High-Technology Gastroenterology Disorders in Children

Although improvements in managing pediatric gastrointestinal diseases have occurred over time, the use of technical adjuncts to aid in management has greatly improved the survival and quality of life for these patients. This has increased the scope of presenting disorders, unique and challenging adverse effects, complications, and technical difficulties for which emergency care providers must be familiar. This article will include a review of gastrointestinal tubes and their complications and presurgical and postsurgical considerations for gastroschisis, omphalocele, and Hirschsprung disease. In addition, with increasing pediatric survival from organ transplantation, pretransplantation and posttransplantation issues will be discussed, specifically for liver and small bowel transplantation. Pediatric patients with short bowel syndrome are being encountered more frequently and use multiple high technical adjuncts to aid in their survival. These adjuncts, as well as a review of short bowel syndrome, will be discussed.