Enterocutaneous fistulas can be caused by various reasons. Depending on how the fistulae are formed, they are classified as: extra-intestinal fistulas – fistulas in which the contents of the gastrointestinal tract leak into the abdominal cavity and/or outside the abdominal wall; and internal fistulas – fistulas in which abdominal organs communicate with each other through abnormal channels. Distinguished by anatomy, intestinal fistulas are subdivided into esophageal, gastric, small bowel, colonic and rectal fistulas. These are the main pathways through which food needs to pass after entry.
In general, small intestinal fistulas (including, in general, the stomach, duodenum, and small intestine) are very corrosive to the body because they are rich in digestive juices, and the closer they are to the duodenum, the higher the concentration of bile, pancreatic juice, and gastric acid, the stronger the digestive effect. The small intestine is the main digestive and absorption part of the body, and the amount of digestive juices is large. Small intestinal fistula is particularly corrosive and can easily digest self tissue and blood vessels, causing large tissue necrosis, vascular destruction, and hemorrhage.
The small intestine is the main digestive and absorption site. Small intestinal fistula is bound to seriously affect the body’s digestive and absorption functions, and the combined effect of the large amount of loss and the inability to eat results in the depletion of a large amount of nutrients while not being able to effectively replenish energy. Therefore, small intestinal fistula is characterized by necrosis of large tissues, bleeding, wasting and malnutrition of the patient as the main manifestation. Since the organism has basically completed the digestion and absorption of food in the small intestine. The main role of the colon is to absorb water, and at the same time, the amount of bacteria in the colon is huge and complex.
Once an intestinal fistula occurs in the colon, in most cases, it will manifest as a local or systemic infection. So it is the fever and signs of infection that are the main manifestation. It has less impact on the patient’s nutritional absorption and digestive process.
The causes of intestinal fistulas are diverse, and factors such as the patient’s pre-existing diseases, malnutrition, and the quality of the organism are all important causes of intestinal fistulas. Therefore, to treat intestinal fistula, it is necessary to overcome the existing disease, improve the quality of the organism and improve the nutritional status. It allows the organism to enter into a synthetic state.