How to Diagnose Short Bowel Syndrome

Short bowel syndrome is clinically defined as a collection of symptoms including diarrhea, electrolyte imbalances, malabsorption, malnutrition and steatorrhea because of extensive shortening of the small intestines. The adult small intestines are about 20-feet long. Short bowel syndrome becomes a risk when this length declines to less than 6.5 feet for any reason. The following steps will show how to identify the symptoms of short bowel syndrome.

Instructions

• 1

  Expect patients with short bowel syndrome to have a history of multiple resections of the small intestines. Crohn's disease accounts for 50 to 60 percent of these in the United States. Other common causes include mesenteric ischemia and enteritis because of radiation therapy.

• 2

  Observe major fluid loss through fecal matter in virtually all cases of short bowel syndrome. The reduction in length of the small intestines profoundly affects its ability to reabsorb water and chronic diarrhea is an almost certain finding. Steatorrhea also may be present.

• 3

  Ask the patient about symptoms associated with prolonged diarrhea. These most often include fatigue, lethargy and weight loss.

• 4

  Detect signs of malnutrition resulting from diarrhea. Simple protein-calorie malnutrition can cause wasting of tissue and a loss of muscle mass and edema in the extremities. The skin also may be dry and flaky.

• 5

  Check for vitamin deficiencies. The inability of the small intestines to absorb nutrients can cause a host of symptoms specific to each type of deficiency. The loss of a significant portion of the jejunum also may cause stomach acid to injure the mucosa of the remaining small intestines.