When to have surgery for linear intestinal foreign bodies?
Linear foreign bodies, such as string, fabric, and towels can involve only a few loops of bowel or they can extend from the stomach to the colon. If perforation has occurred the animal will develop septic peritonitis and rapidly deteriorate. Therefore surgery to remove linear intestinal foreign bodies should be considered urgent.
When to use iohexol for a linear foreign body?
of a dog with a linear intestinal foreign body. Fig. 2a. If a linear foreign body is suspected and an upper GI series is necessary to confirm the diagnosis, use a water-soluble contrast agent such as iohexol instead of barium because of the risk of leakage from intestinal perforations.
How is ultrasound used to diagnose foreign body?
Ultrasound can be used to confirm the presence of the foreign body and plicated bowel and may also reveal peritoneal fluid that can be sampled and analyzed cytologically.
Is it urgent to remove a linear intestinal foreign body?
Therefore surgery to remove linear intestinal foreign bodies should be considered urgent. In other words, “The sun should not set on a linear foreign body.” Animals with this type of foreign body usually present with acute vomiting and in some cases diarrhea. Lethargy and dehydration are common.
When is a foreign body a linear structure?
As if all this wasn’t bad enough, there is an especially bad foreign body situation when the foreign body is a string or similar linear structure. Common linear foreign bodies might include string or yarn (especially for kittens) or a towel or cloth leash where the fabric has not been completely chewed through and long threads are exposed.
When to expect a problem after linear foreign body surgery?
If there is going to be a problem with an intestinal incision, it usually manifests by the 3rd day after surgery. The linear foreign body surgery is generally considered a higher mortality situation than those of more simple foreign bodies. Plicated bowel with a linear foreign body inside.
Where is the ICU follow up clinic located?
Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska. Over the last 15 years the management of patients admitted in the ICU has changed dramatically.
