- June 6, 2016
- Posted by: emobile
- Category: Trending Topic
Emobileclinic Trending Topic
A gastrointestinal fistula (GIF) is an abnormal opening of the digestive tract that allows gastric fluids to seep through the lining of the stomach or intestines. This can result in infection when it leaks into the skin or other organs. It occurs mostly after intra-abdominal surgery, which is surgery inside the abdomen. It is also established that people with chronic digestive problems have a high risk of developing a fistula.
There are four main types of GIFs:
Intestinal Fistula: occurs when gastric fluid leaks from one part of the intestine to the other where the folds touch.
Extraintestinal Fistula: occurs when gastric fluid leaks from your intestine to your other organs, such as your bladder, lungs, or vascular system.
External Fistula: occurs when gastric fluid leaks through the skin.
Complex Fistula: is one that occurs in more than one organ.
There are several different causes of GIFs. They include:
Radiation treatment for the abdomen
Surgical suture problems
Incision site problems
Bowel infections such as diverticulitis, and vascular insufficiency
Trauma: physical trauma, such as gunshot or knife wounds that penetrate the abdomen
Symptoms and Complications
Painful bowel obstruction
Elevated white blood cell count
People who have internal fistulas may experience:
Bloodstream infection or sepsis
Poor absorption of nutrients and weight loss
Worsening of the underlying disease
The most serious complication of GIF is sepsis, a medical emergency in which the body has a severe response to bacteria. This condition may lead to dangerously low blood pressure, organ damage, and death.
Seeking medical care
See a doctor if you experience any of these symptoms after surgery:
a significant change in your bowel habits
fluid leakage from an opening in your abdomen or near your anus
The doctor upon presentation in the hospital will:
Review your medical and surgical history and assess your current symptoms.
Recommend several blood tests to assess the serum electrolytes
Nutritional status, which is a measure of your levels of albumin and pre-albumin.
Fistulogram may be done by injecting contrast dye into the opening in your skin and taking X-rays
An upper and lower endoscopy
Upper and lower intestinal radiography
Ultrasound or CT scan can be used to find intestinal fistula or abscessed areas.
Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)
Fistulas are classified based on how much gastric fluid is seeping through the opening. Low output fistulas produce less than 200 milliliters of gastric fluid per day. High output fistulas produce about 500 milliliters per day.
Some types of fistulas close on their own when the:
infection is controlled
body absorbed enough nutrients
overall health is good
amount of gastric fluid is coming through the opening is small
The general treatments may include:
correction of the blood serum electrolytes
normalizing an acid and base imbalance
reducing the fluid output from your fistula
controlling infection and guarding against sepsis
protecting the skin and providing ongoing wound care.