Gastrointestinal (GI) Emergencies

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Causes

A gastrointestinal emergency can result from severe abdominal trauma that injures or damages a digestive organ. In addition to injury, GI emergencies also can result from the following:

• Infection or inflammation in the digestive tract (e.g., appendicitis, cholecystitis, cholangitis, pancreatitis, peritonitis)
• Ingestion of a foreign substance (e.g., poison) or object
• Intestinal obstruction or compression (partial or complete blockage in the digestive tract; e.g., caused by an anatomical abnormality, tumor, stricture, or gallstones)
• Perforation, rupture, or tear in a digestive organ (e.g., abdominal aneurysm, ulcer)
• Prolapse of a digestive organ (e.g., rectal prolapse)
• Postoperative evisceration (leakage of abdominal contents from a surgical wound [incision])
• Severely reduced blood flow (ischemia) in the digestive tract

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