Those who have undergone an appendectomy must take proper care for faster recovery. If symptoms such as rectal bleeding, increased abdominal swelling, shortness of breath, pus or redness around the incisions, persistent fever, and an inability to eat and drink are experienced post surgery, one must consult a doctor immediately.
What Causes Distended Stomach?
Abdominal distension refers to the swelling of the abdomen. The distension may be caused by either air (gas) or fluid collection. The accumulated substance causes an outward expansion of the stomach and waist beyond normal proportions.
A distended abdomen is abnormally swollen outward. You can see and measure the difference, and sometimes you can feel it. A distended abdomen can be due to bloating from gas, or it can be due to accumulated fluid, tissue, or digestive contents. It can be chronic or acute.
What is the differential diagnosis for this problem? Broadly speaking, abdominal swelling can be due to ascites, organomegaly or constipation with retained air. These conditions can cause generalized abdominal distension or swelling.
But did you know that they are actually different? Bloating refers to the sensation of abdominal (tummy) swelling, sometimes described as the feeling of an inflated balloon in the belly. By contrast, abdominal distention refers to an actual increase in measured abdominal size.
Abdominal swelling, or distention, is more often caused by overeating than by a serious illness. This problem also can be caused by: Air swallowing (a nervous habit) Buildup of fluid in the abdomen (this can be a sign of a serious medical problem)
swellingthe act of swelling and becoming large by pressure from inside, or the result of this: Gaseous distension of the bowel causes considerable discomfort to the patient.
I still remember the medical school mnemonic-food, fat, flab, fluid, flatus, feces, fetus, factitious, fatal, and fruitcake. The ten “Fs” were the causes of abdominal distention.
Distension (spelled distention in many style regimens) generally refers to an enlargement, dilation, or ballooning effect. It may refer to: Abdominal distension, typically a symptom of an underlying disease or dysfunction in the body, rather than an illness in its own right.
Distension can be measured through the use of a tape measure. Distension over the course of a day can be measured more reliably by a device known as ambulatory abdominal inductance plethysmography (AIP). Such a device would most likely only be used during the course of a research study.
Protuberant abdomen is unusual convexity of the abdomen usually caused by poor muscle tone or excessive subcutaneous fat.
Consumption of high-fiber foods can lead to intestinal gas and bloating. Less commonly, ovarian cysts or other types of tumors can cause the appearance of a distended abdomen. The accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, known as ascites, can cause the appearance of distension.
Possible reasons for bloating and distension include: Too much gas in the intestine. Abnormal levels of bacteria in the small intestine (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth – SIBO) Imbalance of microorganisms that usually live in the bowel (dysbacteriosis); sometimes the result of taking antibiotics. Food intolerance.
The use of ICD-10 code R14.0 can also apply to: 1 Bloating 2 Tympanism 3 Tympanites (abdominal) (intestinal)
DO NOT include the decimal point when electronically filing claims as it may be rejected. Some clearinghouses may remove it for you but to avoid having a rejected claim due to an invalid ICD-10 code, do not include the decimal point when submitting claims electronically. See also: Bloating R14.0. Distension, distention.