Elderly people very often have to deal with such a disease as intestinal thrombosis. Their further condition directly depends on how quickly they get to the hospital and the doctor prescribes individual treatment. In order not to miss precious time, everyone should be aware of the primary symptoms of this ailment and subsequently take all necessary measures.
What should you know about the disease?
Blood, as you know, tends to clot. In medicine, this process is called coagulation. This is a very important function, without which any person, after receiving wounds, would lose all the blood and, accordingly, die. On the other hand, coagulation contributes over time to the formation of clots, which are otherwise referred to as blood clots. According to experts, they can form absolutely in any part of the body. For example, getting into the artery of the intestine, blood clots sequentially clog its lumen, thereby preventing it from feeding a certain area normally.organ. As a result, necrosis of tissues in the intestine is observed. This disease is called thrombosis (mesenteric) of the intestine. In especially serious cases, it can be fatal.
Mesenteric intestinal thrombosis is a disease that occurs as a result of a violation of the patency of the superior, celiac or inferior mesenteric artery. This pathology often causes changes in blood circulation in the organs of the digestive tract. According to experts, this disease is equally common among women and men, but it is especially common in the elderly.
Etiology
Unfortunately, today absolutely no one is immune from this disease. However, doctors call a number of predisposing factors that predominantly provoke the development of such a pathology as intestinal thrombosis. The reasons may be as follows:
- Atherosclerosis (vascular disease characterized by the successive formation of plaques that rupture to form blood clots).
- Myocardial infarction.
- Hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Thrombophlebitis (an inflammatory process localized in the veins of the legs and accompanied by blood stasis).
- Endocarditis (inflammation of the inner lining of the heart leading to blood clots).
- Sepsis (blood poisoning).
- Rheumatism (disease affecting connective tissue resulting in heart disease).
- Postpartum thrombosis.
Often, for example, thrombosis of the small intestine develops immediately after surgical manipulations on other organs. However, in this case, the patient has a better chance of survival, since for some time after the operation he is under close supervision by doctors. In such situations, the specialist immediately decides on treatment. An anticoagulant or any other drug that thins the blood clot is introduced.
Primary clinical signs
Specialists say that at the initial stages of development it can be very difficult to diagnose intestinal thrombosis. The symptoms listed below are always a wake up call and should alert everyone.
- Sudden pain in the abdomen that occurs immediately after the next meal.
- Pale skin, dry mouth, perspiration.
- Nausea and vomiting, stool disorder (constipation or diarrhea).
- Meteorism.
- Low blood pressure.
- Presence of spotting in feces.
If the above symptoms appear, it is recommended to immediately seek medical help. The sooner treatment begins, the higher the chances of a successful recovery. Otherwise, the likelihood of complications is very high. After a blood clot blocks the lumen in the intestine, there is a violation of blood circulation in this area. As a result, there is an intestinal infarction (spasm that provokes tissue necrosis). As a result, it developsperitonitis or large internal bleeding into the peritoneum. In the absence of timely qualified assistance, the probability of death is very high.
Main stages of the disease
Specialists conditionally divide intestinal thrombosis into three stages of development:
- Intestinal ischemia. At this stage of the disease, the affected organ can still be restored. Patients are constantly accompanied by unbearable pain in the abdomen and vomiting with bile impurities. The stool becomes loose.
- Intestinal infarction. The disease does not stand still in its development. As a result, some changes sequentially occur in the affected organ, as a result of which intoxication of the whole organism is observed. Loose stools are replaced by constipation, now blood impurities can be detected in the feces. The pain in the abdomen becomes unbearable, the skin turns pale, and then becomes bluish.
- Peritonitis. At this stage, poisoning of the body with toxins is pronounced, disturbances in the work of the circulatory system occur. The pain may temporarily stop, but it is replaced by quite strong vomiting, the stool becomes literally unpredictable. Inflammation only gets worse over time. Very soon paralysis occurs, resulting in retention of stool. There is hypotension and a slight increase in body temperature.
