[Treatment of intestinal failure in adults. II. Pharmacological treatment options]

For patients with severe intestinal failure caused by short-bowel syndrome, pharmacological treatment options are available that can reduce the period in which parenteral nutrition is required. Appropriate agents include acid inhibitors, bile-salt binders, inhibitors of motility and secretion, antibiotics and pre- and probiotics. A number of intestinotrophic factors have also been identified that are reported to enhance the functional adaptation of the intestine following surgery or illness. These include glutamine, growth hormone, and glucagon-like peptide 2 and its analogues. Absorption of certain agents is reduced when specific portions of the intestine are lacking. For example, fat-soluble cyclosporine is poorly resorbed in patients without an ileum.