Question: What is (are) Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: Short bowel syndrome is a group of problems related to poor absorption of nutrients. Short bowel syndrome typically occurs in people who have - had at least half of their small intestine removed and sometimes all or part of their large intestine removed - significant damage of the small intestine - poor motility, or movement, inside the intestines Short bowel syndrome may be mild, moderate, or severe, depending on how well the small intestine is working. People with short bowel syndrome cannot absorb enough water, vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, calories, and other nutrients from food. What nutrients the small intestine has trouble absorbing depends on which section of the small intestine has been damaged or removed.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What is (are) Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: The small intestine is the tube-shaped organ between the stomach and large intestine. Most food digestion and nutrient absorption take place in the small intestine. The small intestine is about 20 feet long and includes the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum: duodenumthe first part of the small intestine, where iron and other minerals are absorbed jejunumthe middle section of the small intestine, where carbohydrates, proteins, fat, and most vitamins are absorbed ileumthe lower end of the small intestine, where bile acids and vitamin B12 are absorbed
Source: NIDDK

Question: What is (are) Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: The large intestine is about 5 feet long in adults and absorbs water and any remaining nutrients from partially digested food passed from the small intestine. The large intestine then changes waste from liquid to a solid matter called stool.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What causes Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: The main cause of short bowel syndrome is surgery to remove a portion of the small intestine. This surgery can treat intestinal diseases, injuries, or birth defects. Some children are born with an abnormally short small intestine or with part of their bowel missing, which can cause short bowel syndrome. In infants, short bowel syndrome most commonly occurs following surgery to treat necrotizing enterocolitis, a condition in which part of the tissue in the intestines is destroyed.1 Short bowel syndrome may also occur following surgery to treat conditions such as - cancer and damage to the intestines caused by cancer treatment - Crohn's disease, a disorder that causes inflammation, or swelling, and irritation of any part of the digestive tract - gastroschisis, which occurs when the intestines stick out of the body through one side of the umbilical cord - internal hernia, which occurs when the small intestine is displaced into pockets in the abdominal lining - intestinal atresia, which occurs when a part of the intestines doesn't form completely - intestinal injury from loss of blood flow due to a blocked blood vessel - intestinal injury from trauma - intussusception, in which one section of either the large or small intestine folds into itself, much like a collapsible telescope - meconium ileus, which occurs when the meconium, a newborn's first stool, is thicker and stickier than normal and blocks the ileum - midgut volvulus, which occurs when blood supply to the middle of the small intestine is completely cut off - omphalocele, which occurs when the intestines, liver, or other organs stick out through the navel, or belly button Even if a person does not have surgery, disease or injury can damage the small intestine.
Source: NIDDK

Question: How many people are affected by Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: Short bowel syndrome is a rare condition. Each year, short bowel syndrome affects about three out of every million people.1
Source: NIDDK

Question: What are the complications of Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: The complications of short bowel syndrome may include - malnutrition - peptic ulcerssores on the lining of the stomach or duodenum caused by too much gastric acid - kidney stonessolid pieces of material that form in the kidneys - small intestinal bacterial overgrowtha condition in which abnormally large numbers of bacteria grow in the small intestine Seek Help for Signs or Symptoms of Severe Dehydration People who have any signs or symptoms of severe dehydration should call or see a health care provider right away: - excessive thirst - dark-colored urine - infrequent urination - lethargy, dizziness, or faintness - dry skin Infants and children are most likely to become dehydrated. Parents or caretakers should watch for the following signs and symptoms of dehydration: - dry mouth and tongue - lack of tears when crying - infants with no wet diapers for 3 hours or more - infants with a sunken soft spot - unusually cranky or drowsy behavior - sunken eyes or cheeks - fever If left untreated, severe dehydration can cause serious health problems: - organ damage - shockwhen low blood pressure prevents blood and oxygen from getting to organs - comaa sleeplike state in which a person is not conscious
Source: NIDDK

