Many people have suffered some form of gastrointestinal discomfort in their life. For patients with Crohn’s Disease this can be a daily occurrence that greatly affects their everyday lives. Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease that targets the gastrointestinal tract. Crohn’s most commonly will occur in the lower GI tract involving the small and large intestine and colon but can be found anywhere throughout the GI tract from mouth to anus. Crohn’s is lumped together in a larger group of illnesses more commonly referred to as inflammatory bowel disease. ("About crohn's disease," 2009)
Crohn’s results when the body’s defense system, the immune system, does not behave normally. In the case of Crohn’s the immune system attacks bacteria that aid in digestion by mistaking the bacteria for an invading substance. ("About crohn's disease," 2009) This attack is what causes the inflammation characteristic of Crohn’s and can lead to a myriad of symptoms and complications.
Diagnosis of Crohn’s can often be prolonged due to its presenting symptoms. There are several and they can often be mistaken as other diseases or common daily bowel irritations. Crohn’s will typically first present between the ages of 15 to 35. ("About crohn's disease," 2009) Patients may experience persistent watery or loose diarrhea leading to frequent trips to the bathroom. In addition patients may experience extreme pain from abdominal cramping, bloating, or rectal bleeding as well as running a fever, loss of appetite, and weight loss. ("Crohn's disease," 2011) Other issues that can occur as a result of the symptoms and disease itself include anal fissures (tears), fistulas, and stenosis or obstructions.
If a patient’s symptoms are persistent and not necessaril...
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...ng with an inflammatory bowel disease. Technologists can help greatly by being aware of how to best make patient’s comfortable so the treatment and doctoring experience may not seem so overwhelming.
Works Cited
About crohn's disease. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.ccfa.org/info/about/crohns
Ileostomy. (2011). American Cancer Society. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/PhysicalSideEffects/Ostomies/IleostomyGuide/index
Anonymous. Personal Interview by Tiffany Kiefert. 15 Jun 2011.
Crohn's disease. (2011, July 6). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crohn%27s_disease
Smith, Claire. Personal Interview by Tiffany Kiefert. 15 Jun 2011.
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are an effective option in the management of Crohn's disease. Drugs & Therapy Perspectives 26.9 (2010): 15-18. CINAHL. EBSCO. Web. 7 July 2011.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that crohn's disease is an inflammatory disease that targets the gastrointestinal tract.
- Explains that crohn's results when the immune system attacks bacteria that aid digestion by mistaking the bacteria for an invading substance.
- Explains that crohn's symptoms can be confused as other diseases or common daily bowel irritations. patients may experience persistent watery or loose diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloating, or rectal bleeding, as well as loss of appetite, and weight loss.
- Explains that the best way to diagnose an improperly functioning gi tract is utilizing fluoroscopy.
- Explains that there is no cure for crohn's but just treatments to alleviate some of the symptoms. other options include antibiotics or a biological therapy that blocks the production of tumor necrosis factor or tnf.
- Explains that if non-invasive treatments were unsuccessful, the next step would be surgery. surgery involves resection, removal of the diseased intestine, or an ostomy.
- Explains that crohn's is an inflammatory disease with swelling and inflammation leading to constricted bowel and obstruction. in 30% of patients, sores and ulcers in the gi tract deepen and can form fistulas.
- Explains that an ileostomy is performed to lessen the complications and symptoms that may occur in the intestines.
- Narrates how the patient had a diverting ileostomy in 2009 to bypass his diseased colon and rectum. the surgery was performed because he was experiencing recurring fistulas.
- Explains that the radiologist, dr. smith, found no significant abnormalities in the small intestine to indicate crohn's there, but discovered a hernia into the patient’s ileostomy site.
- Opines that technologists should be cognizant of the patient's current health and pain levels, and be mindful of any ileostomy or surgery.
- Advises that the entire site of the ileostomy should be included on the radiograph to ensure that all images and projections are obtained. crohn's patients typically experience weight loss and can be quite underweight.
- Explains that crohn's disease can be an overwhelming diagnosis for a patient. technologists can help by being aware of how to best make patient’s comfortable so the treatment and doctoring experience may not seem so overwhelming.
- Cites tiffany kiefert's personal interview about crohn’s disease.
