ACUTE MESENTERIC ISCHEMIA

Course overview

ACUTE MESENTERIC ISCHEMIA IS CAUSED BY A SUDDEN DECLINE IN BLOOD FLOW THROUGH THE MESENTERIC VESSELS. DIAGNOSIS CAN BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE SYMPTOMS ARE TYPICALLY NON-SPECIFIC. HOWEVER, THE CONDITION PROGRESSES RAPIDLY. THE NON-SPECIFIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY IN CONJUNCTION WITH RAPID PROGRESSION OF ACUTE MESENTERIC ISCHEMIA LIKELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE HIGH ASSOCIATED MORTALITY RATE OF 60-80 PERCENT. BY MAINTAINING A HIGH INDEX OF SUSPICION FOR THIS CONDITION AND DIAGNOSING AND TREATING IT EARLY, INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAMS CAN PREVENT SOME OF THE ASSOCIATED MORTALITY AND DECREASE ASSOCIATED MORBIDITY. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE MESENTERIC ISCHEMIA AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.