MALABSORPTION SYNDROME

MALAIKA
NASEER

19~ARID~1527
 WHAT IS MALABSORPTION SYNDROME?

 Malabsorption syndrome refers to a number of disorders in which the small

intestine can’t absorb enough of cer tain nutrients and fluids.
o Nutrients that the small intestine often has trouble absorbing can be
macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats), micronutrients (vitamins and
minerals), or both.
o Some commonly known disorders related to malabsorption are  lactose
intolerance and celiac disease. People with a history of bowel or stomach surgery
may also have malabsorption disorders.
 CAUSE OF MAS
Factors that may cause malabsorption syndrome include:
o Damage to the intestine from infection, inflammation, trauma,
or surgery
o Lactase deficiency, or lactose intolerance
o Prolonged use of antibiotics other conditions such as celiac
disease, crohn’s disease, chronic pancreatitis, or cystic fibrosis
o Certain defects that are congenital, or present at birth, such as biliary
atresia, when the bile ducts don’t develop normally and prevent the
flow of bile from the liver
o Diseases of the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas
o Parasitic diseases
o Radiation therapy, which may injure the lining of the intestine
o Certain drugs that may injure the lining of the intestine, such as
tetracycline, colchicine, or cholestyramine. Or your stomach may not
be able to produce the enzymes it needs to digest certain foods.
 RARE CAUSES

o There are also some uncommon disorders that can result in malabsorption.
One of these is called short bowel syndrome (SBS).
o With SBS, the small intestine is shortened. This makes the intestine less
able to absorb nutrients. SBS may be a birth defect, or it may be caused by
surgery.
o Certain diseases may cause malabsorption. These include  tropical sprue, a
condition most common in the Caribbean, India, and other parts of
Southeast Asia. This disease may be related to environmental factors, such
as toxins in food, infection, or parasites.
o An even rarer potential cause of malabsorption is  Whipple’s disease, which
is a result of a bacterial infection. may also be caused by digestive
problems.
 SYMPTOMS
 Frequent diarrhea
 Bad-smelling and loose stool
 Weight loss
 Scaly skin rashes
 Weakness, bone pain
 A sore tongue
 Iron deficiency anemia
 Abdominal discomfort, including gas and bloating.
 Stools that are light in color or bulky
 Stools that are hard to flush away because they float or stick to the toilet
bowl
 Chronic (or ongoing) diarrhea is a very common sign of malabsorption. See
your doctor if you have symptoms.
 DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS FOR MALABSORPTION
SYNDROME
 When your doctor suspe cts malabsorption syndrome, they will need to know your symptoms and the
foods you eat.
 Your doctor may do several tests to find the cause of the problem. They include:
• Stool Test: Too much fat in your stool could mean malabsorption.
• Lactose Hydrogen Breath Test:  A doctor can see how well you absorb nutrients by measuring
how much hydrogen is in your breath after you drink a milk sugar (lactose) solution.
• Sweat Test: Studying a sample of sweat can help diagnose cystic fibrosis. One of the effects of
that disease is a lack of enzymes to properly digest food.

Stool Test
Lactose hydrogen breath
test Sweat test
CONT…

 B loo d t es ts : The se te s ts me as u re the le vel o f s p ec ific nu tri ents in y o ur b lo od , s uc h as  v ita mi n B- 12, v ita mi n
D , f olate ,  iro n, c alc i um , c a rote ne,  pho s p ho ru s , a lb u mi n, a nd  p ro tei n. ( F ig 1.1)
 B iop s y  o f s mall int es tine:  A s ma ll t is su e s am pl e i s ta ke n from ins id e t he s ma ll inte sti ne a nd s tu d ied to se e
whethe r i t s hows s igns o f i nfe c tio n o r ot he r prob l ems . (F ig 1.2)
 E ndo s c o py :  A d o c tor u s es a l ong, fle x ib le tu b e w ith a c a mera to c hec k o u t y o u r int es tines . (F ig 1.3)
 Imagi ng te sts : Im aging tes ts, w hic h ta k e p ic tu re s o f y o u r di ges tiv e sy st em, ma y b e d o ne t o lo ok fo r
s tru c t ural p ro b lem s. Fo r i nsta nc e , y ou r d oc to r c o u ld re que st a  C T s c a n  to lo ok f or thic k eni ng of the w a ll o f
yo u r sm al l int es tine, w hic h c o u ld b e a s ign o f C rohn’s d is ea s e.

Fig. 1.1 Fig. 1.2 F ig 1 . 3

TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR MALABSORPTION SYNDROME

 Provide Care: The doctor will provide care based on the cause of the absorption problem.
For instance, if you’re found to have lactose intolerance, your doctor will likely advise you
to avoid milk and other dairy products or take a lactase enzyme tablet.
 Proper Diet Plan: At this point, your doctor may refer you to a dietitian. Your dietitian will
create a treatment plan that will help make sure you’re getting the nutrients your body
needs. Your dietitian may recommend:
 Enzyme supplements. These supplements can help your body absorb the nutrients it can’t
absorb on its own. Find a great selection of enzyme supplements here.
 Vitamin supplements.  Your dietitian may recommend high doses of vitamins or other
nutrients to make up for those that are not being absorbed by your intestine.
 Diet changes. Your dietitian may adjust your diet to increase or decrease certain foods or
nutrients. For instance, you may be advised to avoid foods high in fat to decrease diarrhea,
and increase foods high in potassium to help balance your electrolytes.
 MNT

 The diet for malabsorption is intended to help decrease diarrhea and improve
nutritional status. Eating small, frequent meals might improve tolerance and
decrease diarrhea.
 Dietary therapy includes a high-protein, high-calorie, low-fat diet.
 The lactose in milk and other dairy products can also cause diarrhea and should be
avoided.
 All of your grain choices should be made from refined flours to reduce fiber and
roughage.
 Encourage patient to eat boiled or backed vegetables.
 FOODS TO EAT FOODS TO AVOID
Banana Meet
Chicken Eggs
Fish Dairy products
Pulses Fried foods
Carrots
Beans
White bread
Rice