Gastro-intestinal crises during pregnancy

Abstract

In general pregnancy is not associated with an increase in the incidence of gastro-intestinal (GI) conditions, but it is associated with an increase in the severity of these conditions. This is largely due to a delay in making the diagnosis. Delay is caused by a combination of factors. These include mimicry of symptoms and signs with pregnancy-related conditions, a change in the usual clinical presentation, reluctance to use radiological diagnostic aids and a higher threshold for performing invasive investigative procedures. However before resorting to invasive investigations, it is imperative that appropriate non-invasive investigations are performed and evaluated first. This is especially relevant to liver conditions in pregnancy which can present with abdominal pain. Optimal management of GI conditions in pregnancy requires both surgeons and obstetricians to be aware of the problems of diagnosis, communicate promptly and investigate without delay in order to make a diagnosis and avert a GI crisis. This article discusses the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of the common GI conditions occurring in pregnancy.