external fistula will complain of the sudden appearance of drainage from a postoperative wound, or from the abdominal wall or perineum in the case of spontaneous fistulas.
Sepsis
* Sepsis can be the initial presentation of perforation, but its frequency is difficult to determine.  
* Sepsis can be the initial presentation of perforation, but its frequency is difficult to determine.  
* Sepsis in itself can contribute to the causation of perforation by reducing intestinal wall perfusion [72].
* ill appearing
* These patients are very ill appearing, may or may not be febrile, and may be hemodynamically unstable with altered mental status. Anastomotic leak can be associated with increased fluid and blood transfusion requirements. [73]
* hemodynamically unstable
* Organ dysfunction may be present, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury, and disseminated intravascular coagulation
* altered mental status
* Organ dysfunction including acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury, and disseminated intravascular coagulation may be present.
* Spontaneous intestinal perforation and necrotizing enterocolitis are gastrointestinal complications that typically occur in  
* Spontaneous intestinal perforation and necrotizing enterocolitis are gastrointestinal complications that typically occur in  
* very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight
* very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight

Revision as of 18:36, 8 January 2018


Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mohammed Abdelwahed M.D[2]

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Overview

History

  • The history of prior bouts of abdominal or chest pain, prior instrumentation, surgery, malignancy, or ingested foreign bodies
  • Medical conditions such as peptic disease or medical device implants
  • History of medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or glucocorticoids.

Presentations

  • Acute pain

Dysphagia

Acute symptoms associated with free perforation depend upon the nature and location of perforation:

Cervical esophageal perforation

Pharyngeal or neck pain: Pain radiating to the shoulder

Odynophagia

Dysphagia

Because the pH of gastric contents is 1 to 2 along the gastric luminal surface, a sudden release of this acid into the abdomen causes severe and sudden peritoneal irritation and severe pain.

The leakage of small intestinal contents into the peritoneal cavity may also cause severe pain, and for this reason, any severe pain after, particularly, a laparoscopic procedure should cause the surgeon to suspect leakage.

Abdominal mass

It is not uncommon for perforation to lead to abscess or phlegmon formation that can be appreciated on examination as an abdominal mass or with abdominal exploration. Diverticulitis is the most common etiology leading to intra-abdominal abscess formation.

Fistula formation

  • Fistulas are often related to inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn disease.
  • Patients who develop an external fistula will complain of the sudden appearance of drainage from a postoperative wound, or from the abdominal wall or perineum in the case of spontaneous fistulas.

Sepsis

  • Sepsis can be the initial presentation of perforation, but its frequency is difficult to determine.
  • ill appearing
  • hemodynamically unstable
  • altered mental status
  • Organ dysfunction including acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute kidney injury, and disseminated intravascular coagulation may be present.
  • Spontaneous intestinal perforation and necrotizing enterocolitis are gastrointestinal complications that typically occur in
  • very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight
  • preterm infants with a gestational age between 25 and 27 weeks

Physical findings

Infants with SIP present with an acute onset of abdominal distension and hypotension.

Abdominal distention usually occurs without the abdominal wall erythema, crepitus, and induration commonly seen in patients with NEC.

A black-bluish discoloration of the abdominal wall is often seen in SIP, and is not typical of NEC (picture 2) [1,4,27,33,35,36].

The discoloration may extend into the groin and, in males, the scrotum.

Associated infections

In several case series, concomitant sepsis due to coagulase-negative Staphylococcus or fungemia due to Candida albicans have been reported in neonates with SIP and may be a major cause of morbidity and mortality [1,2,11,33].

It is unknown whether the infections precede or are a result of bowel perforation.

References