A 74-year-old woman with a history of permanent atrial fibrillation and medication nonadherence presents to the emergency department with a 2-hour history of sudden, severe, mid-abdominal pain. She is writhing in agony, but her abdomen is surprisingly soft and non-tender to palpation. Vital signs show a heart rate of /min, blood pressure of mmHg, and respiratory rate of /min. Laboratory studies reveal a leukocyte count of and a serum lactate level of mmol/L. She is suspected of having acute superior mesenteric artery embolism.
Arrange the following interventions in the most appropriate chronological sequence for the definitive management of this patient.
- 1Intravenous fluid resuscitation and broad-spectrum antibiotics
- 2Computed tomography angiography of the abdomen and pelvis
- 3Initiation of systemic anticoagulation with intravenous heparin
- 4Exploratory laparotomy with surgical embolectomy
- 5Second-look laparotomy at 24 to 48 hours
Cevap
The correct chronological sequence is: 1) Intravenous fluid resuscitation and broad-spectrum antibiotics, 2) Computed tomography angiography of the abdomen and pelvis, 3) Initiation of systemic anticoagulation with intravenous heparin, 4) Exploratory laparotomy with surgical embolectomy, 5) Second-look laparotomy at 24 to 48 hours.
The management of acute mesenteric ischemia follows a strict sequential protocol. Initially, aggressive intravenous fluid resuscitation and broad-spectrum antibiotics are mandatory to treat hypovolemia from third-spacing and to cover translocating enteric flora. Once hemodynamically stable, computed tomography angiography (CTA) is the gold standard to definitively localize the occlusion. Upon confirmation of an arterial embolus, systemic anticoagulation with intravenous heparin is immediately initiated to prevent distal clot propagation. The patient is then taken for emergent exploratory laparotomy for surgical embolectomy and assessment of bowel viability. Because initial visual inspection of the bowel can be misleading, a planned second-look laparotomy at 24 to 48 hours is standard practice to ensure no further necrosis has occurred.
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Surgical and procedural sequencing for acute mesenteric ischemia
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