Gastrointestinal Emergency

AIG Hospitals offers round-the-clock service in gastrointestinal emergencies like vomiting of blood, foreign body ingestion, Abdomen Pain, loose stool, hematemesis, hematochezia, abdominal distension, altered sensorium hepatic coma.

The various GI emergencies that we deal in ER are:

• Swallowed foreign bodies (button battery ingestion, coin ingestion)
• Acute gastritis and peptic ulcer disease
• Acute pancreatitis
• Acute liver failure
• Cirrhosis of liver with hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome
• Upper GI bleed
• Lower GI bleed
• Acute cholelithiasis
• Acute cholecystitis
• Acute cholangitis

– In any emergencies, Assessment and stabilization of the airway, breathing and circulation are given a priority.

– All required investigations and basic blood samples are drawn simultaneously assessing according to the symptoms that guide diagnosis, Intravenous line, ECG is also taken.

– Pain management with analgesics, PPIs is given priority after stabilization of the Airway, breathing and circulation for any GI emergencies like cholelithiasis, cholangitis, pancreatitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer disease

-Initial fluid resuscitation in ER plays a crucial role in patients with hypotension, septic shock in cases of pancreatitis, cholangitis, cholecystitis

– In the case of massive upper GI bleed and lower GI bleed achievement of hemodynamic stability using blood and blood products along with fluid resuscitation and ionotropic support begins in ER followed by endoscopy and colonoscopy.

– Initiation of antibiotics plays a crucial role in ER during first one hour, In case of diagnosis for conditions like cholangitis, acute calculus cholecystitis, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

– In case of hepatic encephalopathy treatment, it is aimed at increasing excretion of nitrogenous wastes using lactulose after A, B, C stabilization followed by correction of coagulopathies and neuroimaging is also required to rule out bleed.

– Radiological imaging and immediate gastroenterologist consultation for endoscopic removal of foreign body that is ingested for Eg: button, battery, coin etc.