CECAL VOLVULUS

Course overview

VOLVULUS OCCURS WHEN PORTIONS OF THE BOWEL GET ENTANGLED UPON A MESENTERIC AXIS, WHICH CAN CAUSE IMPAIRMENT OF THE BLOOD SUPPLY OR CAN RESULT IN COMPLETE OR PARTIAL OBSTRUCTION OF THE BOWEL LUMEN. THIS CONDITION USUALLY AFFECTS THE COLON. COLONIC VOLVULUS IS RARE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND FACTORS INTO ABOUT 4 PERCENT OF CAUSES OF LARGE BOWEL OBSTRUCTION, FOLLOWED BY CANCER AND DIVERTICULITIS. OF NOTE, THERE ARE CERTAIN REGIONS OF THE WORLD WHERE COLONIC VOLVULUS HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY. IN AREAS OF THE MIDDLE EAST, INDIA, SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA, AND RUSSIA, COLONIC VOLVULUS ATTRIBUTES FOR APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT OF ALL ACCOUNTS OF COLONIC OBSTRUCTION. THE REGIONAL AREAS LISTED ABOVE HAVE BEEN COINED THE "VOLVULUS BELT." SIGMOID VOLVULUS OCCURS MORE FREQUENTLY COMPARED TO CECAL VOLVULUS. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CECAL VOLVULUS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN IMPROVING CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.