Diagnosis
Definition
Intestinal failure is decreased intestinal function such that nutrients, water, and electrolytes are not sufficiently absorbed. Short bowel syndrome is when there is less than 2 m (6.6 ft) of working bowel and is the most common cause of intestinal failure. Treatments
Symptoms of short bowel syndrome are usually addressed with medication. These include:
Anti-diarrheal medicine (e.g. loperamide, codeine)
Vitamin, mineral supplements and L-glutamine powder mixed with water
H2 blocker and proton pump inhibitors to reduce stomach acid
Lactase supplement (to improve the bloating and diarrhea associated with lactose intolerance)In 2004, the USFDA approved a therapy that reduces the frequency and volume of total parenteral nutrition (TPN), comprising:  NutreStore (oral solution of glutamine) and Zorbtive (growth hormone, of recombinant DNA origin, for injection) together with a specialized oral diet. After 24 weeks of successful Phase III patient treatment trials, Teduglutide was shown to be relatively safe and effective with varying degrees of benefits and adverse effects per patient. Adequate safety evaluations prove to be difficult due to a limited sample size available for study, however. In 2012, an advisory panel to the USFDA voted unanimously to approve for treatment of SBS the agent teduglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-2 analog developed by NPS Pharmaceuticals, who intend to market the agent in the United States under the brandname Gattex.
Volvulus, a twisting of the small intestine often caused by intestinal malrotation that quickly cuts off blood supply and leads to tissue death
Tumors of the small intestine
Radiation enteropathy, radiation injury to the small intestine, due to radiation therapy for cancer
Injury or trauma to the small intestine
Necrotizing enterocolitis (premature newborn)
Bypass surgery to treat obesity
Surgery to remove diseases or damaged portion of the small intestineSome children are also born with an abnormally short small intestine, known as congenital short bowel.Surgical complications, requiring re-surgery, are a common cause of small bowel syndrome, contributing up to 50% of cases based on some estimates. These surgical complications include internal hernias, volvuli, ischemia or profound hypotension. Pathophysiology
The length of the small intestine can vary greatly, from as short as 2.75 m (9.0 ft) to as long as 10.49 m (34.4 ft). On average it is about 6.1 m (20 ft). Due to this variation it is recommended that following surgery the amount of bowel remaining be specified rather than the amount removed.Short bowel syndrome usually develops when there is less than 2 meters (6.6 feet) of the small intestine left to absorb sufficient nutrients.The resection of specific areas of the small bowel can lead to distinct symptoms in short bowel syndrome.