Related
- explanatory
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- Crohn´s Chronic Diseaseexplanatory essayCrohn’s Disease along with Ulcerative Colitis are two of the major forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Crohn's disease also known as regional enteritis is a chronic disease. The disease affects different parts of the digestive system where ulcers develop, usually towards the end of the small intestine and the beginning of the large intestine. However it can develop from the mouth to the anus as they are a part of the digestive tract.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are two of the major forms of inflammatory bowel disease.
- Explains that crohn's disease affects approximately 2 million americans and is more prevalent in north america and europe.
- Explains the symptoms of the disease, including abdominal cramps, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, loss of appetite, and weight loss. hormonal changes, smoking and infections may cause symptoms to flare.
- Explains that since crohn's is a chronic illness people suffering from it will go through times when the disease flares up and periods of remission where they don't feel any symptoms.
- Explains that crohn's is hard to track as the technology to look inside the small intestine has gotten better over the years. diarrhea occurs when the cells in the affected areas of the intestinales secrete larger than average amounts of salt and water.
- Explains that the patient may develop sores in the mouth that are similar to canker-sores. the reduction of appetite and weight loss coincide with the problems caused by disease due to the bodies inability to properly digest food.
- Explains that medications are the main form of treatment for crohn's disease. anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system modifiers, biologic therapies, anti-diarrhea medicine, and corticosteroids help lead a normal life.
- Explains that corticosteroids are a powerful anti-inflammatory drug that helps reduce the swelling all over the body. they have many side effects such as night sweats, puffy face, excessive facial hair, hyperactivity and insomnia.
- Explains that immuno system modifiers are a major medication given to patients suffering from crohn's disease. they help reduce inflammation and don't target the patient instead targeting the immune system.
- Explains that the disease makes the colon absorb more salt and water than necessary which causes diarrhea. antibiotics can be used to help a patient suffering from fistulas due tot he disease and to clean the intestine of bad bacterias.
- Explains that therapies for crohn's disease are necessary since it is chronic. biologic therapies like cimiza and remecade neutralize tumor necrosis alpha.
- Explains that many patients who suffer from crohn's take alternative or complementary therapy to reduce the intake of drugs. alternative therapies include acupuncture, lifestyle changes and homeopathy.
- Explains that surgery can help a patient live symptom free for years, but the surgeries are only temporary as the disease is chronic and the symptoms will flare up again on the reconnected tissue.
- Explains that research is being done with crohn's that is testing whether or not bone marrow transplants would be effective in treating the disease. the use of immune system suppressors is also being questioned.
- Explains that crohn's disease is a condition that can be controlled with the right doctor and medicine.
1018 wordsRead More - Analysis of Crohn's Diseaseexplanatory essayAnalysis of Crohn's Disease An inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by intermittent and recurrent abdominal pain associated with ulceration in bowel function. Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of chronic disorders that cause inflammation or ulceration in the small and large intestines. Most often, inflammatory bowel disease is classified as ulceration colitis or Crohn’s disease but may be referred to as colitis, enteritis, ileitis, or proctitis (Crohn's disease-website). Crohn’s disease is characterized by inflammation of segments of the GI tract. The parts of the tract where Crohn’s disease is most often seen are in the terminal ileum, jejunum, and right side of colon.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that crohn's disease can be diagnosed by a thorough history and physical examination to establish clinical signs and symptoms.
- Explains that corticosteroids inhibit the production of cytokines and inflammatory mediators, enhance sodium and water absorption, and improve the sense of well-being.
- Explains that inflammatory bowel disease is a group of chronic disorders that cause inflammation or ulceration in the small and large intestines.
- Explains that crohn's disease is of unknown etiology, but there are many theories about what might cause it.
- Explains the symptoms of crohn's disease, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, fatigue, and rectal bleeding. the most common complication is blockage of the intestine.
- Explains that crohn's disease can be helped by surgery, but it can't be cured by it. the inflammation returns in areas of the intestine next to the area that has been removed.
- Explains that lewis, collier, and heitkemper are s of crohn's disease.
1160 wordsRead More - Crohn's Diseaseexplanatory essayCrohn’s Disease was named after an American gastroenterologist, Dr. Burrill Bernard Crohn, in 1932. He and his colleagues discovered an abnormal pathogen, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis while studying a related disease, ulcerative colitis, which belongs to a larger group if illnesses called Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The discovery was made while studying the effects of ulcerative colitis in cattle and noticing the similar characteristics in humans. The infections had an abnormal response with the body’s immune system in both the cattle and humans.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that crohn's disease was named after an american gastroenterologist, dr. burrill bernard cron, in 1932. they discovered an abnormal pathogen, mycobacterium paratuberculosis while studying ulcerative colitis, which belongs to a larger group of illnesses called inflammatory bowel disease.
