Case Report

Volume: 3 | Issue: 2 | Published: Apr 03, 2019 | Pages: 78 - 82 | DOI: 10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710

Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report

Authors: Ashley Reed orcid logo

Article Info

Authors

Ashley Reed

Emergency Depatment, Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff on Sea, Essex, SS0 0RY, United Kingdom

orcid logo ORCID

Publication History

Received: January 16, 2019

Revised: February 17, 2019

Accepted: March 03, 2019

Published: April 03, 2019

Abstract

Background: Refeeding Syndrome (RS) is an under-recognised pathophysiological process that can result in arrhythmias, coma and death if not identified and managed appropriately. Case Presentation This case report discusses RS in a 77 year-old female who presented with six days of total anorexia secondary to abdominal pain and vomiting. The patient was identified to have an ischaemic closed loop obstruction of the small bowel in the right femoral hernia with associated proximal small bowel obstruction. Following a small bowel resection, nutrition was reintroduced where on day three the patient developed hypophosphatemia, the hallmark of RS. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of considering RS in patients with a seemingly short duration of starvation due to acute intercurrent illness such as in this case a small bowel obstruction.

Keywords: Refeeding syndrome, hypophosphatemia, starvation, acute illness, small bowel obstruction, emergency medicine, intensive care, green

Open access Creative Commons License

Pubmed Style

Ashley Reed. Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report. EJMCR. 2019; 03 (April 2019): 78-82. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710

Web Style

Ashley Reed. Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report. https://ejmcr.com/articles/1490 [Access: December 25, 2024]. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Ashley Reed. Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report. EJMCR. 2019; 03 (April 2019): 78-82. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Ashley Reed. Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report. EJMCR. (2019), [cited December 25, 2024]; 03 (April 2019): 78-82. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710

Harvard Style

Ashley Reed (2019) Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report. EJMCR, 03 (April 2019): 78-82. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710

Chicago Style

Ashley Reed. "Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report." 03 (2019), 78-82. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710

MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Ashley Reed. "Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report." 03.April 2019 (2019), 78-82. Print. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Ashley Reed (2019) Refeeding syndrome after small bowel obstruction - a case report. , 03 (April 2019), 78-82. doi:10.24911/ejmcr/173-1547660710