| Short bowel syndrome | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Short gut syndrome, short gut, intestinal failure |
 | |
| A piece of diseased ileum following removal by surgery. | |
| Specialty | Gastroenterology |
| Symptoms | Diarrhea, dehydration, malnutrition, weight loss[1] |
| Complications | Anemia, kidney stones[2] |
| Causes | Surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine[1] |
| Risk factors | Crohn's disease, necrotising enterocolitis[2] |
| Treatment | Specific diet, medications, surgery[1] |
| Medication | Antibiotics, antacids, loperamide, teduglutide, growth hormone[1] |
| Prognosis | Depends on amount of small bowel remaining[2] |
| Frequency | 3 per million per year, in which is a rare disorder[1] |
Short bowel syndrome (SBS, or simply short gut) is a rare malabsorption disorder caused by a lack of functional small intestine.[3] The primary symptom is diarrhea, which can result in dehydration, malnutrition, and weight loss.[1] Other symptoms may include bloating, heartburn, feeling tired, lactose intolerance, and foul-smelling stool.[1] Complications can include anemia and kidney stones.[2]
Most cases are due to the surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine.[1] This is most often required due to Crohn's disease in adults and necrotising enterocolitis in young children.[2] Other causes include damage to the small intestine from other means and being born with an abnormally short intestine.[1] It usually does not develop until less than 2 m (6.6 ft) of the normally 6.1 m (20 ft) small intestine remains.[1][3]
Treatment may include a specific diet, medications, or surgery.[1] The diet may include slightly salty and slightly sweet liquids, vitamin and mineral supplements, small frequent meals, and the avoidance of high fat food.[1] Occasionally, nutrients need to be given through an intravenous line, known as parenteral nutrition.[1] Medications used may include antibiotics, antacids, loperamide, teduglutide, and growth hormone.[1] Different types of surgery, including an intestinal transplant, may help some people.[1]
Short bowel syndrome newly occurs in about three per million people each year.[1] There are estimated to be about 15,000 people with the condition in the United States.[2] The prevalence in the United States is approximately 30 cases per million and in Europe it is approximately 1.4 cases per million (but the rate varies widely between countries).[4] The prevalence of short bowel syndrome has increased by more than 2 fold in the last 40 years.[4] It is classified as a rare disease by the European Medicines Agency.[5] Outcomes depend on the amount of bowel remaining and whether or not the small bowel remains connected with the large bowel.[2]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Short Bowel Syndrome". NIDDK. July 2015. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Ferri FF (2014). Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2015: 5 Books in 1. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 1074. ISBN 9780323084307. Archived from the original on 2016-10-21.
- ^ a b Pironi L (April 2016). "Definitions of intestinal failure and the short bowel syndrome". Best Practice & Research. Clinical Gastroenterology. 30 (2): 173–85. doi:10.1016/j.bpg.2016.02.011. PMID 27086884.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Massironiwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Short bowel syndrome", orphanet, February 2012, archived from the original on March 4, 2016, retrieved November 16, 2012