Classification
Depending on whether there is a systematic restoration of blood flow after its blockage, doctors divide the further course of the disease into three types:
- Compensated(blood circulation in the intestines gradually returns to normal).
- Subcompensated (only partial recovery is observed).
- Decompensated (it is impossible to normalize blood circulation, as a result, intestinal infarction is observed).
How to self-diagnose intestinal thrombosis?
It is very important to constantly monitor the state of your body. If you experience pain in the abdomen and feces with blood impurities, you should immediately seek help from a doctor, since there is a possibility of a disease such as intestinal thrombosis. Symptoms for each individual patient may vary. So, for some, the skin turns pale, the temperature rises to 38 degrees, hypertension appears, and then a sharp decrease in blood pressure is observed. All these clinical signs should alert. In such a situation, it is recommended to call an ambulance. It is important to remember that any delay can literally cost your life. If a person does not go to the hospital with these symptoms, it is safe to say that the disease will end in death.
Main diagnostic methods in a medical institution
When admitted to hospital with suspected intestinal thrombosis, the patient is usually subjected to a detailed diagnostic examination. It implies the following procedures:
- Anamnesis and visual examination.
- Blood test for ESR and white blood cell count (in case of thrombosis, these figures are too high).
- X-ray.
- Computed tomography (allows you to examine the state of internal organs in the most detailed way).
- Diagnostic laparoscopy (the doctor makes a puncture on the skin, through which a tube with a camera at the end will subsequently be inserted, the image from which is displayed directly on the computer screen).
- Diagnostic laparotomy (performed when laparoscopy is not possible).
- Angiography of blood vessels using a contrast agent (this test can check the degree of blockage of blood vessels).
- Colonoscopy.
- Endoscopy.
Conservative Therapy
When a patient is admitted to the hospital, the doctor first of all assesses at what stage of development intestinal thrombosis is. Treatment through conservative methods, as a rule, is used if the disease has not begun to progress. Used here:
- Parenteral method of administration of anticoagulants, the main purpose of which is to thin the blood. The most commonly used drug is "Heparin" and some of its analogues.
- Injections of thrombolytics and antiplatelet agents (drugs "Trental", "Reopoliglyukin", "Hemodez").
Despite the relatively high mortality from this disease, in the case of timely treatment, there are many chances for a complete recovery of the patient.
Surgery
If mesenteric intestinal thrombosis is progressing, or medication has failed to overcomedisease, the doctor prescribes an operation, and drug therapy acts as an additional treatment.
In the case of intestinal ischemia, the disease rarely resolves on its own, but as a preventive measure, antibiotics are recommended to remove toxins from the body.
The operation involves the removal of damaged segments of the organ and the subsequent stitching of he althy tissues together. In some cases, additional shunting is required. During this procedure, the specialist creates a "bypass" around the clogged vessel so that the blood can move on.
If thrombosis of the intestinal vessels proceeds in an acute form, surgical intervention is also prescribed. The doctor independently determines what exactly needs to be done (remove a blood clot, perform angioplasty, bypass surgery, etc.). These manipulations help to stop the development of the disease, subsequently tissue necrosis does not appear.
Rehab
After all surgical manipulations, the patient, as a rule, spends some more time in the hospital. For the next two weeks, any physical activity is contraindicated for him. Otherwise, you can provoke the occurrence of a hernia.
During rehabilitation, doctors recommend bed rest, if necessary, independently massage the abdomen, lightly stroking it clockwise.
It is very important to follow all recommendations from doctors. After all, only in this way it is possible foreverforget about such a problem as intestinal thrombosis.
After surgery, it is equally important to follow a dairy-vegetarian diet. The diet should consist of rice porridge, fruits, lean boiled meat / fish, dairy products. All canned and smoked meats, alcoholic beverages, garlic and onions are prohibited. It is not recommended to drink whole milk in the first month after the operation, so as not to provoke indigestion.
In conclusion, it should be noted that the timely treatment of this disease almost always ends in complete recovery. Do not hesitate to visit a doctor and follow-up therapy.
