- Chron's disease is the inflammation of the terminal ileus; Ulcerative colitis is the inflammation of the distal colon; both may be caused by autoimmune response characterized by exacerbations and remissions.
- The bowel develops shallow ulcers; the woman experiences chronic diarrhea (4-24 x/day), weightloss, occult blood in stool, and nausea and vomiting. In chron's, there is malabsorption of vitamin B12, folic acid, iron, calcium, fats and vitamins ADEK; the predominanat symptom for ulcerative colitis is rectal bleeding.
- Complications are nutritional deficiencies, toxic megacolon, and other extraintestinal manifestions ( arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, clubbing of fingers, anemia). colon cancer is common.
- Therapy is total GIT rest by administration of TPN, Sulfasalazine maybe continued without fetal injury.
- Specific goals of nursing care for IBD: Maintain and corrcet nutritional and fluid status, reliieve discomfort and diarrhea, prevent complications, provide physical rest and comfort, relieve pain, restore blood volume, provide emotional support.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE DURING PREGNANCY ( Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis)
