Bowel infarction

Bowel infarction
Other names	Gangrenous bowel
Intestinal obstruction. Note the tense wall indicative of gas under pressure and volvulus.

Bowel infarction or gangrenous bowel represents an irreversible injury to the intestine resulting from insufficient blood flow. It is considered a

An infarcted or dead intestinal segment is a serious medical problem because 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. ^{[citation needed]}

The only treatment for bowel infarction is immediate surgical repair and eventually removal of the dead bowel segment.^[1]

Patients who have undergone extensive resection of the small bowel may develop malabsorption, indicating the need for dietary supplements.

Additional images

See also

• Adhesions
• Ischemic colitis
• Volvulus

References