- Explains that crohn's disease is a debilitating disorder that causes ulcerations and breaks in the lining of the small and large intestine.
- Explains that crohn's disease runs in families. siblings of infected parents are thirty times more likely to develop the disease than the general population.
- Explains that the direct cause of crohn's disease is unknown, although several theories exist; immune system problems, genetics or environmental factors.
- Explains that crohn's can cause bowel obstructions, ulcers and fistulas. surgery is required to remove the damaged portion and a colostomy bag is installed to aid in the removal of deification.
- Explains that ulcers may extend through the wall forming a fistula, an abnormal connection between different parts of the intestines. if left untreated or ignored, foods may bypass bowel where absorption for nutrition is necessary.
- Explains that if crohn's becomes long-standing, it may develop into osteoporosis, a thinning of bone tissue and loss of density over time.
- Explains that doctors use several categories of drugs to control inflammation. it will take time to determine which drug formula is most beneficial. alternative therapies such as herbal and nutritional supplements, fish oils, acupuncture, and probiotics are available.
- Explains the need for xrays to determine the extent and development of crohn's disease. barium, a white chalky substance that is swallowed, is used to aid in determining the disease severity.
- Explains the use of a colonscope to determine the location and severity of the disease. colonoscopies are more accurate than the barium xrays because they provide small tissue samples, biopsies, and asses the degree of inflammation within the colon.
- Explains video capsule endoscopy, which involves swallowing a capsule and sending images to the small intestine. with this miniature tool, early and mild abnormalities of crohn's can be identified.
- Opines that technologies are always improving but there is still no known cure for this disease. therapies can greatly reduce the signs and symptoms and may even bring about long-term remission.
- Cites http://www.med.umich.edu/ibd/glossary.htm, cnn.com/health/library/crohns-disease/ds00104.html, and wikipedia.org/wiki/burrill-bernard crohn.
1173 wordsRead More - Crohn's Disease is Inflammation in the Digestive Systemexplanatory essayCrohn’s disease is a life-long condition effecting victims of any age. It is considered a form of an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive system. The cause of the disease is unknown. The inflammation is due to the immune system attacking the healthy cells throughout the body’s gastrointestinal tract.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the digestive system. the immune system attacks the healthy cells throughout the body’s gastrointestinal tract.
- Explains that the immune system plays an important role in causing crohn's disease. it protects the body from infection and other harmful substances.
- Explains that abdominal pain is a common sign of crohn's disease, which is caused by the inflammation that causes the bowels to swell and become thicker.
- Explains that diarrhea is a common symptom of crohn's disease. the cells of the affected area secrete large amounts of water and salt due to the inflammation.
- Explains that crohn's disease can cause reduced appetite and weight loss. the ability to digest and absorb food can be affected by inflammatory reaction in the bowels.
- Explains that crohn's disease causes the walls of the bowels to bleed.
- Explains the signs and symptoms of crohn's disease, including fever, fatigue, mouth sores, visual problems, skin rashes, arthritis, delayed growth or sexual development, and fistulas.
- Explains that there is no cure for crohn's disease. treatment results vary from patient to patient. the goal of treatments is to reduce inflammation and provide relief.
- Explains that drugs that help treat crohn's disease include anti-inflammatory drugs, immune system suppressors, and antibiotics.
- Explains that if lifestyle changers and therapies don't relive your signs and symptoms, surgery may be an option. surgery includes removing the damaged portion of your digestive tract and reconnecting it.
- Explains that changing your diet and lifestyle is a good prevention strategy and it can help manage symptoms and reduce the chances of relapse.
- Explains that 1.4 million americans currently have crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. about 70,000 new cases of ibd are diagnosed in the united states each year.
- Explains that current research includes clinical trials testing out possible new treatments to help provide relief of the symptoms and help to discover a cure.
716 wordsRead More - Crohn's Disease: An Incurable Inflammatory Diseaseexplanatory essayCrohn’s is an incurable inflammatory bowel disease that can damage the intestine over time; Crohn’s disease can cause painful gas, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and the inability to eat normally.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that crohn's is an incurable inflammatory bowel disease that can damage the intestine over time.
