Makuo chukwualmost 5 years ago

Gangrenous bowel.

Bowel infarction or gangrenous bowel represents an irreversible injury to the intestine resulting from insufficient blood flow. It is considered a medical emergency because it can quickly result in life-threatening infection and death. Any cause of bowel ishemia, earlier reversible form of injury, may ultimately lead to infarction if uncorrected. Bowel obstruction is most often caused by intestinal adhesions, which frequently form after abdominal surgeries, or by chronic infections such as diverticulitis,hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. The condition may be difficult to diagnose, as the symptoms may resemble those of other bowel disorders. Bowel vulvolus describes a specific form of bowel obstruction, where the intestine and/or mesentery are twisted, resulting in ischemia. An infarcted or dead intestinal segment is a serious medical problem because of the fact that intestines contain non-sterile contents within the lumen. Although the fecal content and high bacterial loads of the intestine are normally safely contained, progressive ischemia causes tissue breakdown and inevitably leads to bacteria spreading to the bloodstream. Untreated bowel infarction quickly leads to life-threatening infection and sepsis and may be fatal. The only treatment for bowel infarction is immediate surgical repair and eventuallyremoval of dead segment. Credit: Anup Mohta, Indian Journal of Microbiology and Pathology