Health Encyclopedia

Home | List of Topics | Digestive System | Gastrointestinal Surgery

Gastrointestinal perforation

Definition

Gastrointestinal perforation is a hole that passes through the entire wall of the stomach, small intestine or large bowel. This condition is a medical emergency.

Alternative Names

Intestinal perforation; Perforation of the intestines

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Gastrointestinal perforation can be caused by a variety of illnesses, including appendicitis, diverticulitis, ulcer disease, Crohn's disease, and less commonly, infections of the bowel, such as infectious colitis.

Perforation of the intestine leads to leakage of intestinal contents into the abdominal cavity. This causes an inflammation called peritonitis.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include:

• Severe abdominal pain
• Fever
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Signs and tests

X-rays of the abdomen may show air in the abdominal cavity, suggesting a perforation. CT scan of the abdomen often shows the location of the perforation. The person's white blood cell (WBC) count is often higher than normal.

Treatment

Treatment usually involves surgery to repair the hole (perforation). Occasionally, a small part of the intestine must be removed. A temporary colostomy or ileostomy may be needed.

In rare cases, antibiotics alone can be used to treat patients whose perforations have closed. This can be confirmed by a physical exam, blood tests, and x-rays.

Expectations (prognosis)

Surgery is usually successful, but depends on the severity of the perforation and the length of time to treatment.

Complications

Complications include bleeding, infection, and formation of intra-abdominal abscesses.

Calling your health care provider

Call your doctor if you have severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, or severe changes in bowel habits.

Prevention

Depending on the cause, perforation can be prevented by preventing any underlying disease that may lead to intestinal perforation. Ulcer disease should be treated with appropriate medicines. Patients with diverticulitis must follow a high fiber diet.

Review Date:7/14/2006
Reviewed By:J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and this website do not claim the information on, or referred to by, this site is error free. This site may include links to websites of other government agencies or private groups. Our Agency and this website do not control such sites and are not responsible for their content. Reference to or links to any other group, product, service, or information does not mean our Agency or this website approves of that group, product, service, or information.

Additionally, while health information provided through this website may be a valuable resource for the public, it is not designed to offer medical advice. Talk with your doctor about medical care questions you may have.