- Explains that crohns causes ulcerations on the inner surface of the small and large intestines, the digestive system can also be affected anywhere from the mouth to the anus.
- Explains that crohns disease affects different areas of the body, including the small intestine and the colon.
- Explains that diarrhea is a common symptom of crohns disease. infected areas of the intestine become inflamed, causing water and salt to secrete out.
- Explains that abdominal pain and cramping is caused by inflammation and ulcers in the walls of the intestine. moderate intestinal pain is usually seen as mild crohns disease.
- Explains that blood in stool is another sign of crohns disease. when food moves through the digestive tract it can cause inflamed tissue to bleed.
- Explains that blood tests are one way to get diagnosed of crohns disease. they may show the white blood cell count has increased, low protein in the blood system, and low body minerals.
- Explains that a barium x-ray can be used to diagnose crohns disease. it is taken orally by the patient, and shows if there are ulcers in the small intestine.
- Explains that there is no cure for crohns disease, and there'sn't a specific treatment that works for everyone. the purpose of treatment is to reduce inflammation that set off symptoms and help to limit the pain.
- Explains that immuno system suppressors are used to reduce inflammation, but instead of targeting inflammation directly, they affect the immune system.
- Explains that surgery is the next option if a patient hasn't seen results from medication. surgery removes the damaged part of the digestive tract and rejoins healthy parts together.
- Explains that crohn's disease can be treated by an anti-inflammatory medicine. even with surgery, it will probably come back. there is no cure, only treatments.
655 wordsRead More - The Symptoms of Crohn’s Diseaseexplanatory essayCrohn’s Disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. It is one of two disease under the category “IBD”, or Irritable Bowel Disease, the other being Ulcerative Colitis. Crohn’s is named after Dr. Burrill B. Crohn, who, along with Dr. Leon Ginzburg and Dr. Gordon D. Oppenheimer, described the disease back in 1932. Crohn’s commonly affects the ileum and the beginning of the colon, but it can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus. Crohn’s can affect the entire bowel wall, while it can also “skip” over patches of the diseased intestine, leaving some unaffected parts of the area. In a healthy gastrointestinal tract, there are many harmless bacteria, which aid in digestion. The immune system will attack and kill any foreign invaders. In Crohn’s patients, the normal bacteria are mistaken for invaders, and the immune system responds. Cells will travel out of the blood and to the intestines, in turn producing inflammation, the normal response. The inflammation does not go down, which leads to chronic inflammation, ulceration, and a thickening of the intestinal wall. These lead to the patient’s symptoms.
In this essay, the author
- Describes crohn's disease as a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Explains that crohn's disease affects as many as 700,000 americans. it is most common among people with eastern european background, especially jews of european descent.
- Explains that crohn's disease is triggered by a combination of diet, stress, genetics, and environmental factors.
- Explains the symptoms of crohn's disease, which can vary from mild to severe. it can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, bloody stool, ulcers, reduced appetite, weight loss, fever, fatigue, arthritis, eye inflammation and mouth sores.
- Explains how a doctor diagnoses crohn's disease through exams, lab tests, and imaging studies. the doctor first looks to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms and determine exactly which part of the digestive tract is affected.
- Explains that laboratory tests may be ordered to check for signs of infection, inflammation, internal bleeding, and low levels of iron, protein, or minerals related to crohn's.
- Explains how a barium x-ray is used to determine which part of the gastrointestinal tract is affected and the severity of disease.
- Explains that a ct scan uses x-ray beams and electronic detectors to measure the amount of radiation being absorbed throughout the body. a computer program processes the slices of the patient's body and creates cross-sectional images.
- Describes how ultrasound is used to view the gallbladder and liver, and how a wand-like object uses sound patterns, which bounce off from the intestines.
- Explains that an mri (magnetic resonance imaging) is a test that uses magnetism and radio waves to produce images of the intestines.
- Explains that a colonoscopy is used to diagnose crohn's disease and provides the most accurate information about the intestine. patients must stop eating solid food the day before, and take prep.
- Explains endoscopic procedures, which are the use of a small tube, light, and fiber optic camera, to see inside the patient's gi tract.
- Explains that a video capsule endoscopy is used to diagnose crohn's disease. the capsule sends images to the receiver the patient wears around their waist.