Question: How to diagnose Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: A health care provider diagnoses short bowel syndrome based on - a medical and family history - a physical exam - blood tests - fecal fat tests - an x-ray of the small and large intestines - upper gastrointestinal (GI) series - computerized tomography (CT) scan Medical and Family History Taking a medical and family history may help a health care provider diagnose short bowel syndrome. He or she will ask the patient about symptoms and may request a history of past operations. Physical Exam A physical exam may help diagnose short bowel syndrome. During a physical exam, a health care provider usually - examines a patient's body, looking for muscle wasting or weight loss and signs of vitamin and mineral deficiencies - uses a stethoscope to listen to sounds in the abdomen - taps on specific areas of the patient's body Blood Tests A blood test involves drawing a patient's blood at a health care provider's office or a commercial facility and sending the sample to a lab for analysis. Blood tests can show mineral and vitamin levels and measure complete blood count. Fecal Fat Tests A fecal fat test measures the body's ability to break down and absorb fat. For this test, a patient provides a stool sample at a health care provider's office. The patient may also use a take-home test kit. The patient collects stool in plastic wrap that he or she lays over the toilet seat and places a sample into a container. A patient can also use a special tissue provided by the health care provider's office to collect the sample and place the tissue into the container. For children wearing diapers, the parent or caretaker can line the diaper with plastic to collect the stool. The health care provider will send the sample to a lab for analysis. A fecal fat test can show how well the small intestine is working. X-ray An x-ray is a picture created by using radiation and recorded on film or on a computer. The amount of radiation used is small. An x-ray technician performs the x-ray at a hospital or an outpatient center, and a radiologista doctor who specializes in medical imaginginterprets the images. An x-ray of the small intestine can show that the last segment of the large intestine is narrower than normal. Blocked stool causes the part of the intestine just before this narrow segment to stretch and bulge. Upper Gastrointestinal Series Upper GI series, also called a barium swallow, uses x rays and fluoroscopy to help diagnose problems of the upper GI tract. Fluoroscopy is a form of x ray that makes it possible to see the internal organs and their motion on a video monitor. An x-ray technician performs this test at a hospital or an outpatient center, and a radiologist interprets the images. During the procedure, the patient will stand or sit in front of an x-ray machine and drink barium, a chalky liquid. Barium coats the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine so the radiologist and a health care provider can see the shape of these organs more clearly on x-rays. A patient may experience bloating and nausea for a short time after the test. For several days afterward, barium liquid in the GI tract causes white or light-colored stools. A health care provider will give the patient specific instructions about eating and drinking after the test. Upper GI series can show narrowing and widening of the small and large intestines. More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Upper GI Series. Computerized Tomography Scan Computerized tomography scans use a combination of x-rays and computer technology to create images. For a CT scan, a health care provider may give the patient a solution to drink and an injection of a special dye, called a contrast medium. CT scans require the patient to lie on a table that slides into a tunnel-shaped device that takes x-rays. An x-ray technician performs the procedure in an outpatient center or a hospital, and a radiologist interprets the images. The patient does not need anesthesia. CT scans can show bowel obstruction and changes in the intestines.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What is (are) Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: Intestinal adaptation is a process that usually occurs in children after removal of a large portion of their small intestine. The remaining small intestine goes through a period of adaptation and grows to increase its ability to absorb nutrients. Intestinal adaptation can take up to 2 years to occur, and during this time a person may be heavily dependent on parenteral or enteral nutrition.1
Source: NIDDK

Question: What to do for Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: Researchers have not found that eating, diet, and nutrition play a role in causing or preventing short bowel syndrome.
Source: NIDDK

Question: What to do for Short Bowel Syndrome ?
Answer: - Short bowel syndrome is a group of problems related to poor absorption of nutrients. - People with short bowel syndrome cannot absorb enough water, vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, calories, and other nutrients from food. - The main symptom of short bowel syndrome is diarrhealoose, watery stools. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, malnutrition, and weight loss. - A health care provider will recommend treatment for short bowel syndrome based on a patient's nutritional needs. Treatment may include - nutritional support - medications - surgery - intestinal transplant
Source: NIDDK