Acute Mesenteric Ischemia

Acute mesenteric ischemia is a sudden and serious condition where an interruption of blood flow to the small intestine leads to injury and tissue death. Poor blood flow to the small intestine typically occurs as a result of

blood clot

 formation in the arteries or veins, or due to low blood pressure.
Mesenteric infarction is a vascular emergency and must be considered as such by physicians. Time-saving and consequent treatment are the decisive factors in prognosis.
Symptoms

Abdominal pain

  • Rapidly developing

  • Gradually increases

  • Around the belly button, Located in middle upper region, Nonspecific, non-focal

common

Poor appetite

common

Abdominal bloating

common

Throwing up

or Feel like vomiting

common

Rapid heart rate

common

Abnormally rapid breathing

common

Sore abdomen

  • Around belly button

Fever

  • Greater than or equal to 38°C (100.4°F), Less than 38°C (100.4°F)

Diarrhea

or Difficulty passing stool

Low blood pressure

or High blood pressure

Bleeding from anus

  • Painless

Risk factors

History of heart attack

or Valvular heart disease

or Abnormal electrical impulses suddenly start firing in the atria

or History of Rheumatic Fever

or Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart's chambers and valves

Smoking

or High fat consumption

or High levels of fats in blood

Drug or substance abuse

Blood clotting disorder

Recent abdominal injury or trauma

Balloon-like bulge in the aorta

  • Abdominal

or Peripheral artery disease

or Tear in aorta

Treatment
Treatment requires restoring blood flow to your intestine. If your intestines show no signs of damage, you'll likely need to take anticoagulant medication for about three to six months. Anticoagulants help prevent clots from forming. Surgery may be necessary to remove a blood clot, to bypass a vessel blockage, or to repair or remove a damaged section of the intestine. If angiography is done to diagnose the problem, it may be possible to simultaneously remove a blood clot or to open up a narrowed artery with angioplasty. Angioplasty involves using a balloon inflated at the end of a catheter to compress the fatty deposits and stretch the artery, making a wider path for the blood to flow. A spring-like metallic tube (stent) also may be placed in your artery to help keep it open.
Recommended specialist

If you have Acute Mesenteric Ischemia, then visit a general surgeon as soon as possible.

Contact a

General surgeon

Products

Collaborator

Cowriter

Coder

Book a demo

Research

Research at Avey

AI research projects

Benchmarks

Publications

APIs

APIs overview

Company

Who we are

Careers

Media center

Support

Contact us

Copyright © Avey 2025

HIPAA Compliant