- Explains that there is no cure for crohn's disease, but there are many different treatments. sulfa drugs are used to treat it.
- Explains the two methods of administering 5-asa, namely rowasa enemas and canadi suppositories. the first is a 500 or 1000 milligram dose, and the second is an enema.
- Explains how 5-asa is administered through tablets asacol and pentasa, which are swallowed and release microgranules. lialda allows patients to take two to four tablets once a day.
- Explains that colazal and dipentum contain 5-asa, but use something other than sulfapyridine to prevent it from early release.
- Explains the two most common forms of steroid treatment in crohn's disease. prednisone is swallowed as a pill, and the chemicals are carried to the liver.
- Explains that budesonide (entocort ec) is a 3 mg capsule, which breaks apart in the small colon. it is quickly metabolized, unlike prednisone.
- Explains intravenous injectable steroids are used when patients are not able to take medications by mouth. cortisone is injected into the muscle by needle, or into a vein through iv drip.
- Explains that topical steroids are given to patients with crohn's disease in the rectum, sigmoid, or descending colon. hydrocortisone is absorbed into the body and acts like indigested forms.
- Explains that immunomodulators suppress the immune system with the theory that there will be less of a capacity to harm the intestines.
- Explains the ccfa's glossary and definition of crohn’s disease. mayo clinic, 9 aug.
- Describes webmd's "diagnosing crohn’s disease: lab tests, imaging tests, x-rays and more."
- Summarizes marks, jay w., md's article on capsule endoscopy.
1997 wordsRead More - Inflammatory Bowel Disease Affects Millionsexplanatory essayInflammatory bowel diseases affect millions of Americans every year. While their causation has been connected to the nervous system for quite some time, recent research has also suggested that these diseases may be caused by abnormalities in the enteric nervous system. The enteric nervous system is found in the intestines. It has more neurons than the entire spinal cord, and it provides neurological signaling between the central nervous system and the intestines. (Furness, 2011). Inflammatory bowel diseases include ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. While their cause is generally disputed, they lead to painful sores in the intestines and last for a patient's lifetime. (Dugdale, & Longstreth, 2011). Inflammatory bowel diseases have no known cure. While many studies have taken place, the first step in finding a cure for inflammatory bowel diseases is deciding what their cause is. The study of the enteric nervous system may lead to the discovery of what this cause maybe.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that inflammatory bowel diseases are caused by abnormalities in the enteric nervous system, which has more neurons than the entire spinal cord.
- Explains that the enteric nervous system is essentially the "brain" of the intestines.
- Explains that the enteric nervous system begins development from the neural crest. it invades the lining of the digestive track instead of fusing with cranium or spinal cord.
- Explains that inflammatory bowel diseases are autoimmune diseases that affect the small intestines and colon.
- Explains that traditional treatments of inflammatory bowel diseases include the use of mesalazine or steroids as an anti-inflammatory.
- Explains that enteric nervous system abnormalities may be the cause of many inflammatory bowel diseases.
- Explains that white matter lesions and cranial mononeuropathies in inflammatory bowel disease patients are serious maladies that can cause extensive damage to the enteric nervous system.
- Explains that experimental colitis negatively affected the enteric nervous system.
- Describes stem cell therapy as a new and commonly researched method of treating inflammatory bowel diseases.
- Explains that the enteric nervous system controls the gastrointestinal system and all of its functions. inflammatory bowel diseases include crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
- Opines that future research could explore the connection between white matter lesions and mononeuropathies in the brain to the enteric nervous system, and whether it may be a cause of inflammatory bowel diseases
1514 wordsRead More - Essay On Crohn's Diseaseexplanatory essayCrohn’s disease is a disease that causes inflammation, swelling, and irritation to any part of the digestive tract which is also known as the gastrointestinal tract or GI tract. The disease most commonly targets the ileum which is a part in the small intestine. The digestive tract is organs that connect your mouth to your anus and it releases hormones and enzymes for the digestion in food. The inflammation caused by the disease goes deep into the lining of the digestive tract. It creates a stricture in the small intestine which is a narrowing of the pathway that can slow the movement of food through the intestine. The stricture can then move to large intestine which can cause many problems for absorption. When the disease causes the intestine to swell it can also be very problematic because the large intestine wouldn’t be able to function properly. Crohn’s disease is considered as an inflammatory bowel disease.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the symptoms of crohn's disease, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in your stool, ulcers, and weight loss.
