Blind loop syndrome is a medical condition that occures when the intestine is obstructed, slowing or stopping the progress of digested food, and thus facilitating the growth of bacteria to the point that problems in nutrient absorption occur. The intestine is the portion of the alimentary canal extending from the stomach to the anus and, in humans and other mammals, consists of two segments, the small intestine and the large intestine. ... Subgroups Actinobacteria Aquificae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chlamydiae/Verrucomicrobia Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are a major group of living organisms. ... // Nutrients and the body A nutrient is any element or compound necessary for or contributing to an organisms metabolism, growth, or other functioning. ...

Physiology

The obstruction of a section of intestine causes ineffective bile salt mediated digestion of fats, causing fatty stools and poor absorption of fat and fat-soluble vitamins. Vitamin B12 deficiency may occur because the increased bacterial population can consume the vitamin. Bile is also another name for Belenus, a god in Brythonic mythology. ...

Causes

Blind loop syndrome is a complication of surgical operations of the abdomen, as well as inflammatory bowel disease or scleroderma. In medicine, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the large intestine and, in some cases, the small intestine. ... Scleroderma is a rare, chronic disease characterized by excessive deposits of collagen. ...

Symptoms

• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fullness after a meal
• Fatty stools
• Unintentional weight loss

Signs and tests

A physical examination may reveal a mass or distention of the abdomen.

Tests which may be useful for diagnosis include:

• Abdominal x-ray
• Abdominal CT scan
• Contrast enema study

Treatment

The initial treatment generally involves antibiotics for the bacterial overgrowth, along with vitamin B12 supplementation. If antibiotics are not successful, surgical correction of the obstruction to allow better flow of food through the intestine may be considered.