Man Suffers Total Inte.stinal Necrosis, Di.es One Day After Emergency Admission — Doctor Warns: A Seemingly Har.mless Symptom Should Never Be Ignored
His entire intestine had become necrotic. There was nothing left to preserve or remove to save his life. The surgery had to be stopped. The patient passed away the following day.
Recently, an emergency room physician in Taiwan (China) shared a case that left many shaken. A patient was admitted with severe abdominal pain—so intense that he was drenched in cold sweat. Initial tests did not show any obvious abnormalities. However, because the pain did not subside, the medical team decided to perform a CT scan. The results raised serious concern: suspected acute mesenteric ischemia, commonly referred to as an “intestinal stroke.”
The patient was immediately referred for surgical consultation and prepared for exploratory abdominal surgery. When his blood pressure dropped, doctors had to administer vasopressors to maintain circulation. But shortly after entering the operating room, his heart stopped.
After aggressive resuscitation, his heartbeat returned. Yet when surgeons opened the abdomen, they were confronted with a devastating reality: the entire intestine had become necrotic. There was no viable section left to preserve or resect. The operation had to be abandoned. The patient died the next day.
According to the emergency physician, many life-threatening conditions—such as myocarditis, cerebral venous thrombosis, and acute mesenteric ischemia—often present without typical symptoms in their early stages. Blood tests may not show significant changes. Imaging may not initially reveal the full extent of damage. By the time the “complete picture” becomes clear, it may already be too late.
Acute mesenteric ischemia occurs when the blood vessels supplying the intestines become blocked or severely constricted, depriving intestinal tissue of oxygen. The condition can progress rapidly, leading to tissue necrosis, sepsis, and multi-organ failure. Mortality rates are high if not detected and treated promptly. However, early symptoms may be limited to severe abdominal pain that appears disproportionate to clinical findings, making it easy to misdiagnose.
From this case, the doctor emphasizes that abdominal pain can sometimes be a warning sign of a serious underlying condition. If symptoms such as intense or rapidly worsening abdominal pain, cold sweats, low blood pressure, vomiting, or extreme fatigue occur, patients should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
