Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mucosal lesions in the human small intestine in shock.
- Journal:
- Gut
- Year:
- 1975
- Authors:
- Haglund, U et al.
Plain-English summary
This study looked at tissue damage in the small intestine of seven patients who had surgery. Four of these patients were in shock and had low blood pressure, while the other three showed signs of reduced blood flow to the intestines. The damage seen in their intestines looked the same as what has been observed in cats and dogs after they experience bleeding or reduced blood flow. The researchers believe that a lack of oxygen in the tissue, caused by blood flow issues, makes the intestinal lining more susceptible to damage. The findings suggest that similar mechanisms of injury could occur in both humans and pets.
Abstract
Characteristic mucosal lesions in resected small intestinal segments from seven patients are reported. Preoperatively, four patients were in shock and general hypotension while the three remaining cases showed signs of local intestinal hypotension. The microscopic appearance of the mucosal lesions was in all patients identical with that previously observed in the feline and canine small intestine after haemorrhage or local intestinal hypotension. It is proposed that an extravascular short-circuiting of oxygen in the mucosal countercurrent exchanger and an intravascular aggregation of blood cells might produce tissue hypoxia which makes the mucosa vulnerable to enzymatic degradation.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1218821/