Pathophysiology of Malabsorption Syndrome (at the cellullar, tissue and organ level) - Research Paper Example

Malabsorption Syndrome Malabsorption Syndrome is related to diseases characterized by deficient or defective absorption of any of the necessary elements in the body. Fats, Vitamins, Protein, Electrolytes, Minerals and Water are the elements which are referred to here. Malabsorption occurs at the basic level of because of the defects in digestive functions. This can be either because of defective intraluminal digestion in which either the secretions would not be enough for digestion of the necessary elements.

Defects in the terminal digestion can also lead to malabsorption syndrome when hydrolysis of the necessary elements would not be complete because of deficiency of enzymes. And lastly the transport system of these necessary elements can be affected because of which these nutrients would not be going inside. At the cellular level the malabsorption syndrome can occur due to destruction of cells of pancreas or liver which would produce the necessary juices for the digestion of nutrients. The primary mucosal cell abnormalities can cause deficiency in the transport system of the nutrients.

Bacteria can overgrow in these mucosal cells which can cause deficiency of the necessary nutrients. Clinical manifestations:  Individuals with Malabsorption syndrome would commonly show signs of diarrhoea, flatus and pain in abdomen. This would be generally seen in individuals who have excessive secretion of intestinal juices. Similarly the hematopoetic system of that individual would also be affected because of the lack of nutrients. Lack of red blood cells and bleeding can occur at such instances.

The endocrine system can also be affected of the individual through lack of the nutrients required for hormones. Calcium levels can be affected because of lack of Vitamin D and this can further lead to hyperparathyroidism. Individuals with Malabsorption syndromes show problems with their epidermis and skin because of lack of nutrients required for the development of skin. Nervous system is also affected in this syndrome such as in the deficiency of Vitamin A and B12. Typical medical treatment  The treatment for malabsorption Syndrome depends on the exact cause of the disease.

That is if the intraluminal digestion is affected then the exact cause of that defect should be discovered first. If a nutrient is deficient in the body it would be given orally or intravenously to the patient. Enzyme deficiencies can be tackled with treatment from oral or injected enzymes. Similarly the growth of bacteria in the cells can also be stopped by giving antibiotics. Some examples of Malabsorption syndrome are pancreatitis, diarrhoea, celiac disease etc. Nursing Considerations Nursing considerations revolve around the proper care of the patient until his problem is solved.

The patient should be diagnosed at first and then his diet should be adjusted accordingly. In Malabsorption Syndrome the most important aspect to be considered is of the diet. The diet taken by the patient should be managed such that his malabsorption does not increase. Similarly the patients should refrain from having a fatty diet as it may cause other diseases.ReferencesKumar, Vinay, Ramzi S. Cotran, and Stanley L. Robbins.Robbins Basic Pathology. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders, 2003.