TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Chapter 81. Gut and Hepatobiliary Dysfunction A1 - Ehrenpreis, Eli D. A2 - Hall, Jesse B. A2 - Schmidt, Gregory A. A2 - Wood, Lawrence D.H. Y1 - 2005 N1 - T2 - Principles of Critical Care, 3e AB - Alterations in gastrointestinal motility occur commonly in critically ill patients.The small intestine is the site of obstruction in 90% of cases of mechanical bowel obstruction. Pelvic adhesions are the most common cause. Thirty percent of cases require surgery.Intestinal pseudo-obstruction (nonmechanical bowel obstruction) may present with clinical symptoms that are similar to mechanical obstruction. Treatment includes nasogastric suction, rehydration, and correction of causative factors.Ogilvie's syndrome (colonic pseudo-obstruction) is characterized by abdominal distension and marked dilation of the cecum and right colon on abdominal x-rays. Treatment with colonoscopic decompression of the right colon is successful in about 60% of patients. Intravenous neostigmine is also effective.The incidence of diarrhea in the critically ill is greater than 40% and is up to 60% in patients receiving enteral feedings.Clostridium difficile infections are generally acquired in the hospital in patients receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics. Measurement of C. difficile toxin A or B in the stool by rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the most practical method for diagnosis. Treatment consists of metronidazole or vancomycin for 7 to 14 days.Hyperbilirubinemia is frequently seen in patients with sepsis; cytokines along with bacterial endotoxins impair transport of bile acids at the sinusoidal and canalicular membranes, resulting in cholestasis.The etiology of total parenteral nutrition (TPN)-associated liver dysfunction appears to be multifactorial. The diagnosis is often made after the exclusion of other causes such as the concurrent use of potentially hepatotoxic medications, biliary obstruction, infections, and underlying intrinsic liver disease.Critically ill patients have multiple risk factors that predispose to acalculous cholecystitis. Patients often present atypically; unexplained fever and evidence of occult infection may frequently be the only manifestations. Ultrasonography alone is of limited value in diagnosis.Strong clinical suspicion and early recognition of acalculous cholecystitis are essential. Because of delays in diagnosis, more than 40% of patients develop complicated disease with gangrene, abscess, or perforation of the gallbladder. SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2022/05/21 UR - accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=2296099 ER -