Perforation of the Digestive Tract
A perforation is a hole.
Your digestive tract is the group of hollow organs that food passes through when you swallow and digest it. These organs are part of the digestive tract:
What is a perforation of the digestive tract?
A perforation of the digestive tract is a hole in any of the organs in your digestive tract.
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Injuries, certain diseases, or swallowing certain things can make a hole in your digestive tract
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Food, digestive juices, or waste leak out of the hole into your chest or belly and make you very sick
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You’ll have sudden, severe pain in your chest or belly
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Doctors do x-rays and sometimes a CT scan
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A perforation is a medical emergency, and you'll need surgery right away
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Without treatment, you might die
What causes a perforation of the digestive tract?
Causes of a perforation depend on where in the digestive tract the hole is. Causes include:
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Injury, such as being stabbed, shot, or in a car crash
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Swallowing something that gets stuck (a foreign body)
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Swallowing a chemical, such as acid, that eats a hole in your esophagus or stomach
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Vomiting really hard
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Certain diseases, such as diverticulitis, peptic ulcer disease, blocked intestines, Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis
