Doctors Fail to Treat Ischemic Colitis

Case Overview

This case takes place in New York and involves a male patient with a past medical history of ischemic colitis. He presented to the ER with complaints of severe abdominal pain and discomfort. The patient reported that the pain had begun several hours earlier and was associated with chills and dry heaves. Despite his pain, the patient was forced to wait for several hours before being seen by a doctor, who discharged him with a diagnosis of constipation. One day later, the patient presented to the emergency room in a different hospital complaining of extreme abdominal pain, at which point exploratory surgery was performed. The operating surgeon noted the presence of a large perforation in the patient’s bowel, which required a significant resection of multiple portions of the colon.