About this topic
A perforation is another name for a hole. Your GI tract is also called your gastrointestinal tract. This tract includes your stomach, food pipe or esophagus, and bowels. When you have a hole in your GI tract, the food, digestive juices, and intestinal content can leak out. These fluids can be very irritating and have bacteria in them. If this condition is not treated, you will develop a very bad infection. This is a serious problem that can even cause death. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take your drugs as ordered by your doctor.
- If you had surgery or are going home with an ostomy, talk to your doctor about:
- How to care for your cut site and bandage
- What supplies you will need
- If you will need home visits from a nurse
- How to care for your ostomy
- When you may take a bath or shower
- Be sure to wash your hands before and after touching your wound, dressing, or ostomy.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. You also may need to work with a dietitian in case you need a special diet. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Fight an infection
- Lower fever
Will physical activity be limited?
Physical activities may be limited if you have pain. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you. Take short walks each day to help prevent blood clots. Ask when you will be able to return to school or work. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- Ask your doctor or dietitian for a diet plan.
- Your doctor may suggest a liquid or soft diet until your bowel is ready for normal food.
- Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day.
- Avoid beer, wine, and mixed drinks (alcohol) and caffeine.
What problems could happen?
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, increasing belly pain, pain with passing urine, mouth sores, wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection if you had surgery. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Problems with your stool like loose stools, hard stools, or blood in your stool
- You are not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what changes I need to make with my diet or drugs.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site and ostomy, if I have them.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have a fever, chills, loose stools, or blood in my stool.
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