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Fecal impaction and systemic inflammatory response syndrome in a young male with cerebral palsy

Ihab I ElHajj1, Lara M El-Zahabi, Haitham Abdul-Baki

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.

Southern Medical Journal
|May 23, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Severe fecal impaction can lead to sepsis, especially in patients with neurological disorders. Prompt treatment with disimpaction and antibiotics is crucial for recovery.

Area of Science:

  • Gastroenterology
  • Neurology
  • Critical Care Medicine

Background:

  • Fecal impaction presents with a spectrum of symptoms, from constipation to sepsis.
  • Neurological disorders can predispose individuals to severe fecal impaction.

Observation:

  • A patient with cerebral palsy and mental retardation presented with abdominal pain and fecal incontinence.
  • Severe fecal impaction was diagnosed, leading to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Findings:

  • The patient's SIRS resolved with digital disimpaction and antibiotic treatment.
  • No other underlying cause for SIRS was identified.

Implications:

  • Fecal impaction is a serious condition with potentially life-threatening complications.
  • Clinicians should consider fecal impaction in patients with neurological conditions presenting with SIRS.

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