- Explains that there are three ways to treat crohn's disease: medication, diet & nutrition, and surgery.
- Explains that crohn's disease cannot be prevented or cured but there are ways to manage the symptoms and lower the chance of relapses.
- Explains that crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation, swelling, and irritation to any part of the digestive tract.
666 wordsRead More - Crohn's Disease Essaycomparative essayAt this time, the medical community is unsure of what causes Crohn’s Disease. There is speculation it could be caused by genetics, microbial, immunological, environmental, dietary, vascular, psychosocial factors, including smoking, oral contraceptives, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs). The studies have shown that those who have family history of Crohn’s Disease have a possible higher risk of developing the disease. Although is seems to be a very complicated genetic process of inheriting. There are several genes that contribute to the final possible cause of Crohn’s Disease. The NOD2 gene (also kno...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that there are several genes that contribute to the final possible cause of crohn's disease from a genetic perspective.
- Explains that the signs and symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pains, fever, fatigue, rectal bleeding, and even loss of appetite vary from person to person.
- Explains that education is a major part of nursing patients with crohn's. they should understand the actual digestive process and how the disease affects the nutrition process.
- Explains that there is no evidence to say that crohn's is caused by certain foods but it is important to know what foods can affect and cause irritation to the disease.
- Advises patients to keep a food journal to determine which foods affect them and which ones they should avoid.
- Recommends taking a multivitamin to ensure all vitamins and minerals are balanced in the body. medications can be prescribed to help with different aspects of the disease.
- Explains that crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, which affects the lining of the digestive tract.
- Explains that the crohn's & colitis foundation is a foundation that specializing in working with patients suffering with irritable bowel disease.
1579 wordsRead More - Ulcerative Colitis Essayexplanatory essayUlcerative colitis is a chronic condition with significant relapses and remissions and an increased mortality. A Norwegian study has shown that after 10 year the colectomy rate was 9.8%.19 The IBSEN study showed that 83% of people initially had reoccurring disease. Although 50% were shown to be symptomless after five years.19 This study also demonstrated that 20% of people with proctitis or left-sided colitis progressed to extensive colitis.19
In this essay, the author
- Explains that ulcerative colitis progresses from the rectum and moves proximally. distal disease refers to inflammation that is limited to the
- Explains that the immediate management of the condition is to resuscitate the patient. hydrocortisone can be commenced through the cannula.
- Explains aminosalicylates are the first line of treatment for mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. they reduce inflammation and can be taken orally, as a suppository or as an enema.
- Explains that azathioprine is an immunosuppressant which reduces inflammation. it can be taken orally and the dose will vary with severity of symptoms.
- Explains that surgical complications can be split into abdominal, stoma, and pouch complications.
- Describes the complications of ulcerative colitis, including primary sclerosis cholangitis, toxic mega colon and bowel cancer.
- Explains that the management of primary sclerosing cholangitis is limited because there is no curative medical therapy.
- Explains that gas becomes trapped in the large intestinal and causes it to swell and if left to progress it can be life-threatening.
- Explains that ulcerative colitis patients have an increased risk of developing bowel cancer — the 10 year risk is 1 in 509, and the risk after 30 years is 1. patients should be screened by colonoscopy every few years to check no neoplastic changes.
- Explains that osteoporosis is a common complication of ulcerative colitis. it causes decreased bone mass and makes them more prone to fractures.
- Explains that ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition with significant relapses, and mortality. a norwegian study showed that after 10 years the colectomy rate was 9.8%.
- Explains that ulcerative colitis is a fairly common disease with significant symptoms that affect the patient's quality of life. surgery is curative.
- Advises that patients with ulcerative colitis should be examined by a gastroenterologist to rule out differential diseases.
- Explains that steroid use for more than 12 weeks can cause osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes, and weight gain.
- Explains the use of an artificial antibody that targets the protein tnf-alpha, which the immune system uses to stimulate inflammation.
- Explains that surgical removal of the colon is the curative treatment of ulcerative colitis.
- Describes the symptoms of sclerosing cholangitis, which causes inflammation, fibrosis and stricture formation of the intra and extra hepatic ducts.
- Explains how intravenous fluids, antibiotics and steroids can be used to treat haustra loss in toxic megacolon. in severe cases, a colectomy may be performed.
2159 wordsRead More